The prom made the Iplikci couple run around town. Nisa went to one school, Mert and Kumru in another, and Dila in a third. In order not to offend any of them, Omer and Defne took turns attending all three proms. First Dila, then Nisa and stayed at Kumru and Mert. The graduates were happy. They shone with smiles and were so sweet in their robes and quadrangular hats. Later, after the awarding of the diplomas, they removed them. Kumru remained in a beautiful blue dress, while Mert in a black suit, white shirt, and his first bow tie. Esra, who persuaded her sister to take her with her, looked no longer at the girls' outfits, but at him. And each time a thoughtful expression appeared on her pretty face, and her heart began to pound harder in her chest. When the sounds of a waltz started playing, Mert ignored his classmates and invited Esra to dance. She blushed, but boldly gave him her hand and walked out into the middle of the platform. Today she wore one of the dresses Defne brought from Milan. Pink silk went very well to the girl's swarthy face, and she looked like a real beauty in it. Mert could not take his eyes off her, and she looked at him with touching embarrassment. Looking at them, Omer bent down to his wife and whispered:

- Don't you think these two fell in love with each other?

- What? - Defne carefully looked at her little sister. And for the first time, she saw her with different eyes. Esra was not small anymore. For a year, she had grown out, and from a plump child, she turned into a young girl. Long-legged, with a thin waist and outlined breast. But for Defne, she was still her little baby-sister. And she was indignant: - What are you talking about? Esra is still a child!

"She's about fourteen," Omer reminded her. - Juliet's age. The time when first love comes to girls.

- Oh, how we are enlightened in this matter! - Defne whispered sarcastically and looked at her husband accusingly. - It is immediately evident that in your youth you were a heartthrob and turned the heads of naive girls.

Omer arched an eyebrow slyly and said:

- The conversation is not about me, but about Esra.

- Yes, you invent everything! - defended Defne. It hurt her that her husband did not object to the heartthrob and the naive girls stacked at his feet. - It's Esra! No romance and languid looks. Only the study is on her mind.

- Well, well, - watching the dancing Esra and Mert, held out Omer.

Mirai and Kartal approached the Iplikci couple. Beautiful, elegantly dressed, they glowed with pride for their children and looked happy.

- Mr. Omer, Mrs. Defne, - said Kartal, - thank you for the gifts. Kumru is so happy. Since childhood, she has been obsessed with beautiful shoes. And in the hospital, she raved about how she would dance at the prom in Omer Iplikci's shoes. Thank you for making her dream come true.

"I was very pleased to do it," Omer answered him. "Kumru is a wonderful girl and deserves to have her dreams come true."

The dance was over. Mert led Esra to Defne and stopped nearby. Mirai, with a warm smile, corrected his rebellious whirlwind hair, which now and then fell on his high forehead. She was so proud of her handsome boy. He did not jerk his head away and look at his mother with a displeased look. But he smiled at her with a wide smile, ceremoniously bowed his head, and asked:

- Beautiful Lady Mirai, can I ask you to dance?

"I'll be happy," she replied.

A beautiful melody played and Mert and his mother went out into the circle illuminated by lanterns. He bowed to her, she bowed in a graceful curtsy and the couple whirled to the music. Kumru ran up to the small company. Short hair framed a pretty face, eyes sparkled, the hem of a blue dress froth around the legs, shod with graceful blue shoes. Kartal smiled at his daughter, and she mumbled:

- Daddy, we will dance with you today. And now I want to invite Mr. Omer. Can I? - She asked looking at her idol and Defne a little scared.

Defne smiled at her and quietly nudged Omer in the back. He bowed to the girl and answered:

- I will dance with pleasure with such a cute dove!

One of the graduates approached Esra and invited her to dance. But when they walked out into the circle and Mert noticed the new pair, his face darkened. He tried to seem imperturbable, but Mirai sensitively grasped the state of her son and with a smile thought that her boy had fallen in love. And how not to fall in love? The girl is just a miracle. So beautiful, polite, sweet. And a very clever girl.

Defne and Kartal were left alone. The man involuntarily glanced at the belly that was too large for such a fragile body, and suggested to his companion:

- Mrs. Defne, maybe you will sit down?

He nodded to a bench nearby. But Defne shook her head.

- No, just don't sit down! Let's take a walk better. Such a lovely warm evening.

"With pleasure," the man replied and gave Defne a bent hand at the elbow. - Lean on. It will be easier for you.

Defne took his arm and they walked slowly down the street-lit school alley.

- Madam Defne, I want to talk with you. Private. I didn't want to start it in the walls of the office, - the man spoke. He looked worried.

"Yes, Mr. Kartal," Defne answered sympathetically.

- Mirai and I fell in love with each other. I want to propose to her, but wouldn't that look ugly concerning Sapphire? Office romances are not welcome in companies.

So that's what worries him! Noble and decent Mr. Kartal!

"Not welcome," Defne agreed. - But life always makes its adjustments. Omer and I also had a real office romance. And we do not regret it for a minute. Mirai is a wonderful woman. And you are a wonderful man. You will make each other happy. And this is the most important thing. Do not pay attention to stupid prejudices.

"Thank you," Kartal thanked her sincerely.

They walked to the end of the alley and turned back. Omer met them in the middle of the way. The dance ended, he thanked Kumru and hurried to find his wife. Defne let go of her companion's elbow and held out her hand to her husband. He squeezed it in his palms and kissed her. Mr. Kartal thanked Defne for the walk, said goodbye, and hurried to Mirai. Omer looked anxiously into his wife's eyes and asked:

- Aren't you tired? Do your legs hurt? And the back? You've been on your feet for over two hours. Shall we go home?

"I feel great," Defne hastened to calm him down. - Nothing hurts me. But it's time to go home. Esra must be immediately taken to Topal. They are leaving tomorrow to visit relatives in Manisa. For a week.

- But what about the cafe? - Omer was surprised.

- Iso and Aysegul will look after it, - Defne automatically answered, looking for Esra. She danced with Mert again. They talked about something briskly and smiled at each other so sweetly.

"Let the dance end," Omer asked. He, too, noticed the dancing couple and did not want to destroy the happiness with which Esra's eyes were shining.

"Let it," Defne agreed with a sigh.

Esra did not want to leave at all. It turned out to be such a great pleasure to dance with a boy, from one glance at whom the heart beats more often. Even more than reading an interesting book. But there was no choice. Defne is tired. Yes, and she must get up early tomorrow. Manisa is waiting for Topal. Before Esra loved to visit Aunt Naziye. She has such a big garden and you can look at the stars in the evening. But this time she did not want to go on a visit at all. And why she did not know.

In the car, Omer let her take the front seat. And he sat in the back, next to Defne. Esra immediately felt like an adult and independent. Turning to her sister and brother-in-law, she asked:

- Defne, will there be work for me in Sapphire in the summer? Any work. Prepare tea for employees, sort letters, or something else. I will do everything.

Defne looked at her sister in surprise and tried to answer softer:

- Honey, why do you need this? Rest better. We are all perfectly capable of providing for you. You don't have to work. There is no need.

"But I want to work," said Esra and her voice trembled.

Omer gently squeezed Defne's elbow and spoke:

- A laudable wish. Esra, if there is no work in Sapphire, then it will be found in Passionis. In the summer in the office, extra hands and a smart head will always come in handy.

- Hurrah! The girl exclaimed with delight. - Brother Omer, you are the best!

Defne looked at her husband reproachfully and shook her head. Omer kissed her temple and whispered in her ear:

- Do not get mad. Esra wants to be helpful. Don't break her wings with your concern.

Defne sighed and asked her sister:

- Esra, does grandmother know about your idea? She won't be angry?

"She knows," Esra said cheerfully. - At first, she lamented who would babysit Iso, and then she said that let Nihan babysit since she gave birth. And I have to use my head as intended.

Defne's eyes went up to her forehead, and Omer laughed and said with admiration:

- Bravo, Mrs.Turkan! Indeed, everyone should use their head as intended.

Waiting for Esra, all Topal family sat on the porch and nibbled seeds. Except for Iso. By this time he was snuffling sweetly in his bed and had a third dream. Omer and Defne got out of the car after Esra. She blew them a kiss, squeezed between her brother and sister-in-law, and disappeared into the house. The Topal rose together from their seats and surrounded Iplikci.

- How's the graduation? Nihan asked.

- Graduation was like graduation, - Defne smiled. - Children are happy, parents are crying. All are beautiful and touching.

"I'll cry too when Iso's finished school," Nihan said, but instead of sighing sadly, everyone laughed.

"My love, up to this moment there are still seventeen years," Serdar reminded her.

- It's the only thing that calms me down.

Grandmother critically examined Defne's belly and said:

- Large. Soon the baby will be born. And we are going to leave for Manisa. Maybe not go?

- Almost three more weeks, grandma, - Defne hastened to calm her down. - You will have time to return three times. Go, have a good time, kiss Aunt Naziye and the rest of our relatives for me.

"Well, if you say so," Grandma agreed. - We will return on Sunday and bring the best strawberries and cherries.

- Ay, I can already taste them, - Defne rolled her eyes dreamily.

- Do you want strawberries? Omer asked.

"And cherries," Defne confirmed.

They said goodbye to their relatives and got into the car. On the way, Omer asked Sukru to stop at a 24-hour supermarket. After kissing Defne, he asked her to wait in the car, and he went to the store. He was gone for fifteen minutes. Defne had time to discuss the latest news and Besiktas's match with Sukru when Omer left the store with a large bag in his hand. Sukru hastened to open the trunk for him.

- What did you buy? - Defne asked when her husband took a seat next to her.

- Strawberries and cherries. From Manisa, - he answered. "You don't need to suffer for a week if you want to eat now. And I also took ice cream. Vanilla. You will want to eat before going to bed."

- I already want to, - Defna smiled gratefully and laid her head on his shoulder. Omer put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her sweet-smelling hair. And she thought that great happiness is made up of little things. Such as the strawberries and cherries bought for her and ice cream. Because she wanted, and her desires are important for Omer.

Defne, dressed in comfy pajamas, reclined with her back on a pile of pillows. Omer was sitting with his legs crossed next to her. He fed her with large dark red cherries and fragrant strawberries. They were as delicious as in her childhood. And Omer was warm and reliable. A man with whom, she felt safe, like behind a stone wall. And Defne adored this wall to madness.

- Omer, - she turned to her husband, - do you think that letting Esra work in Sapphire in the summer would be the right decision?

"Yes," he replied and shoved a juicy strawberry into her mouth.

Defne swallowed it and spoke:

- You know, I had to start to work too early. There were little fun and joy in it. I don't want that for Esra. I want her life to be easy and pleasant.

- I understand you, - Omer removed the curl that fell on her cheek. - But look from the other side. Esra wants to be helpful. And she will not work as a waitress in a restaurant, whereby the end of the shift she would fall off her feet from fatigue, but in the office of her sister's company. In a calm atmosphere and good conditions. She will be able to learn something new. And, most importantly, she will see Mert. It seems to me, - he smiled slyly, - this is the main reason for her zeal for work.

Defne leaned back on the pillow and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. Omer put down the plate of berries on the nightstand and lay down beside her.

"Do you think she's in love?" - Looking at the shadows on the ceiling asked Defne.

"I'm sure," Omer replied.

"Well, yes, you're an expert on girls in love," Defne said sarcastically.

Omer laughed and kissed hеr angrily pursed lips.

- Don't be jealous! It was long ago and not true. I love you now. And I love your family too. Therefore, I want Esra to see and communicate with the boy she likes, and not suffer alone. Besides, Mert is a very worthy candidate for a first crush. He will never offend Esra and will not do anything bad to her.

"You're right about that," Defne agreed. - Mert is very good. Noble and well-mannered. You are probably right. Well, let it be as Esra wants. There is plenty of routine work in Sapphire. And she has a clever head and quick hands.

- My wise girl, - Omer kissed her on the head and asked: - Shall we sleep? Tomorrow is a working day and it won't be easy.

- Yes, - Defne removed the pillows, leaving one. Another one, turning on her side, put it under her belly. - This week is going to be crazy. And I became so clumsy and slow.

"And you don't need to rush headlong," Omer grumbled, laying behind and hugging her. After kissing the warm shoulder, he spread his hand on her belly and smiled with satisfaction when Emine hit it with a tiny heel. - For this we are. And you just be our muse.

***

Deniz Tranba, violating traffic rules, furiously pressed on the gas. The car raced through Istanbul and Deniz prayed that the traffic lights were green. Half an hour ago, he called his wife and heard sobs in the receiver. She cried so that she could not say a word. He flew headlong out of the office and rushed home.

Squealing with brakes, the black Porsche pulled up outside Tranba's trendy home. Deniz jumped out of the car and quickly ran up the porch. Slamming the door, he ran into the house and shouted:

- Iz!!!

The answer was silence. Deniz ran through the rooms. He found his wife in the bedroom. In sweatpants and a T-shirt, she was sitting on the floor with her back against the bed and crying. He knelt beside her and took the unhappy, heartbroken face in his hands.

- What happened? - Wiping away tears from it, he asked hoarsely. - Iz, do not be silent!!!

- Came my tests, - she closed her eyes and sobbed convulsively. - They are bad. Our baby may have Down syndrome.

Deniz was dumbfounded. He even in a nightmare could not imagine such a thing. Is their baby, their precious baby sick? No! It can't be! This is a mistake. A terrible mistake. Pulling himself together, he spoke calmly and confidently. Only the voice trembled slightly.

- You said maybe. But it may not be.

- To find out for sure, you need to examine the amniotic fluid and the placenta. The procedure is scheduled for Friday. Wait ten days for the result. Another two whole weeks until we find out for sure. I'll be worn out. I will die of obscurity. "She began to cry again.

Deniz hugged her and pressed her to him.

"Everything is fine with our child," he said confidently, although he was dying of fear himself. "You shouldn't doubt it for a minute. Do not forget that your tears and worries make him feel bad. Calm down and let's do something good. Aren't you sick?

She shook her head.

- No. Today, the first day, I did not feel sick at all, - the tears that had stopped, again rolled down her cheeks like hail. - It would be better to feel sick, but everything to be fine with baby!

"He's fine," Deniz repeated firmly. He got up and lifted his wife to her feet. He pulled her by hand into the dressing room and ordered:

- Change your clothes and let's go.

- Where to? - Mechanically dragging her legs, she asked.

- In the forest. And then to the sea. Let's get some air and admire the beauty. This will be useful for the kid. Let's take some food and have a picnic. It's time for you to start eating normally.

She stopped him and turned him around. Looking into his eyes, she asked:

- Do you think so? That our baby is all right?

"Yes," he replied with absolute certainty and ordered: "Briskly take off those awful pants and put on something decent and comfortable. I'll put together a picnic basket."

Iz entered the dressing room. When the door closed behind her, Deniz leaned his shoulder against the wall and covered his face with his hands. The unimaginable was happening in his soul. He wanted to howl and roll on the floor. Scream in pain and despair. But he had no right to do so. For Iz now it is a hundred times worse. He must be strong and with his calmness strengthen her faith.

Lowering his hands, Deniz straightened up and walked into the kitchen to prepare the picnic basket.

They wandered through the forest for a long time. The constant rustle of trees and the joyful singing of birds soothed thoughts and put them in order. Fresh air returned on the face of Iz some color, and it no longer seemed painfully transparent. She even felt hungry. And she was delighted with this desire. After all, the baby in her belly needs so much strength to grow. Deniz spread a blanket in a clearing and took out a basket of food and a thermos of tea. ... He watched his wife eat. The joy that the toxicosis had receded was mixed with desperate anxiety for the child. He loved him so much and wanted him to be happy. But he wanted Iz to smile even more. He missed her sparkling smile, fervent laughter, the time when she was serenely happy. He wanted this time back. So that this universal sadness leaves her eyes and fear disappears.

-Smile," he asked her. - Talk to me. Your silence is killing me.

A tortured smile appeared on her face. She put her hands on her belly and spoke:

- I love him so much. More than life. And I will never give him up. I don't care if he is born special. I will love and cherish him.

"We will love and cherish," Deniz corrected her. - He's our child. Most precious.

- But how I want him to be healthy! - Iz desperately begged.

- He is healthy! - Deniz said with absolute confidence.

"We'll only know about it in two weeks," she whispered.

"And these two weeks we will be glad that our child is growing in your belly and will love him," he touched her cheek and looked into her beloved eyes. - Find the strength and drive away fear. It makes the baby afraid. And he shouldn't. Smile and calm down. Everything will be fine!

She hugged him and pressed her cheek to his broad, reliable chest.

"I believe you," she whispered.

***