It was a bright Monday morning when Ben settled into his 2016 Nissan Juke Wine, making his way to Scott's apartment to visit his father.

It had been far too long since his last visit, not that he was particularly eager to go, but it was a request his lovely wife kept pushing. Ever since she met his dad, she had been doing her best to mend the long-standing animosity that Ben harboured, despite knowing his reasons. She constantly brought up the idea of reconciliation, and although he tried to resist, her persistence wore him down. In the end, he had no choice but to give in.

As he navigated a curve in the road, Ben couldn't help but wonder if her ongoing insistence had anything to do with their news about expecting a child.

Before long, he pulled up in front of Scott's apartment complex in Westland. He couldn't help but admire how well his younger brother was doing. When he first learned that Scott had moved to this country to work on their relationship and start over, he wasn't exactly thrilled. Yet, Scott had surprised him by thriving in his job, and their sibling bond had blossomed into one of affection and respect.

Trust, however, would take time; Ben was still cautious about trusting anyone with the MacLen name, even if they shared blood.

He approached Scott's door and knocked three times, slipping his hand into his pocket as he awaited a response. After a few moments of silence, he glanced at his watch and realised Scott might already be at work. His father should be home, so why was no one answering? Just as Ben prepared to knock again, the door swung open, revealing Mrs. Caroline, Scott's mother.

"Good morning, Mrs. MacLen. Is Mr. Alexander up at this hour?" he greeted her.

"Good morning to you as well, Mr. Adams. Please, come inside," she said, stepping aside to let him enter.

"Thank you," he replied. Once in the middle of the living room, he turned to face her without taking a seat. "Where's my father? Is he still sleeping?"

"No, he's not. He left for town shortly after Scott went to work. When I asked him where he was headed, he mentioned needing some air to clear his mind and get familiar with the area."

"And you didn't go with him?" Ben inquired.

"No, I didn't," Mrs. Caroline answered. "I think he wanted to be alone with his thoughts."

"I see," Ben said, glancing around nervously as he struggled to shift the conversation to another topic.

Noticing his discomfort, Mrs. Caroline decided to speak up. "I apologise; where are my manners? Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you," he replied, shaking his head. "That's not necessary. I really need to get back to work; I'm already running late. If my father returns, please let him know I stopped by." He moved toward the door, but her words halted him.

"I'm sorry for being the reason your parents' marriage fell apart. I know you may resent me, and honestly, I deserve that."

Ben froze, unsure how to respond.

"Thank you for accepting my son Scott as your brother and helping him become the fine man he is today. I'm glad he reached out to you. It might be selfish of me to ask, but I will: please continue to look after him as a big brother and mentor."

"You don't need to apologise to me," Ben finally replied. "You fell victim to my father's charm just like my mother did. He was handsome, and women couldn't help but be drawn in by his looks. I'm just grateful you didn't let yourself be bullied by him like my mother did. I must say, you're tougher than you seem." He smiled at her. "As for looking out for Scott, I'll do my best, but we both know he needs space to make his own mistakes and learn from them." Mrs. Caroline nodded in agreement.

"Well, I have to get going. Please take care of yourself, and you don't need to be wary of me," Ben paused by the door. "As long as you don't betray my mother's kindness to you, I think we'll get along just fine." With that last word of caution, Ben closed the door behind him.

***

With Ben back on the road and heading to work, he decided to swing by a café in Circle that had been all the buzz lately-Eva's Heaven. His colleagues had been raving about it at the office, especially praising their pastries. Given his wife's recent cravings, he figured he'd pick up something special. He thought he might treat himself to a buttery croissant and coffee, while for his wife, he'd grab some coconut rock buns and cranberry juice. That should definitely brighten her day.

Once at the office, Ben settled into his desk, stashing away the takeout from Eva's Heaven. Just then, the door to his office flew open, and in walked his brother, Scott.

"Mmm, it smells amazing in here. What did you get for us?" Scott tried to snag the bag of food Ben had brought for his wife. In that instant, he felt a swift jab at his hand.

"Keep your hands off that! It's for my wife, you idiot," Ben shot back.

"Hey! That's not fair. I'm family too. At least you could have gotten me something."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Get a car, then you can go get your own. But really, why are you barging into my office? How many times do I have to tell you to cut back on this? If you keep it up, people will start talking."

"Let them talk," Scott snapped. "Who cares what they think?"

"Scott, I'm trying to keep our business out of their mouths. What's with the attitude? You used to care about what others thought. What's changed?"

"Nothing," he replied, though his tone suggested otherwise.

Ben wasn't buying it. He continued to hold his gaze. "Fine, don't share. Just don't change too much. I know you're trying to be tough, but don't overdo it. The last thing I need is for you to turn into our dad instead of being yourself."

As they continued their conversation, someone knocked on the office door.

"Come in," Ben called out. Miss Benson entered, holding some paperwork.

"Ah, Miss Benson. I assume you're here to update me on the case assigned to you by Miss Amoah? How's it going?"

"It's going well, sir. I managed to get the court to issue a final warning to my client's ex-husband. If he crosses any more lines, he'll find himself behind bars this time."

Sylvia glanced sideways at Scott, who was sitting quietly in his chair, seemingly oblivious to her presence, unlike just a few days ago when he had kissed her. That kiss had been playing on her mind all weekend, and even now, as she looked at him and his lips, she wondered how she could move on. It felt like that kiss was meant to throw her off balance.

Scott smirked, as if he was aware of her thoughts.