After She Said Yes

by Kaya Gravitter

  He looked at her and chuckled. "I can change that."

  --

  She had his number but he didn't have hers, though he could have easily got her work number, as he had her office address already.

  So, everyday after she went to her office he started sending her a different book – not just any book, but first editions of books she had written about in one of her articles, “Books I Could Never Get Sick of Reading.” For almost a week he did this, then she felt determined to call him.

  "Aurora?" He sounded surprised.

  "Hey, Anderson," Aurora said awkwardly.

  "You can call me Andy."

  She couldn't say anything.

  "Aurora? Are you there?"

  "Yes," she said shyly. Almost whispering he said, "Okay, we can start dating."

  "What was that?"

  "We can start dating!" She said louder. "Sorry, didn't mean to be so loud." She laughed nervously. Then he laughed too.

  "I didn't notice you were loud." He chucked. "Text me your address and I will pick you up at seven to take you to my favorite Italian restaurant, Olio e Piu, in Greenwich Village."

  "That sounds amazing, to be honest," she sighed in relief. "I am craving carbonara."

  --

  Once they began going steady, the paparazzi started to follow her around and take pictures of her. She didn’t like that type of attention. After they had been dating a little over year, Aurora wanted to take a vacation to get away for a while. Luckily, her boyfriend owned homes all over the world, so he offered to take her wherever she wanted to go.

  She chose Turkey, and they went to his home in Istanbul.

  Though she never told Anderson that she had chosen that city because she thought that fate may bring her to see Melih, she never saw him. She tried to hide her disappointment, but Anderson noticed her sadness and suggested she stay at his condo on the Princes’ Islands to have some alone time. The Princes’ Islands is silent, with the light sound of the sea breeze. All motorized vehicles are banned, making the islands an oasis of peace and quiet. It was just what she needed.

  As she walked into the condo, there was a photographer and someone recording her walking in. How did the paparazzi get in here? I left the country to avoid them. Aurora looked to the ground and saw there was a line of little white candles. Wait. Those are not paparazzi. She followed the candles, which lead to the living room, overlooking the beach. There in the living room, Anderson was standing there in a heart made of candles. She walked to him as he grabbed her hand; he got on one knee. But you are not Melih! She started to cry. She was shaking.

  “Though I am on one knee now, you are the only woman who has been able to keep me on my toes,” Anderson said. “Aurora, will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?”

  “Well…”

  Aurora hesitated for a few moments, which probably felt like a lifetime to Anderson. She thought of the moment Melih had breathed on the back of her neck in that tea shop. She laughed aloud at the hysterical situation and how she had gone all the way to Turkey in hopes she would see Melih. I cannot believe I believed in that fairy tale. Aurora knew that Melih had never tried to contact her and probably never would. Her laughter then turned back into tears. She cried and covered her mouth.

  Anderson stood up to hug her and dried her tears and hugged her close. Aurora said as she cried, “Yes, I will marry you.” She felt like her heart had left her chest. She felt it would be gone forever.

  She decided that she would leave her heart in Turkey, for Melih.

  --

  After being back in Turkey, Melih’s family could see how lonely he was. They tried to hook him up with a Turkish woman, but he said no, just like he said no to the many women who wanted to marry him. He eventually told his family about his love for Aurora. They were upset that he hadn’t told them sooner. He said he had never told them because he was worried they would not approve. His family persuaded him that if he still loved her, he should try to contact her. While his father was on his deathbed, his dad said he wanted his son to do whatever would make him happy.

  His father said in Turkish, “All I want is for you to be happy.”

  Melih had the opportunity to work in New York City after he accepted a promotion. He took that opportunity as fate.

  Melih’s father passed away, and Melih stayed with his family for a few days, then rushed to New York City to find Aurora. After going to her office, he was directed to her assistant, where he explained he was an old friend of Aurora’s and had something important to tell her. That is when he found out that she was on a vacation with her fiancé. His heart sank to his chest when he heard that word.

  “Look! Aren’t they cute!” Aurora’s assistant said as she pulled out her phone to show him a picture. Her assistant seemed to be more excited about it than anyone.

  Melih felt as though he had been stabbed in the chest. He couldn’t breathe. After the time it had taken him to come back, he said, “I should have expected this.”

  Melih wiped the sweat from his forehead. He sat down, almost falling.

  “Are you okay, sir?”

  “Yes,” Melih said. “I just had a long flight from Turkey.”

  “Turkey?” Her assistant looked shocked. "I am sorry, who are you?"

  “Yes. I am Melih,” He said. “But it is pronounced Me-lee.” He continued, “How do you know me?”

  “Miss Tousey said you were a good friend of hers.”

  “A friend…” He muttered. I guess it is my fault I was ever only “a friend.”

  “Mr. Anderson and Ms. Aurora are in Turkey right now!” her assistant said. “Aurora always said it was her dream to go there, then that is when he proposed!”

  Melih smiled, as if he still had a chance to be with her.

  Melih said to the assistant, “Can you give me Aurora’s personal number?”

  “I don’t really know you. What is your again name?”

  “My name is Melih.”

  “Oh. My. God. I remember who you are now.”

  She quickly wrote down Aurora’s number.

  “I know how much you mean to her,” the assistant said. “I mean, she never told us, but we figured that you were the man that got away from her. She always talks about her friend Melih.”

  Again with the “her friend,” he muttered to himself.

  --

  After Aurora got back from Turkey, Melih sent her a package at work. The photo was of them together right before he left to go to Turkey, and he also left a note, which he had delivered in an envelope. Without even opening the package, she immediately hid it in her desk.

  She then looked at the engagement ring on her freshly manicured hand.

  She put her right hand to her heart as tears ran down her face. She wiped the tears from her cheek. Why is he coming now? Why now?

  The next day, he called her. She let her phone ring a few times before she picked up.

  “Hello…Aurora.” I missed the way he says my name.

  “Hello, Melih.”

  “So, you were in Turkey?”

  “Yes,” Aurora said. “How did you know I was…”

  “The heart alvays finds vays of knowing dhings,” Melih said. “But to be honest, your assistant told me vhen I came a few days ago.”

  “Oh,” Aurora said. “So you know, then?”

  “Know vhat?”

  “That I am engaged?”

  “Yes, Aurora,” Melih said. “Did you read da note I gave you and see da picture?”

  “I never knew you gave me a picture or even a note.” Aurora hesitated. “T-t-to be honest, I never looked.” She opened her desk drawer to pull out the envelope. “I can look now.”

  “No! Don’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “A-a-ah can vee meet for coffee tomorrow?” After Aurora was silent, Melih continued, “What do you think?”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay vhat?”

  “Okay, let us meet tomorrow at noon. There is a café outs
ide of my office building.” Aurora said as she laughed, “I am sure your heart knows where that is too.”

  “Yes. If you are dhere,” Melih said, “I will find it.” Aurora smiled so big her cheeks started to hurt.

  “Aurora, before you hang up,” Melih said, “can you vait until tomorrow after vee meet to open da envelope?”

  “Okay, Melih,” Aurora said. “See you tomorrow then.”

  She arrived at the café and got a seat in front of the window and waited for him. She was so anxious, and she showed up early. She saw a couple next to her on a date. The man grabbed the woman’s hands and they smiled at each other in silence. It reminded her of the first time they had met alone for coffee in Madison, years earlier. She then remembered the time when Melih had taken off her coat at the tea shop. She rubbed the back of her neck, as she could almost feel him whisper words against her neck. Shivers ran down her neck.

  “Hello, Aurora,” Melih said, as she almost jumped out of her chair. He rubbed her shoulder assuring her everything was going to be okay. “You still like cappuccinos, right?”

  “Y-y-yes,” Aurora said. “How do you remember?”

  “It is hard for me to forget anything about you.”

  “Melih,” she said, “I want to tell you something.”

  “Vhat is it?”

  “You cannot just show up.” Aurora clenched her jaw. “After this long.”

  “Vell, you did.”

  “I did what?”

  “Showed up,” Melih said. “You know vhat….Nevermind.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “Just read the letter and you vill know. I vant to tell you dat I love you, Aurora.” Yes. Say my name. Wait…

  “Don’t say my name,” she thought out loud. “It is too late, Melih.” She then ran out of the coffee shop while holding back tears. She dried her tears before she walked back into her office building and stood up straight.

  She went to her office and opened her desk drawer. She opened the envelope faster than a child opening up presents on Christmas. She found a picture of her and Melih in New York right before he had left to Turkey. She then looked in the envelope, looking for a note. She turned over the photo.

  I know the real reason you came to Turkey.

  When he said "I showed up" at the coffee shop, he must have meant to Turkey.

  She was supposed to meet Anderson for dinner that night, but she told him she could not because she wasn’t feeling well. She kept re-reading the note that Melih had put on that picture. Aurora could not sleep that night. She kept staring at the photo of her and Melih that she leaned against the lamp on her bedside table.

  --

  The next day after work, she showed up to Melih’s house, unannounced. She took off her engagement ring and put it in her pocket, then knocked on his door.

  “Aurora. Vhat are you doing here?” Melih said. “How did you find out vhere I lived?”

  “How did you find out where I work?”

  “Vell, it vasn’t dat hard to track down your job.” Melih knitted his eyebrows in curiosity, “But how did you…”

  “Well, I have my ways,” Aurora said. “The heart always has its way of finding things.”

  He looked down.

  “Melih…” She touched his cheek and made him look her in her eyes.

  “Yes, Aurora.”

  “You were right.”

  “About vhat?”

  “About why I went to Turkey.”

  “Vhy, Aurora?”

  “To see you,” she muttered.

  “To vhat, Aurora?”

  “To see you,” she said as she whimpered. “I went to Turkey to see you.”

  “Aurora, I am sorry I never came back to the states sooner.” She grabbed his hand.

  “It is okay, Melih.” He rubbed ring hand and looked down at her ring finger.

  “Vhere is the engagement ring, Aurora?”

  “Melih,” Aurora said. “I don’t want to be engaged to anyone besides you.”

  “Really?” Melih said.

  “Yes,” She cried and said even louder as she laughed. “Yes, Melih.” He dried the tears from her face.

  He pulled her close and held her in his arms.

  He puts his lips next to her ears and whispered, "I love you."

  She looked him in the eyes, with tears falling. She stood on the tips of her toes, pulled his face to hers, then kissed him.

  About the Author

  Kaya Gravitter was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin. In 2016, she moved to the Florida Panhandle, where she works as a marketing manager and freelance writer. Kaya has articles published in The Huffington Post, Yahoo News, and several other media outlets. She received a BA with a double major in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, where she was the editor-in-chief for the diversity newsletter and campus blog.

  Kaya realized she loved to write stories when she was only twelve years old. She told her teacher she wanted to turn her story into a play, which was eventually acted out for the school. Kaya's love for writing and her life experiences led her to write this novel for the women speaking out against their abusers and for the women who still haven't. Though the novel is fiction, Kaya hopes this novel helps many women who are going through abusive relationships, PTSD, or eating disorders.

  How you can connect with Kaya:

  Twitter / @KayaGravitter

  Instagram / @Kaya.Gravitter

  Facebook/ Kaya Gravitter