Uncertain Beginnings

**Tessa’s POV**

The soft morning light filtered through the kitchen window, illuminating the space with a warm glow that sharply contrasted with the coldness I felt inside. There were days when I found myself staring at the horizon, trying to find answers in a place that seemed untroubled. It was as if the ocean carried all the secrets I wanted to uncover, but they always slipped through my fingers.

As I prepared breakfast for Max, my thoughts drifted back to what had happened in the past few weeks. The tension between Bennett and Mason had reached an unbearable point, and I felt trapped in the middle, torn between the two men who meant so much to me. The sound of the coffee maker brought me back to the present, and I took a deep breath, trying to push away the constant feeling that everything was on the verge of collapse.

Max ran into the kitchen, full of energy, with Jake, our dog, right behind him. His radiant smile was one of the few comforts that still made me feel that, despite everything, there was something right in our lives. "Mom, look what Jake did!" he said, holding a toy the dog had brought.

I smiled at him, trying to hide my exhaustion. "That’s great, Max! You and Jake make a perfect team."

Max laughed, running back to the living room, and I watched him for a moment, feeling a mix of love and guilt. I wanted more for him, more than this house filled with silent tensions and unfinished conversations. Bennett’s absence was constant, even when he was physically present, and Mason’s presence, though comforting, only made everything more complicated.

"Good morning," Mason said, entering the kitchen and grabbing a cup of coffee. There was a tone of care in his voice that I recognized, an attempt to ease the tense atmosphere that had hung over us since the last argument with Bennett.

"Good morning," I replied, trying to smile, but it was hard. We were all pretending everything was normal, but the truth was, nothing was normal. Not after everything that had happened.

Mason approached, touching my shoulder gently. "How are you feeling today?"

I looked at him, searching for the right words. "I’m... trying, I guess. I’m just tired of all this."

He nodded, the understanding in his eyes giving me a momentary sense of comfort. "I know. But we’re in this together, Tessa. We’ll find a way out."

Mason’s words were reassuring, but they also reminded me of the complicated dynamic we had created. I wanted to believe that we could fix everything, that somehow the broken pieces of our lives could be rearranged, but the reality seemed harder each day.

As we had coffee, my thoughts returned to Bennett. He had left early, once again absorbed by work, and I wondered how much longer he could keep running away from the reality we had built. There were times when I missed the man he used to be, the dedicated father and the partner who supported me. But now, he seemed like a shadow of his former self, lost in his own internal struggles.

"Do you think Bennett will be able to find some balance?" I asked Mason, my voice low, almost afraid of the answer.

Mason looked at me with painful sincerity. "I hope so, Tessa. But he has to want it too. We can’t do everything for him."

I nodded, knowing Mason was right, but the worry still weighed on me. I wanted Bennett to come back to us, not just physically, but emotionally. We needed him, and I knew that deep down, he needed us too, even if he didn’t know how to admit it.

Max came running back into the kitchen, bringing a new wave of energy that swept away the weight of the conversation. He climbed onto Mason’s lap, laughing as he recounted his adventures with Jake. I watched the two of them, feeling a twinge of sadness and gratitude at the same time. Mason had been a constant in our lives, and his presence was a reminder that, despite everything, there was still love and support.

But even as I watched that familiar scene, Bennett’s absence was felt again, like a shadow I couldn’t shake off. I wanted to believe that everything could go back to normal, but each day seemed to bring new challenges, and hope was beginning to feel like a luxury I could no longer afford.

After breakfast, Mason took Max to the garden, and I was left alone in the kitchen. I picked up my phone, thinking about sending Bennett a message, but I hesitated. I didn’t know what to say. Every conversation with him lately was fraught with tension, as if any word could trigger a new argument. I just wanted peace, I wanted things to go back to the way they were, but it seemed we were drifting further away from that ideal every day.

As I tidied up the kitchen, my mind wandered back to the last few years, since we moved to this town in search of a fresh start. We had left behind a troubled past, but now it felt like we were repeating the same mistakes—the same communication failures, the same growing distance.

Suddenly, the sound of a message on my phone pulled me out of my thoughts. It was from Bennett: "It’s going to be a long day at work. Don’t wait for me for dinner."

I read the message several times, feeling a silent frustration. Those words were a reflection of what our life had become: broken promises and justified absences. I set the phone aside, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

I knew we needed to talk, all of us. We needed to face what was slowly destroying us. But deep down, I also feared that maybe it was already too late. And as I stared at the peaceful scenery outside, I couldn’t help but wonder: how much longer could we hold on before everything fell apart?

The day continued, each task an attempt to keep the routine, but my heart was heavy. Bennett was lost in his world, Mason was trying to keep us together, and me? I was here, trying to hold everything together, but feeling more and more lost as to how to keep going.

My two half brothers: Uncontrollable Desire
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