Man of the House

Man of the House

By: Tony Strokes

Author's Note: Hello, and welcome to my latest submission to the Literotica site. Though I've submitted a story before, this is my first one in this category. However, I hope you all enjoy it anyway!

Joanna Lancaster tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, careful to avoid the dark-rimmed sunglasses she wore on her face as she awaited a response to her ringing the doorbell of the house in front of her. She glanced down at the little girl who stood beside her, all of three years old, and looking every bit like her miniature twin. Both had ebony black hair, differing only in that Joanna's hair extended down to the middle of her back, curling as it neared the tips, whereas her daughter's hair didn't extend as far down nor did it have her curls. Which is why she had her daughter's hair in twin pig tails on top of her head. She smiled at her daughter before bringing her face back up, intending to press the doorbell again.

However, just as she was about to press the button, footsteps could be heard from within as the person inside shuffled closer to the door. She heard the lock inside click, the knob of the door turning as the door was opened. A woman appeared, looking about twenty years or so Joanna's senior, flashing the younger woman a warm smile.

"Ah Joan, so good to see you!" The old woman greeted her, then turned her attention to the little girl beside her. "And Katie, it's wonderful to see you too! I hope you're looking forward to having fun with us?"

At her question, Joanna, who was also more known by her nickname, Joan, returned the smile and greeting.

"Mrs. Borden, it's good to see you as well! Thank you so much for agreeing to watch Katie for me for the evening!" Joanna replied, looking down at the little girl standing beside her.

Katherine, her daughter, looked back up at her mother, before turning her attention back to the old woman who act as her caretaker for the night. The little girl also returned her smile, though a bit nervously, as this would be the first time she'd actually be staying overnight with the old neighbor.

"Think nothing of it, Joan. Mr. Borden and I have been wondering for quite some time now when you would get back on the saddle," Mrs Borden replied, quickly standing aside to let the two ladies into her home.

Joanna could feel her cheeks flushing in embarrassment at the old woman's words. At 40 years old, Joanna had been friends with the older woman for quite sometime, almost as long as she and her family had lived in the neighborhood, Joanna didn't think at all of confiding in her neighbor. However, hearing the woman's description of her intentions for the evening, announced in front of her young daughter, wasn't exactly something she was prepared for. She was thankful, at least, for the old woman's use of a euphemism, knowing that she was far too kind and not so crass as to use a literal description in front of a child. Still, as close as the two women were, there were some things that even Joanna knew she could not tell the kind neighbor. Whom she intended to spend the night with being chief among them.

"Yes, well you know how hard things have been for us since Patrick's passing," she replied as she and Katie entered the foyer of Mrs. Borden's home.

"Oh yes, Mr. Borden and I know how difficult a time you've been having since your husband died. For a while, we were worried about you. You're still young, certainly young enough to start dating again." Mrs. Borden spoke, watching on with a knowing smile as the younger woman knelt down in front of her child.

"Alright sweetie, be a good girl for Mrs. Borden. Mommy will be back to pick you up tomorrow, okay?" She smiled at the little girl.

"I will," Katie nodded, returning her mother's beatific smile.

Standing back up, Joanna turned back to her neighbor and friend, thanking her once again as she turned to let herself out of the old woman's home. Normally she wasn't one to beat such a hasty exit from her friend's home, but the possibility of her plans for the evening had her bustling with nervous energy. Making her way back to her car, she sat behind the wheel of her cherry red Nissan hybrid, looking over at her friend's house. Her mind still contemplated what she had planned, and wondered how things would work out, or if she would even have the guts to go through with it.

'Too late to turn back now. I've been tiptoeing around this for weeks now, and I can't keep putting it off any longer. Plus, it would send a very strange message if I were to go back in there and take Katie back home,' Joanna thought, starting her car as she pulled away from the curb outside of her neighbor's home.

Joanna's thoughts then turned toward her evening plans, and the man centered on them. It all started months ago, on Valentine's day to be precise. Though if Joanna were honest with herself, the signs had been there longer than that. Truthfully, the events leading up to this day had started over two years ago, after the death of her husband. Patrick had been diagnosed with an inoperable tumor, not to long after the birth of their daughter, and within a year she'd lost the man she had shared her life with for nearly two decades. It had been painful, nearly too painful to bear, and combined with her postpartum depression she had not been in the best frame of mind. Her daughter had required constant care, which had been more than she was capable of giving at the time. But Joanna had one saving grace in her life, a guardian angel who was ever watchful and protective of her.

Her son, Elton, who was seventeen years old at the time of his father's death, had dealt with it we surprising adaptability.

While Joanna had been wallowing in hormone-fueled depression and misery from the death of the father of her children, Elton had been the solid rock she'd been able to lean on. He'd been so dependable, helping out with her daughter, Katherine, while also being so patient in slowly pulling her out of her funk. It was as if he'd taken on the roles of both husband and father, changing and feeding Katie when Joanna had been too down to muster the energy. While Joanna had been merely going through the motions of her life, Elton had taken charge, assuming responsibilities that a young man his age shouldn't have had to fulfill.

He often saw to it that dinner was taken care of, either cooking it or bringing some home himself. The house itself continued to function normally under his watch, as he made sure the lawn stayed groomed, and anything that needed fixing was fixed. And all of this while he continued to finish up his junior and senior year of high-school, his social life the one sacrifice he'd had to make in order to take care of her and his new little sister.

Joanna could still recall the event, the very moment that had finally snapped her out of it, and brought her back into the world of the living. It was his high-school graduation day, and while so many of his old friends and classmates were preparing to accept their diplomas in front of their families, she'd woken up that morning completely oblivious to the significance of the day. When she'd seen Elton walk into the kitchen that day, holding her daughter in his arms to get ready to feed her, Joanna asked him why he was dressed up.

The combined look of sadness and frustration that crossed his face, as he proceeded to remind her of what day it was, it was as if someone didn't just pour ice-water on her. They'd doused her in it, and she immediately felt terrible. Seeing him standing there, holding her daughter, she was suddenly confronted with the unfortunate reality that he'd been taking care of them for so long, and had been extremely patient with her. She realized, with a start, that he'd likely even skipped out on going to his senior prom, in order to make sure that his mother and baby sister were taken care of.

Heartbroken at this sudden realization, she shocked him by immediately relieving him of her daughter, profusely apologizing to him and tearfully hugging him as she swore to him she'd do better. While he was initially caught off guard at her actions, he ultimately returned her affection, and she promptly informed him that she would handle breakfast, and that he was to rest and relax on this big day while she dressed his sister and prepared to accompany him to the ceremony. True to her word, the rest of the day went by in joyous celebration, as she made sure to take plenty of pictures of him on her cell phone, both of him receiving his diploma and of the three of them together.

That celebratory event was marred, however, as she had to bear witness to LT, as his friends affectionately referred to him, fend off numerous comments and inquiries about his lack of a social life with them. It was another stark reminder of what her son had been forced to give up during her extended period of mourning. So when he'd been invited to a post-graduation party, Joanna made it clear in no uncertain terms that he would attend, and assured him that she and Katie would be just fine fending for themselves for the evening.

When he'd arrived home at just after eleven o'clock that evening, a still awake Joanna met him in the hallway of their home. And when she'd asked why he was home so early, as she'd expected he would stay out late to make up for lost time, his response had been simple, but so typical.

"I didn't want to risk waking Katie up," he said, smiling at her while assuring her that he'd done plenty of catching up and socializing.

That single bit of thoughtfulness warmed her heart, and she'd ushered him into the living room, intending to have a heart to heart with him to discuss the things she'd been thinking about all day. Their conversation started off cagey, with her once again apologizing to him for monopolizing so much of his time, forcing him to assume responsibilities that he shouldn't have had to be concerned with. While Elton accepted her apology, he once again told her that he didn't regret helping her.

"You've done so much for me for all these years after all, what kind of son would I be if I only thought of myself, and not considered your pain," he stated, reaching forward and grabbing her closest hand.

She returned this gesture, and his smile as she used her other hand to brush away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Still, she promised him that she would become more involved in helping with the responsibilities of the household. Including going back to work, as she'd spent enough time living off of the remainder of her husband's life insurance policy, a huge chunk of which had gone towards covering the funeral expenses.

For the next year and a half, Joanna kept to her word, and the two settled into an uneasy routine that quickly became more and more comfortable as time wore on. She was eventually able to find work again, and had even signed up for a gym membership, realizing that in her mourning period, not only had her son's social life suffered, but her body had as well. She hadn't paid much attention to her diet, and coupled with her inactive lifestyle, this led to her packing on pounds in places she'd never had extra weight before.

And while Joanna had been able to cut her weight down, losing almost 30 lbs and settling in at a comfortable 130 lbs on her 5'4" frame, the one part of her body she'd noticed seemed determined to hold onto the extra weight was her ass. Joanna had always prided herself on possessing a naturally thin body, and she'd been pleased with her 34C breasts, as she felt they complimented her body well, even after having two children. However, the extra weight she'd put on made her feel both uncomfortable in her own skin and unattractive, even though she had no desire to get back into the dating scene. Still, she worked hard to lose the weight, hoping to retrieve her former body type.

That didn't seem meant to be, however, as while she'd been able to rid herself of the excess weight in her waist and thighs, her ass had no such inclination of letting go. When she'd asked a trainer at her local planet fitness for advice, he'd simply told her that at her age it was common for at least some extra weight to settle there. And that normally it was nearly impossible to completely get rid of. The best thing he'd recommended for her, was that she could tone up at that part, and shape it to where it became a more natural extension of her body. While she'd initially balked at the idea of having so much extra junk in her trunk, she'd ultimately come to accept it, even as she followed the trainer's advice and worked to tone up that part of her.

Still, she had no intention of dating anytime soon, and was comfortable with her life of taking care of her daughter. And Elton proved to be a reliable partner, always making sure to pick up the slack whenever needed. And after graduating high-school, instead of rushing off to college, he'd opted instead for spending the year in a trade school, learning a craft that he could apply towards a career pretty quickly. This was also a cheaper option, as since he didn't compete in any athletics, with the exception of one year on the track team, he had no offers for an athletic scholarship.

And while his grades were solid enough, they weren't high enough to qualify him for an academic scholarship. So for the first few months, he would spend the day looking after Katie, while Joanna went to work. And on the days that she went to the gym, she'd arrange for a sitter to relieve him, so that he could attend his trade classes during the afternoon. Leading to both of them arriving home in the evening, Joanna usually between 5-6 pm, and Elton a bit later between 7-8 pm.

This went on for quite sometime, with Mother and Son reconnecting and establishing an even deeper bond of their shared responsibility of raising Katie. Something which did not go unnoticed by the young girl. While Joanna had not hesitated to tell the young girl all about her Dad once she'd become old enough to be curious, it would be Christmas day of the previous year when a seed would unknowingly be planted in the Mother's head. An eager Katie had just opened a present that had been gifted to her by her brother.

This had been the first serious discussion the two had ever held, about whether or not to address all of the little girl's gifts as being from Santa. While Joanna had wanted her daughter to have as natural a life growing up as possible, complete with holiday superstitions, it was Elton who'd suggested that they make sure to label at least some of the presents from themselves, as they didn't want to give the child the impression that only Santa cared to reward her with gifts. His suggestion turned out to be pretty effective, though it would have an additional effect neither could foresee. After tearing open her gift and squealing over the contents within, she'd excitedly hugged her big brother. Only the thanks she would give was completely unexpected.

"Thank you Daddy, it's the bestest present ever," she said, gripping him tight before returning to retrieve her present.

The child calling him Daddy instead of "big brother", completely short-circuited Elton's brain, leaving him stumped and unsure how to respond. His slack-jawed gaze turned toward his Mother, who's teary eyed expression mirrored his own. After a moment of eye contact, Joanna just smiled and nodded at her son, who then seemed to recall how to work his jaw, lifting it off the floor as he returned her smile with his own. Later on that night, as she was tucking her youngest child into bed, Joanna attempted to address the slip up.

"Sweetie, about what you said after opening your gift earlier. You remember that Elton is your brother, right?" Joanna asked, addressing the little girl. Katie simply looked at her, blinking innocently as she processed her Mother's statement, before giving her equally innocent reply.

"Yes Mamma," she replied, thinking she was being chastised. "It's just," she cut off, looking downcast at her blanket.

"It's what, sweetie?" She inquired, smiling to let the girl know she wasn't in any trouble. After a few moments of silence, the little girl voiced her thoughts.

"LT feels like a Daddy to me," she said in the typical start and stop speech pattern of a young child still learning to form sentences, shyly looking back at her Mother.

The little girl's words bring another batch of tears to her eyes, which Joanna wiped away again. Although she wanted to ask her daughter to elaborate on that, she knew her little girl didn't have quite the vocabulary to express it. And in truth, she didn't need to, as Joanna was once again reminded of how much responsibility her son had assumed. The presence he'd established, not just in her life, but also in her daughter's had been so profound that even a three year old could acknowledge it. Joanna quickly assured her daughter that she wasn't in any trouble, although when the girl quietly asked her if she could call him Daddy, Joanna wasn't sure how to respond. Instead, Joanna replied with a simple "we'll talk about that later," and finished tucking the child in for bed.

That night had brought on a slew of emotions for Joanna, and as she lay in bed later that night, she found herself drifting back to her daughter's question. Joanna knew that it had obviously been innocent in nature, but the implication was still stuck in her head. Joanna couldn't deny how much her son had stepped up for their family during her period of mourning, and objectively knew he was a handsome, well-adjusted young man.

Unlike her, he'd always kept to a basic workout routine, ever since he'd hit puberty at twelve. He'd been tired of being the lanky kid, and it was her late husband who'd shown him the ins and outs of working out. And while he'd never gotten big enough to join the football team, he had managed to fill out nicely and seemed happy with his body's image later on in his teens. And over two years after her husband's death, Joanna had not once thought of her own sexuality, never mind fantasized about another man.

But now, her daughter's words stuck in her mind, and she found herself, for the very first time in her life as a parent, honestly thinking of her son in something more than a motherly fashion. While it was common knowledge to all who knew them that he took after her in personality, Joanna knew that physically, her son was every bit her late husband's clone. The only minor differences being that he was a couple of inches taller than his father, but he also possessed her raven black hair, as opposed to his father's sandy brown hair color.

But Elton definitely had his father's build, she'd seen him walk around the house in a tank-top enough times to know, his same piercing gray eyes and casual, easygoing smile. He even had his father's tight, muscular butt, which she'd loved grabbing hold of during their many bouts of love-making. And now, after hearing her daughter address him as "daddy", and being reminded of the lengths he'd gone to to take care of them both, combined with her objectifying thoughts of her son, and Joanna suddenly found her body responding in ways it hadn't since three months before her husband died. When he'd gotten too weak from his illness to be able to have sex anymore.

Before she knew it, Joanna found herself touching her body, softly caressing her tits and trim belly as her hands drifted all over, her mind suddenly awash with inappropriate thoughts of her son. It lasted only moments, and then she snapped out of it, her hands immediately withdrawing from her body as if she'd been caught. However, from the next day onward, Joanna found her interactions with her son occurring slightly different. On the surface, everything appeared the same, as they continued to function together like a well-oiled machine. But Joanna found that there was an underlying tension between them. It was subtle, and showed itself sporadically, but there were times where she found herself watching him.