Velet_gozumden_sakindigim

Elara sat, watching her mother. Leyla was poised, elegant, and notoriously quiet about the years before they moved to this quiet seaside house.

She sat across from Elara, her dark eyes intense, filled with an unspoken history. "Do you know what gözümden sakındığım means, Elara?" "You say it a lot. It means you love me." velet_gozumden_sakindigim

"It means more," Leyla said softly. "It means I have seen a world that is too sharp, too loud, and sometimes too cruel. And I made a promise to myself, long before you were born, that you would never have to be sharp, loud, or cruel to survive." Elara sat, watching her mother

"Velet," Leyla said without turning, a smile in her voice. "Your tea is on the veranda." "Do you know what gözümden sakındığım means, Elara

Leyla’s hand stopped, holding a rose stem. She turned slowly, her expression unreadable. "Selin’s father is a brave man, but I am a protective mother."

The air in the garden smelled of jasmine, but Elara only smelled the dust of the old city library where she’d spent the afternoon. She was twelve, with knees perpetually scraped and a mind hungry for stories.