When Mariah Copeland and Tessa Porter first crossed paths, a relationship between them never seemed plausible. Initially, Tessa was in a relationship with Mariah's brother Noah Newman (then Robert Adamson), and Mariah was romantically involved with Genoa City billionaire Devon Hamilton (Bryton James). The couples would hang out often, but for Mariah, there was an awakening of feelings she didn't know how to process — something she'd never felt before meeting Tessa (via Soaps).
Mariah felt an attraction to Tessa and an emotional connection beyond friendship which she didn't know how to handle. The fear of what it meant and how Tessa might react almost ended their romance before it even began (via Soap Central). During a trip to a music festival, Mariah summoned the courage to make the first move and kissed Tessa in their hotel room, though afterward, both women pretended it never happened.
The lack of progress in their relationship continued, and things were at their worst when Tessa moved in with Noah. However, Mariah talked things out with her mother, Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), and decided to tell Tessa how she felt about her. Though Tessa remained committed to Noah, Mariah couldn't stay in her relationship when she had strong feelings for someone else and ended things with Devon.
