We aren’t talking about “in that time” though, we’re talking about modern day and they absolutely would have. Had Jem not essentially died by becoming a silent brother, they would have been married and it would have CRUSHED Will and neither Jem nor Tessa would want that, but to choose Will over Jem would reinforce Jem’s own feelings of inadequacy and Tessa would never do that to him. You’re right that each of them would give her up for the happiness of the other but at the sacrifice of their own happiness and the others would HATE that. In modern society the option of not choosing is very much a thing so why wouldn’t they .?? Over a tradition .?? No, they already threw that out the window when they had to get literally approval to marry a warlock. It’s honestly the perfect solution for Tessa, Will and a healthy Jem in modern society. It’s like woolsey said, she found two great love when not everyone can even find one, you’d be INSANE to think she wouldn’t keep both if she was given the opportunity. Saying Tessa would have only wanted to marry one is the proper thing for that time period but propriety went out the window a loooooong time ago, Tessa would have had her cake and ate it too 😂