The guy held up his hand in surrender. "Wait...I'm sorry. My sister has been a mess these last few days, and you have my nices and nephews. Please, just let us in," he pleaded.

I glanced at Mellisa for another minute. She was nearly vibrating in her spot and tears were flowing down her cheek.

"I can't let you in, everyone is sleep, and there is no man in the house," I explained as I noticed them addressing the kids in the plural. "Wait what do you mean by kids ?! Emir is the only one with me, the rest went to you like every other week." I started to panic.

"You stole my children, and know you denying it!!!" Mellisa shouted.

"What, what do you mean you haven't seen them, then where are they ?" I shouted back.

Her brother, I guessed, wrapped his arm around her and she calmed slightly. My heart thudded heavily as I tried to figure out where have they disappeared to.

"What is happening, why all this shouting ?" Mama Ghada came in from her room to the door as she wrapped her headscarf around her hair and wore her rope. "This is the Chamberlin lands, how did you cross the gate at three in the morning." Mama Ghada argued before she even heard the men talking.

"Go back to sleep, I will handle this," Grandma told me as she put her hand on my shoulder.

"No Mama Ghada, I don't know where the devils are, I need to find them" I started looking toward her and back at Mellisa who seemed to be stoned or drunk that she appears to be trying to stand straight.

I knew this was my fault, the kids have found out this week that I am getting engaged tomorrow to Elian, so of course, they will pull a stunt like this today.

"There is no use of us standing here," I stated. "We should start looking for the kids who shouldn't have gone that far."

Mellisa's brother nodded in agreement.

"Mellisa, do you have any pictures on your phone? So we can pass ask people in the way if they have seen them." Mellisa's brother asked.

"No, I don't think so, Ahmad" Mellisa seemed to try to remember, but from the way Deniz and Roya talked about her, she seemed to be disconnected from the most of the time, and I would guarantee she didn't have any photos.

Even since the death of my husband, she seemed to be detached from the kids and from the world. She loved him, and he loved her. I was starting to see Eylul's point.

To save her from trying to go on memory lane with the dose she seemed to have taken, I answered instead of her, "I have pictures in my phone, I will run upstairs to get my phone," I started, but before I could move from my space, I shifted and blocked the hiding man from entering. He scowled and took off his sunglasses so he could glare at me in a threatening manner. I held my ground and crossed my arms in front of me as I flushed when I looked up into his face, "P-professor ?"

"Wahaj, let me by," he responded tersely. His cologne, a spicy, woodsy scent that intoxicates me, returned, and it was stronger than ever with the approximate that was between us.

"Wahaj, what is going on here? Who is he?" Grandma eyed my professor suspiciously.

"My p-professor," I said. "Sir I won't let you in until you explain to me why you're here ?! And why you're carrying a gun."

"My name is Ibrahim Yilmaz, she is Mellisa's Yilmaz. Didn't you connect that we were somewhat related ?" He asked me, coldly.

I never knew Mellisa's last name, I didn't really care to know. My deceased husband and I made a deal that he would marry me and give me money to support my family and in-exchange I would marry him. Furthermore, I would provide a stable home so he could get the kids instead of his ex-wife. What I didn't know was that he only married me to make his wife jealous, which, to this day, makes my heartache.

I was so lost in the past events that I didn't notice the professor making his way past me. "Forgive me for the intrusion, I need to find if you were telling the truth," he said coldly, his green eyes flashing.

"LAYAN" He began shouting, "ROYA," He started calling their names. "DENIZ, LEYLA, EMIR," He started calling over and over again.

"Ya Allah, don't you understand," My grandmother began. "This is the Chamberlain residents, and you are tress passing, I am going to call the guards to escort you outside." Mama Ghada was furious as she began to shout at my professor.

"Mama Ghada, please relax" I begged. "Leave." I turned to my face to see those green eyes, "please,"

He nodded at the corner of his mouth lifted. "come on Mellisa, they aren't here, let's go search for them." He calmly made his way toward Mellisa as Ahmad intruded. "Aren't you going to help us look ?"

"No, Don't look for them you have brainwashed my kids to think that I don't want them, you evil monster," Mellisa demanded.

"No, you look for your kids now," Mama Ghada said. "Wahaj isn't contracted to look after your family," Mama Ghada continued before she pushed the door shut and we went into the living room.

"I should look for them," I said, glancing toward the window. "I know the kids more than they do," I told her.

"She is their mother, she should start acting like one and stop mobbing around like a useless bag." Mama Ghada vented. "Beside tomorrow when you get engaged to Elian they will have to return to live with their mother," She said.

They were an Amana (entrusted) given to me, and I was stupid enough to accept it. It was true he entrusted me into something much bigger than me, and I didn't know.

I hated to admit it, but Mama Ghada was right. The guardianship would end if I got married. I needed to trust that their family would find them.

* Next Morning *

After praying Fajer, I couldn't sleep, so I recited the Quran and waited for a phone call to relieve my concerns, but no such phonecall was received.

In the afternoon, I sat on the log I always sat on in the garden, just watching Emir and Khaled spar with each other. They looked like they were having fun, but I didn't join in... I just thought about the whereabouts of his siblings ... I shook myself out of my depressing thoughts with a sigh, opting instead to reciting hadith that I memorized to find those kids and to return them back to their mother.

"Elian ?!" I startled by him entering through the gates.

"What are you doing here ?" I asked.

"I was worried about you, you haven't returned any of my messages, and when I called Eylul, she told me that the kids were missing," He responded.

I sobbed, "It was my fault, they didn't want me to get married to you so they could stay with me instead of their mother's house," I covered my face as I wailed in silent.

"Habibti, It isn't your fault." He tried to embrace me, but I lightly pushed him away. "We aren't married yet, Elian."

"But we will," Elian said. "Let me comfort you" He commanded.

"No, You should leave," I replied.

"Fine, fine, I won't hug you geez," He huffed, "Just relax," He said.

"Waj, Waj" Emir ran into my embrace.

"My unwcle is hwere," Emir explained as I held him in my arms, "Your uncle ?" I asked.

"Yes, his uncle," He smiled, flashing perfect white teeth.

"Prof," I astoundedly said. "Have you found them ?" I asked immediatly.

He nodded, "We found them in one of Layan friend's house,"

"Alhamidllah," I said in relief.

"They said they wanted to see you, and they wanted to apologize for running away," Professor Yilmaz said before he diverted his attention to the man standing next to me.

"You don't waste time, do you, Miss Muhammad ?" Professor Yilmaz spoke with his deep and smooth voice.

I ignored his comment, "I want to see them, where are they ?"

"In my house," He answered. "With their mother" he added.

"I can take you to them," Professor Yilmaz offered.

"No need, I can take you anywhere you want to go Wahaj," Elian interrupted.

As they both waited for my answer, "I will leave them, for now, to spend some time with Mellisa and I will see them when the week starts,"

"No, you won't." Professor Yilmaz spoke. "My sister has filed a lawsuit for full custody of all five kids." He said. "I will be taking Emir now," He added.

"What ?!" I was in disbelif.