Page 76 of Pomegranates and Olive

"So... Deniz, eh?"

"Do not try changing the subject, Mama Bear." Ginny's arm drops and eyes widen as I tap my nose. "You dish, I dish."

"Nothing to dish... yet."

"Can I be a little excited but keep it under lock and key?"

"As long as it's in the vault."

I throw my arms around her and hug her tightly. "Congratulations, cuz. You're going to be the most amazing Mama Bear."

"Let's talk about that later. For now, tell me what's going on. I'm exhausted trying to keep up with all the shenanigans happening around here."

A squeal announces the incoming Emine who throws herself onto the bed between us.

“Did you drive the boat, Emme?” Ginny asks her soon-to-be step-daughter.

Emine rolls her eyes at me. “You don’tdrivea boat, Ginny, yousteerit.”

“My apologies.” The laugh that bursts out of Ginny makes me laugh too. “It amazes me how much that child absorbs.”

The six-year-old crosses her arms precociously. “That child? I’m not that child! I’m Emine Kaya!”

Ginny groans at the ceiling. “What on earth are you going to be like as a teenager?”

“I wish you all the luck in the world.”

We both laugh again and a grumpy Emine climbs out of bed. “I’m not staying here anymore with either of you!”

“Üzgünüm Emine!”

I manage to stop laughing as Emine stomps out the door. “We’re sorry. Come back, cutie.”

“No, I won’t. And I’m not talking to either of you for the rest of the day!”

We lay on the bed for a few more minutes before Ginny rolls over grinning. “Anyway… shenanigans.”

"Right… are you talking about me and Luca? Or me and Deniz? What about Luca and Rosie? Which shenanigans are you talking about?"

"I'm not going to tell you what to do about Luca because I think you already know." She slips a pillow behind her head. "But I can have an opinion about Deniz, and let me tell you that you and he have a lot more in common than just hating each other."

"Did he tell you he hates me?"

"No, but the way you two act toward each other, I think it's pretty obvious that there are intense feelings on both sides."

“It was just a little flirting.”

“It’s destiny.”

“Destiny.” It was destiny that brought me here. It was destiny that put me on this boat at this moment. Destiny has a lot of explaining to do! “You’re wrong.”

“I don’t think I am.”

"You do realise the guy I’ve spent half my life with is above deck right now."

"I'm well aware of that, thank you smart ass. I'm merely saying that it's time to decide who you want or what you want."

"You're being rather pushy, aren't you?"

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