Can We Mend Our Brokenness Together?

AN: This story will touch some, if not many, sensitive topics such as domestic abuse, gaslighting, and toxic masculinity - perhaps more. It may trigger some audiences, but I do hope that by writing again from a male perspective through stories can get us to think and reflect about some of the dark social issues. I hope readers enjoy my writing.

Chapter 1 (Jack's Perspective): New Society, New World, New Darkness

There was the slight scent of bitterness escaping from the aroma of the coffee. The blue cup felt hot to the touch, but it was comforting whilst knowing that the cold was always wanting to creep into the house, almost as if it were breathing through the clear glass windows. Jack put down his cup of coffee down onto the marble table countertop as he rummaged through the pile of letter - the usual mix between the owing bills, McDonald meal coupons, supermarket flyers, and the consistent delivery of a white envelope. Jack tossed out the McDonald meal coupons into the trash without much attention and then played with the small envelope between his long fingers. He read this now familiar, neat printing again for the 12th time while living in his new condominium. The sender sent a letter to his address every week and like a routine, Jack would see its arrival in his mailbox in the lobby every Thursday evening when he returned from work. It always read:

To: Elsa Osborne
#207-235 John Street N, Stratford, ON
N5A 0G7

From: Mom
1105 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
V8V 3P9

There was never further information on the envelope - certainly, there would be more if the white seal were to be torn open, but who would go and open a stranger's private mail? Jack picked up his cup and took a sip of his sweetened coffee. It had made him curious nevertheless - this mail was delivered each week - exactly on Thursday, for the past 3 months. It made him wonder why Ms. or Mrs. Elsa Osborne's mother never chose to email her daughter or call her daughter if she felt the need to write a mail to her on a weekly basis. Was she getting frustrated from the lack of response? Was she getting worried perhaps? Or was Ms. or Mrs. Elsa Osborne angry with her mother, unwanting to stay in touch with her mother? Or was this all, but a simple mistake in which both parties did not tell each other of the address changing? Jack gulped down another mouthful of coffee as he wondered silently. Normally, it would not have mattered much to him, but given that these mails were continually arriving to his new home, it had slowly made him feel concerned somehow for this daughter-mother pair. Yes, there was a small bit of him that wanted to peep into its content to know how to pass on these mails - but he had never done it. He had also tried contacting the condominium's manager to know if the lady had known where Ms. Elsa Osborne had moved to, but confusingly enough, the old lady with a neat bun tied up in her blonde hair replied, "I'm sorry, but there never was a lady named Ms. Elsa Osborne living here. We never had a tenant under that name before..."

Jack wondered aloud this time, "I wonder who did live here before..."

Jack scoffed at himself, knowing well that there would be no way for him to know since such information was private. The sigh escaping from his lips echoed the loneliness he felt ever since living alone here. Jack stared at the clock hanging from the wall. It was 5:10 PM. Even though he was feeling tired after working a full day, he knew it was time for him to start preparing for his supper. He turned around to open his dark open fridge as the machine itself hummed loudly. His eyes darted between each ingredient - bacon, steak, eggs, baby cucumbers, baby tomatoes, baby potatoes, red and orange peppers, asparagus, various types of mushrooms, garlic, ah he forgot about those baby carr- knock, knock, knock.

Jack looked up from the door of his refrigerator. His brows knitted. He shouldn't have any visitors of any kind - as he barely knew anyone in this small, quiet city. Feeling more perplexed by the second, Jack closed the fridge door while trudging down towards the entrance door. He peered through the ever tiny hole to see who it was. It was a blonde stranger. She looked very small, frightened, and cold as her cheeks were completely paled white and she kept on looking from one side of the corridor to the other end. It was as if she was thinking that she was being followed or chased by someone. She looked up, looking desperate, and Jack was able to take a closer look at her face. Her eyes were bright blue and he could notice the light freckles on her face. It looked as if she were about to knock on the door again and before she could, Jack opened the door quickly enough - just enough so that the two could see each other.

"Hello?" He didn't intend to sound curious. Whoops.

The blonde haired lady replied timidly, "Hi..."

He tilted his head and asked, "May I help you?"

She repeated, "H-help, help me?"

Before he could say anything more, she continued, "This is going to sound crazy and super weird, but would you happen to have some mails for -"

Jack whispered, "Ms. Elsa Osbone…."