Marie
We were at dinner, and Asin insisted on inviting my family as well. I felt unbelievably happy—the kind of happiness where you're afraid to speak or move, fearing you might break the spell.
But then Asin squeezed my hand, and all those fears instantly dissolved.
"Family, I have something to announce, now that we're gathered," he took advantage of the momentary silence and stood up. "In front of God and all my beloved ones."
What is he doing? With this man, I could never tell.
"Son, you're worrying me. What's happening?" His mother narrowed her eyes and nudged him.
"I suppose you've all noticed the increased criminal activity in our beloved city? Men in fast cars?" He paused, allowing the table to murmur their pieces before he continued. "As you all understand, my amaxophobia has been flaring up, hearing such events transpire. I need some time... away from the city and such turbulent times."
"Asin," his grandfather looked suspicious. "...Do you truly have those feelings, or are you just wanting to get out of work Monday morning, perhaps?"
Asin was suspiciously silent. It seemed he hadn't even thought of that angle.
"Dede, what have I done to have you accuse me in such a disgraceful way?"
Oliver was trying so hard to hide a smile he actually looked terrifying.
"I didn't mean it like that, son. Go on," his grandfather urged him on.
Asin had gambled but won that round.
"I need some time away, as I said. I'm taking my wife and... those two." He pointed at Ayshe and Oliver. "...For emotional support."
"Let us remember," Oliver began, but Asin cut him off with a pointed stare.
"Let us remember," Asin repeated smoothly, "that I didn't even have a honeymoon yet! I'm honestly disappointed in you all, but I figured you just love Yary more." It was lovely seeing his acting ability on display, but now, at least, I understood what he was going for.
We were going on a honeymoon.
"What are you talking about? It was you who said..."
"Let us not get bogged down in who said what, Mother! Unless you want me in some nut house, you let me leave!" He sat down and stared ahead until they all gave in.
Once a disturbing conversation with my own mother ended—she thought amaxophobia was a deadly disease—we were left alone.
~
"Man, the way you do things... it's over the top," Oliver shook his head.
"They let us go, didn't they? My apologies that my own parents aren't new-aged like Aunt Tilley."
"Where are we going?" I asked, thrilled.
"We're heading off to the island of Mardin. A little rest will do us good."
Oliver looked immensely grateful. I had a feeling he was planning something again. I just hoped it was harmless.
But still... a honeymoon. He was right; we deserved one.
---
Oliver
I asked for help. He delivered.
An island retreat for a few days. Away from the responsibilities and the city that was still on fire from last night.
I was packing at home and had just finished letting Leyla and the crew go as well. Not surprisingly, the most disappointed turned out to be Kol. We'd made him captain for the same virtues as Metin and Kerem—we were old friends. Unfortunately, he had pumped himself up for a weekend of work. Now it was a holiday for a while.
Asin called the council, Mr. Unknown, to cancel the meeting, and Old Ivan to explain why we were leaving.
That Mr. Unknown was a surprise. He actually felt bad for canceling the event and apologized, promising much better care in the future. Hopefully, he could reach places we could only carefully avoid and find out something about these experimental police measures they'd been preparing.
On Mardin, I would just relax, and the moment would present itself. Naturally.
Hopefully, this trip would enable things with Ayshe.
I was picked up by Asin and the others in a mini bus that took us to the airport.
"What's up with the hats?" I asked.
"Asin said it's the exclusive fashion this summer, and we need to stay ahead of it... he was lying, wasn't he!?" The reality landed slowly on Ayshe. Marie was busy destroying her ridiculous feathered one on her husband's back.
"You play too much," I said to Asin.
"And you're an old man at nineteen," he countered.
"Anyway, have you been to Mardin?" Marie asked, fixing her hair.
"Mardin? Oh, yes. We used to come and go a lot ... b-but... It's hard to remember."
Asin kept shaking his head, but I was a second too late.
"I thought it was your first time?" Marie turned to him, her voice dangerous.
He shook his head, his face filled with disappointment, looking at me. "So what? We've been there a few times. But to be fair, I don't remember most places we go."
"Is that your defense?"
"I don't believe I need one, dear. Can... can we just relax and enjoy this time?" He grabbed her hands.
They were a regular comedic duo now.
Ayshe looked beautiful. I mean, her hair was a little off after the hat massacre, but beautiful all the same.
"What time does the plane leave?" asked Marie.
"Pfft, it leaves when we want it, my love. We can even fly it... on autopilot," he added.
"Seriously?"
She did hear autopilot, right?
"Are you mad about the hat?" I asked Ayshe.
"...He's so convincing sometimes," she defended herself.
"I know. Trust me. You guys can swim, right?" I asked them.
They nodded, and I caught Asin smiling.
"Stop thinking... things," Marie hit him.
"I'm sorry, do I wear this as some sort of hobby?" He pointed at his wedding band.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means not even you, my wife, can stop me from... fantasizing about my wife."
Hmm. That made sense, in a way. Marie didn't think so. She went for his ear, but he dodged it with ease.
"You know you're a violinist. Stop trying to act like you have any fighting strength," he laughed.
Soon, we were at the airport and through customs. The girls saw a few things they needed for the flight, and we were left outside the store.
"Are you feeling good?" he asked me.
"Stop asking that."
"Calm down, champion. You and I both want to cross milestones during this trip."
I looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Stop looking at me like that. But may I remind you that my wife is twenty-one years of age. Also, Ayshe is two years your senior." He lifted his arms toward the sky as if it were out of his hands.
It was true, right? I often forgot they were older. I suppose his perverted thoughts might not be baseless.
"Anyway, we'll spend some time together after we arrive, and before dinner, Marie and I will split. I'm giving you two some much-needed time together."
Sounded simple enough.
---
Ayshe
I hadn't been on an island before. It sounded romantic, in a cheesy and inexperienced way. Inexperienced.
I looked out the window as we made our turn toward the island of Mardin. It was an island for the mega-rich, the kind of place people paid an arm and a leg for a plot of land. Obviously, the Martells had a similar mansion there to the one they had back home.
"...He was a pussy," Asin's voice rang out.
"Stop calling him that!" Marie's voice followed. They were discussing a popular book series and its protagonist.
"Oliver, tell her!"
We were constantly put in the middle of their petty squabbling; their tastes differed in almost everything. It was uncanny.
"I liked him fine... he was a little passive..."
"Beta," Asin injected.
"...But... other virtues, such as loyalty, a level head, and caution in fights..."
At this point, Asin was laughing his ass off, and Oliver gave up.
"Don't bother with him. Bit of a barbarian," Marie said to Oliver.
I personally agreed with Asin but didn't want to pour oil onto the fire.
"This place is something else! Even more beautiful than the pictures." Marie took a look outside. "Which one is yours?"
Asin jumped over and pointed out our temporary residence.
"You've been here before as well, I assume?"
Oliver nodded and showed me some pictures of him and Asin wearing flower leis, looking about thirteen or so. "We usually come at the end of the summer, stay at the beach, sleep in the sands... there's this festival..."
"I know, of course." I stopped him. I remembered each August my friends and I dreamed of attending; the most famous celebrities and entertainers spent a week on a secluded island.
It sounded like a dream. It turned out they attended it each year.
"Let's gather ourselves, people. I'm bone tired already arguing with this one here." Asin grabbed his bag and nodded toward my already annoyed sister.
The trip was off to a great start.
~
Mardin was even more of a fever dream than I thought. Their summer house was in the middle of the island, and we walked past a multitude of nightclubs, shops, and restaurants.
We routinely ran into people from TV series or sport teams—people I used to search online or read about their crazy habits or new crypto currency. Something-something coin.
"Can we say hi? Introduce me?" Asin was constantly bombarded with questions like that every time someone waved at him from the people around us.
"...I don't know him. People just wave here," he shook his head.
"Do you guys know him?" I leaned over and asked Oliver.
"...No."
His casual way of saying no made me certain they did.
To be honest, we were followed around by half a dozen bodyguards; it made us stand out.
"Why the excessive security? I mean, everywhere we go," I asked.
"What do you mean? As in, why protect someone they could ask for a country as ransom?" He pointed at the man twirling my sister around.
Right. A criminal crew, at the right moment, could make a fortune overnight. A criminal crew. Ironic. It made me smile.
After seeing the size of the operation these two were running and the kind of money they made with it, it was actually scary.
G.O.D had been around for a while, making immediate fans with their flashy and often dangerous stunts edited and uploaded after every race. Soon it was live streaming and live betting. Then it really took off: bigger races and even guaranteed police chases.
They were new, exciting to watch, and speculate over. People paid thirty dollars for a pay-per-view fight between two human beings wearing gloves. Now they were able to buy better entertainment and more frequently.
I looked at my brother-in-law and the man walking beside me. They might look like teenagers, but... they were more like wolves wearing sheepskin.
We were greeted by an enthusiastic team of maids, cooks, and even a butler. The house was built modeling Greek architecture; those giant columns were actually statues holding the roof. Incredibly detailed, down to the creases on their dresses.
"Welcome to the Karyai," Oliver nodded.
I didn't understand what that meant, but he went on as Asin and Marie were welcomed by the staff.
"Uncle Erwing loves Greek history. This house was copied after a temple in Greece."
I don't think he understood how ridiculous some of the things he said were.
After a few introductory questions, we were led inside—just as beautiful as the outside—and further outside to a garden.
"This is incredible," I gasped, looking over the island.
"Just wait until night. Then it becomes beautiful. See those coral reefs surrounding that closed bay over there?"
I followed his finger, pointing at the colorful marine life. "Well, at night..."
I let him tell me things I had known since I was thirteen, but he looked so happy doing so.
The place even had a gazebo nicely set up with patio furniture and some drinks. We took a load off and enjoyed the sun and the sounds the people made coming from below us. The atmosphere and constant music...
I exchanged a look with my sister. We can make this work here.
---
Asin
This place still carried the same magic. Even better now...
Oliver and Ayshe were talking each other's ears off since we got off the plane, and Marie was comfortably purring on my chest. How peaceful.
It wasn't peaceful the last time we spent time inside this house. Now we could rewrite bad memories, and to start...
"We're going down for a swim inside the bay. Then we can have dinner. Thoughts?"
"Do they still shoot that series here? About the mermaids?" Marie was a true fan of cheesy TV; she seemed to know all about these random shows and people.
"I... I don't know," I smiled, counting in my mind.
"You never watch things in your free time?" She sat up.
Here we go.
"Not all of us have as much free time, dear heart."
"As in, Mr. masked-driver-mob-boss doesn't have time for mundane things like... normal life. My bad, dear." She tapped my knees.
"No... I... I... alright now. You are right." I agreed to avoid another fight.
She smiled and gave a small kiss before taking her sister and going to tour the place.
"Are you okay?" Oliver asked.
I was biting my knuckle, just hard enough to fit the situation. "Marriage is a learning curve, brother," I offered my wisdom.
For a few minutes, we sat there in silence, enjoying the light breeze.
"Remember the last time we stayed in this house?"
I was hoping we could avoid this, but if he wanted to talk...
"Yes. You still think about that?"
He got up and sat closer. "The situation is oddly similar. We were just kids, before all the bad... kids in love, just like now..."
"Alright, Oliver." I stood up, taking my drink. I didn't want to relive old memories. I didn't understand why he wanted to.
Oli walked behind me. "My bad. Just the place made me think."
"I felt plenty of nostalgia. We should've gone to the beach, but after they heard we have a house here..."
"I know. What do you say we find the girls?"
I let him lead me inside. Let us not avoid this place anymore. We were here to stay for a few days.
But just like that, the peace I felt was gone.
---
We spent the day swimming with Oli while the girls did some shopping around town and got autographs. I told her the security was instructed to neutralize anyone who touched her, or those she touched, in any way, shape, or form.
She looked happier than ever. I wasn't kidding, either. I sincerely hoped she took it seriously.
"Marco Polo?" Oliver asked.
"You know I hate that..."
"Right."
We were floating on top of the pool and listening to his creations featuring Marie and her violin. I talked to my mother, let her know we arrived safe and sound. She was surprised we stayed at the house, but I couldn't explain it to her.
Oliver made a few calls to Leyla and Kol. They were oddly similar, in a way, as in they didn't know what to do with themselves on their days off.
"...We are staying until Thursday, Leyla... do whatever you want. No, not that. No..."
I let my mind wander about tonight and the kind of bikini Marie would wear. Color, shapes, and styles were all very important questions.
"Oy, Leyla!" Oliver pushed his phone away. "...Who does volunteering on their days off?" he asked.
"She is the devil," I laughed.
"When are you going to introduce Marie to the 9th and Old Ivan?" He splashed me.
"In time. She's just settling in. I can't handle any more of her questions," I admitted. She was unrelenting. I basically knew the machine called, Marie... just not the insides. When I refused some questions, she wisely let it go... but always found new ones to replace them.
I should get her friends from Konore moved up to the capital and get some aspirins while I'm at it.
They returned loaded with shopping bags and a bunch of trinkets that made no logical reason to carry unless someone signed them. No one called me saying people died, so that was good.
"This place is like a circus! We saw BatBand performing in the middle of the square..."
I looked at Oliver, but he didn't understand a word either. My wife was a fan.
This might trip up the honeymoon.
---
Oliver
I felt a little bad stealing some of Asin's good cheer. I felt even worse that I stole some of my own as well.
I couldn't help but remember our time here; four years seemed so much more, considering the change we had both been through.
But mostly, I felt guilty. Looking back, even then I could have said no...
"Oliver? Are you okay?" Ayshe asked.
"Yeah, just remembered last year's festival and the actual celebrities who performed... not BatBand."
We were walking down toward the bay, like so many others did after sunset. The fluorescent corals made the already beautiful scene unearthly.
Asin was such a fan, we looked into buying the island. It turned out it was more complex than we thought, owned by no less than two dozen corporations, each asking for the sun and the moon as payment.
Either way, we managed to enjoy it since we were children.
Ayshe looked incredible tonight. Flowers were the theme, and the sisters both nailed it. Spending three hours getting ready was sometimes worth the effort.
"BatBand is a well-known... in the social media as a boy band," she finished, unsure.
"That just makes it more sad, doesn't it?"
We shared a little laugh, and she took my hand!
I felt great... and immediately embarrassed.
Wake up, Oliver. I can't let her take the lead in everything. She's older... no! You are a man! Look at your brother.
Asin... he was six months younger than me. Not to mention his wife, who was almost four years older. And if someone were looking at them walking, arms locked, one couldn't tell such an age difference.
I was having intense internal struggles about nonsense.
Marie was taking a peek at us and went into intense whispering with her husband.
"They're breaking their backs... for us getting together."
My casual remark made her tumble. Just coming out swinging, dear Ayshe...
"W-well... Marie..."
She was adorable, but I couldn't tease her. Instead, I let go of her hand and put my arm around her.
"Let's make their job a little easier. What do you say?"
She smiled and took my fingers, which were hanging aloof off her shoulders. "Thought you'd never ask."
I smiled, gaining my confidence back. I even caught some random guys on my right giving me a few thumbs up.
Overthinking things is often a curse.
Just reach...