Page 40 of The Breaking Point

Silence stretches a little too long.

“You’ll still see me all the time,” Aiden adds quickly. “Nothing’s changing between us. We’ll still hang out. Still do boys’ nights. You can text or call anytime, and I’ll come.”

Jack speaks again, but it’s softer this time. “But it is changing.”

Aiden’s face shifts, his shoulders falling just a little. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

Alex picks at a loose thread on his hoodie. His voice is small, careful. “Is this because Dad cheated?”

The question hangs in the air for a beat too long. I glance at Aiden, neither of us knowing how to answer.

"It's not just that,” I say gently. “Your dad and I have been struggling for a while. But we’re going to work on us. And no matter what happens, we will always be a family. That part doesn’t change.”

Aiden shifts slightly, his voice steady but softer than usual. “I’m so sorry for what I did. I broke your mom’s trust… and yours too. I know that. But I’m going to be better. I promise you both that.”

He glances at them, then at me, before finishing, “Things are going to be a little different for a while. But we’ll make the best of it. Together.”

Alex nods slowly, still quiet. Jack’s eyes are locked on the floor, but I see his shoulders drop just slightly. All I want to do is put my arms around them, protect them from it all. But I can’t, not from this.

Aiden looks heartbroken. I almost want to take it back, tell him to stay. But we need this. What happened this morning cannot happen again. He gets up and walks to the boys, they’re sitting still. Aiden squeezes Jack’s shoulder and ruffles Alex’s hair before carefully stepping away. I follow him out the door, watch as he gets in his car and peels out of the driveway.

An hour later, my phone buzzes.

Aiden:

Dr. Claudia. 11 AM tomorrow.

I stare at the screen, then text back one word.

Okay.

Chapter 16

I rush into the waiting room. “Sorry I’m late,” I say, still catching my breath.

Aiden stands from the armchair the moment he sees me. “I thought you changed your mind.” His voice is quiet, not accusing. Just honest.

Before I can answer, the door beside us opens. A woman steps out, mid-forties maybe, with a clipboard pressed to her chest and a calm, unreadable face.

“Kate? Aiden?”

We both nod.

She smiles faintly. “Come on in.”

Turning I don’t wait for him to lead, just walk through the door. He follows.

This room is familiar to Dr Brett’s, even the couch feels familiar, though this one is covered in light green fabric instead of brown. Aiden and I sit with a space between us. Not far enough to seem distant, not close enough to feel connected. Just enough that we each have room to fold our hands and look straight ahead.

The woman with the clipboard takes the chair across from us. She is wearing a plain grey blazer and no makeup. Her expression is calm but not soft.

"Hi. I’m Dr. Claudia," she says, setting the notepad on her knee. Her voice is steady. "I see that you both completed your individual sessions."

We both nod.

"Now I’m going to ask you a few questions," she continues. "One of you will answer while the other listens. No interruptions. Then we’ll switch." She looks at me. "Kate, I’d like you to go first. Aiden, you’ll listen. Then you’ll respond and Kate will listen."

My stomach tightens. I don’t look at him. I press my hands together and wait.

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