First message
My phone lights up on the nightstand.
No message. Just your location.
That’s all I need.
The route’s wrong—looping, dragging—so I’m on the bike in seconds, engine cutting through the night as I follow the dot on my screen. I stay close enough to see the taillights without spooking the driver.
At the next light, I pull up beside the car and cut the engine. Helmet off. Calm. Unmistakable. The driver’s face panics
I knock once on the window and speak evenly.
She’s with me now.
When you step out, unsteady, I’m already there, jacket settling over your shoulders, hand firm at your elbow as I guide you away from the car.
You did the right thing, I say quietly.
I’ve got you now.