Page 38 of Moonlight Feels Right
"She doesn't have a phone or any money. I don't think she can just walk out of here, but I'm going to keep an eye on her," Linda replied.
"It was smart of you to bring her to a place that doesn't belong to you. They might come after her."
"They might come after you, Emmalyn," Linda said. "Jeremy saw you. He might track you down, try to use you to find out where your mom is."
"Well, I'm not scared of him. I used to think he was so powerful but seeing him today—he just looked like an angry but weak man. He cowered in front of Hunter."
"He might come with reinforcements," Linda warned. "Or a weapon. We're just lucky he didn't have one on him at the market."
"I understand, but I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. You need to focus on Mom and getting her to a doctor."
"I already have an appointment set up for tomorrow. I was being optimistic," she added with a sheepish smile. "I figured if she didn't come, I'd cancel it like the others I've made for her in the past. But seeing you did the trick."
"I'm not sure about that. She's finally more scared of dying than leaving."
Her aunt nodded. "It was still good for her to see you."
"I'm glad it worked out. Can I help you clean up?"
"No. I've got it from here, Emmalyn. You don't have to do anything else, but you are welcome to come and see her whenever you want. It's up to you."
"We'll talk," she promised, giving her aunt a hug before they left.
As Hunter drove away from the house, she felt as if a weight had slipped off her. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "Not just for preventing Jeremy from grabbing my mom, but for supporting me and my crazy, dysfunctional family."
"You are an interesting trio," he said lightly.
"Interesting is a nice word for it."
He flung her a smile, then said, "You and your aunt are two of the bravest women I've ever met."
"My aunt is, for sure."
"So are you, Em. Your mother is lucky to have both of you. I hope she'll be able to get better and find a new life for herself."
"I hope so, too, but I'm not convinced she won't run back to them at her first opportunity."
"Well, you can't prevent that. If she does, it's on her."
"I know." She let out a sigh. "My mom has always been my secret shame. That's why I turned her into a heroic person in my stories. But you saw who she really is today. She's very weak."
"She is who she is, Em. She made choices a long time ago that changed the course of her life. Whatever shame there is or isn't—it's not yours. It's hers. You were a kid. She made the decisions for both of you."
"I know. I just wish she was a better mom. That sounds terrible, doesn't it?"
"It sounds like the words of a disappointed daughter, but one who has every right to feel that way."
"Thanks." She paused. "What's your mom like?"
"She's a strong person, very loyal, protective, much like your aunt. She held the family together when my dad was deployed, and she ran a tight ship. Because she also had to work, she had a lot of rules, and my brother and I were expected to follow them. We were also expected to contribute, so there were plenty of chores, and grade expectations were high."
"She sounds great."
"She was good, but she could be rigid. She liked to have control, and when she didn't have it, it really rattled her. That caused a lot of problems in her marriage to my dad. My father's job always took precedence, and she couldn't control where he was going to be sent or how long he would be gone, or anything really."
"That must have been difficult and lonely, too."
"I think she was very lonely. And that made her angry. When my father was home, they fought a lot. He would go against the rules she had set, and that would piss her off because he didn't respect how she was running the house, and she didn't think he appreciated her hard work." He paused. "But things got worse when my dad was injured during one of his tours, and he came back with not just physical injuries but also mental issues."
