Mother's True Love.

A Close Call.

Bob's hands were steady on the wheel, but his mind was racing with everything that had just transpired. The weight of Emily's request, the truth about Jules, and the need to keep everything under control were heavy on his shoulders. Beside him, Sarah sat in silence, her thoughts a whirlwind. The tension was palpable in the car.

They were close to home when, out of nowhere, a car came barreling out of a side street, screeching to a halt in front of them. Bob slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a crash. His heart pounded as he recognized the car. It was Linda's.

"Jesus Christ!" Sarah gasped, her hand gripping the door handle.

Bob swore under his breath, quickly shifting into damage-control mode. He glanced at Sarah, trying to keep his voice calm. "Stay cool, okay? Remember, the story is that I'm 'saving' you from Emily. We can't let Linda know what's really going on. Just play along."

Sarah's eyes were wide with panic, but she nodded, trusting Bob to take the lead. "Got it."

Linda stormed out of her car, her face twisted in rage. Her eyes zeroed in on Bob as if he were the cause of all her pain. She marched right up to the driver's side, her voice sharp and accusatory.

"Where is she, Bob? Where's Emily?" she demanded, her voice shaking with fury. "Don't lie to me, I know you're helping her. You think you can hide this from me?"

Bob kept his expression neutral, but inside, his heart was hammering. Linda wasn't someone who would back down easily, but he had to protect Emily at all costs. He opened the car door and stepped out, meeting Linda's glare head-on.

"Linda, calm down," he said firmly. "I'm not hiding anything. I'm trying to get this sorted for everyone. Sarah needed to get away from Emily's mess. You know how dangerous this whole thing is."

Linda's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. I know you're lying. You think I don't see what's going on? I could go to the police right now. I could tell them everything—about you, about Emily, about how you're all involved in this."

Bob felt a jolt of fear at the mention of the police, but he quickly buried it. He couldn't let Linda see his nerves. He took a deep breath, using every ounce of his training to stay calm and controlled.

"Linda, listen to me," Bob said, his voice steady. "I'm trying to help. Emily's doing what she thinks is right, but she's in deep, and Sarah needed to get away. I'm just trying to keep everyone safe."

Linda looked unconvinced, her hands trembling as she glared at Bob. "Safe? You think this is keeping anyone safe? You're hiding things from me, Bob. You've always been good at talking your way out of things, but not this time. I'll go to the station. I'll tell everyone what you've been doing."

Bob took a step closer, lowering his voice but keeping it calm. "Linda, please. I know you're upset. I know you're scared. But blowing this up isn't going to help anyone. You need to trust me. I would never let anything happen to Emily—or Jules. I'm trying to make sure things don't get worse. You have to believe me."

Linda's eyes flickered with hesitation, her anger still there but wavering. Bob could see she was on the edge of breaking down. He had to get her to trust him—if only for Emily's sake.

He softened his tone, glancing at Sarah, who was quietly waiting by the car. "Look, Sarah's been through enough. I'm taking her home, but if you want to talk, we can do that. Let's go somewhere quieter. I'll explain everything."

Linda hesitated, then slowly nodded. "Fine. But you better not be lying to me."

Bob motioned for Sarah to leave. "Walk home from here, Sarah. I'll finish up with Linda."

Sarah gave him a quick nod and hurried off, her relief palpable. Bob waited until she was out of sight before turning back to Linda.

"Come on," he said, gesturing to a small eatery nearby. "Let's grab a coffee. We can talk there."

Sitting across from Linda in the small, dimly lit café, Bob watched as her anger slowly gave way to exhaustion. She stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her eyes rimmed with the weariness of someone who had lost too much.

"You don't get it, Bob," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I've lost everything. Jules... Emily... even my husband. It's like every part of my life is falling apart, and I can't stop it. Why can't I get anything right?"

Bob's heart ached for her. He knew the pain of loss all too well, and seeing Linda so broken was harder than he expected. He leaned forward, his voice gentle. "Linda, you can't control everything. I know it feels like the world is against you, but sometimes... sometimes you just have to let go. Trust that things will fall into place, even when it feels impossible."

Linda let out a bitter laugh, wiping at her eyes. "Let go? How am I supposed to do that when every time I let go, something else goes wrong?"

Bob sighed. "I'm not saying it's easy. But you can't hold onto all this anger, all this pain. It'll tear you apart. You need to trust the process, Linda. Trust that Emily knows what she's doing, that she's trying to make things right."

Linda shook her head, but her resolve was crumbling. "I just... I don't know how to do that anymore."

Bob reached across the table, gently placing his hand over hers. "You're not alone, Linda. You've got people who care about you, who want to help. You just need to give them the chance."

For the first time since their encounter, Linda's hardened expression softened. She was still hurting, still angry, but there was a crack in her armor—a small glimmer of trust starting to form.

Bob nodded slowly. "We'll figure this out. Together."

Later that night, Bob pulled out his phone, dialing Emily's number. As the line rang, he leaned against his car, staring out at the dark street.

When Emily picked up, her voice was cautious. "Dad? Everything okay?"

Bob exhaled, relieved to hear her voice. "Yeah, Em. I ran into Linda. It was... rough, but I think I managed to calm her down. For now, at least."

There was a pause on the other end. "Is she going to be a problem?"

Bob shook his head, though Emily couldn't see it. "No. She's hurting, but she's not going to blow things up. Just keep doing what you're doing. I'll handle things on my end."

"Thanks, Dad," Emily said softly. "I really appreciate it."

"Just stay safe, Em," Bob replied, his voice heavy with concern. "We'll get through this."

As he hung up, Bob felt a weight lift from his shoulders—but the road ahead was still long, and the danger wasn't over yet.