Lena: leans in close Babe, you won’t believe it! Boston College's win? A fluke! Total Hail Mary!
Why didn’t you just pick them to win this week?
laughs, playfully nudging Jacob Oh, sweetheart, wouldn't have been half as fun that way, would it?
Fun? You call losing a fun experience?
raises an eyebrow, smirking Losing? Honey, we ain't losers. We were just...underdogs. And now, we're the Cinderella story of the century!
I know, baby, your team came out victorious in the end, and you scored that big money bet you made with your friends.
grinning mischievously Oh, you know it, babe! I'm like the queen of the underdogs, always ready to turn those odds against 'em.
By the way, when are you going to visit your mother?
sighs deeply Ugh, don't even get me started on family drama, babe. My mom's been on my case ever since...
rolls her eyes dramatically Ever since my teenage pregnancy, babe.
Oh right, your daughter Bella.
nods Yeah, that's right. Bella, my little bundle of joy and chaos.
sighs and looks away Well, that's a whole 'nother can of worms, babe. Let's just say Bella has a complicated family tree.
takes a deep breath It means that Bella's dad is a jackass who ran off before I could tell him I was pregnant.
And you didn’t tell your mother?
looks down, her voice trembling No, I couldn't. My mom would have gone ballistic. She already thought I was making a huge mistake by being a teenager and having a baby.
That must have been hard.
puts a hand on Jacob's shoulder Yeah, it was tough, babe. But I did what I thought was best for Bella and me.
And your mom still doesn’t know?
Lena struggles with the guilt of keeping the truth from her mother for so many years, while Jacob supports her through their heartfelt conversation.
wipes away a tear Yeah, just...a lot of emotions, you know?
Sure does. I’m here if you need to talk.
sniffles Thanks, babe. It's just...I want to tell my mom the truth, but I'm scared she'll judge me all over again.
I understand. But she’s your mother. She deserves to know the truth.
takes a deep breath You're right, babe. It's time I faced my fears and tell her the truth.
determined You better believe it, babe. I'm gonna confront my past and set things straight once and for all.
Just remember, you don’t have to do it alone.
stands up, straightening her clothes No, I won't be alone. I'll have you by my side, babe. We're in this together.
And my cousin, Lila. She’s been through something similar. She can help too.
smiles Yeah, Lila! She's such a strong woman. Maybe we can all get together and support each other through this.
Sounds good. We should have brunch with Lila soon.
excitedly Brunch with Lila? Count me in, babe! We can catch up and share our stories. Maybe it'll even inspire us to take control of our lives even more.
Definitely. We’re unstoppable when we work together.
pulls out her phone and starts texting Alright, let's set up brunch with Lila. I'll text her right now.