My stepson begged me, “Don’t marry my dad.” The reason made me faint at the altar.

Muddy waters

As I sat with Tim, I realized that something was deeply troubling him. He was so closed in on himself that he seemed to have built a wall between us. “You know you can talk to me, don’t you?” I insisted softly. He just nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on his shoes. Jeff sighed softly, putting his hand on my shoulder to comfort me. Worry tightened my chest, but Tim remained inaccessible, as if he kept a secret world of his own.

Muddy Waters