Mother & Son - Two Hearts as One

AUTHOR'S NOTE AND A WARNING TO READERS: A mother & son story - just like the title suggests - set in the summer sun. Can they find paradise together?

This is my contribution to the 2024 Summer Lovin' Contest - So please consider leaving a rating at the end.

It is a work of fiction, and all of the characters in the story are above the age of eighteen.

All of my work - including this one - is copyrighted. © Devinter.

--- MOTHER & SON - TWO HEARTS AS ONE ---

There he was. Her only child. Her beloved son. The gentle caress of the sun upon his skin, a Cape Codder in his hand - ice cubes rattling against the glass, and condensation rolling down the sides. The briny air carrying the sharp scent of salt and seaweed, and bikini clad 'beach babes' tossing him flirtatious smiles as they sauntered by; the ocean right behind him, with its cobalt waters and foam-capped waves, lapping at the pristine white sands.

And there she was. Laurie, age 42, watching the young man in a different light than a mother was supposed to as her toes dug into the warm sand, and her heart fluttered nervously in her chest. It was hard to pinpoint the exact moment where she had first felt something for him - but for months already, she had held firm to her consciousness's inner flyswatter, swatting away every naughty little thought that had dared to creep into her mind. The mere fact that she even harboured any type of attraction for her own flesh-and-blood was abhorrent to her on some level. What would people say if they knew? Yet it had proven difficult to put the forbidden thoughts in the grave. Her subconscious would insist that a mere fantasy was harmless, constantly purring and pawing at the back of her mind like some wicked cat in heat.

"Don't stare at the women like that," Laurie shook her finger at him as another duo of bronzed beauties strode by, flashing him coy glances before giggling amongst themselves. "It's disrespectful."

"I'm not staring," Brayden protested, sitting up in the lounge chair, straightening his posture. "Just appreciating the view." He had a casual, languid air about him as he sipped on his cocktail. The sweat glistened off his skin, and he was in surprisingly good shape for someone who never went to the gym. A lifetime of mountain biking had made his muscles lean and trim, sculpted over the course of the nearly two decades he'd been alive for.

The two looked nothing alike. Whereas Brayden took after his good-for-nothing father, Laurie had blonde hair, pale skin and green eyes. Years of hard work - in order to give her son the childhood she never had, but always wanted - had left her face looking perpetually tired, but her curvy figure and feminine physique still managed to catch the attention of a few men. Not that she'd give them the time of day. But more than once, she had caught Brayden sneak glances at her ample breasts and plump butt. And even though she imagined it was not because he was some sort of deviant like herself, with indecent thoughts towards his own mother - but rather just a horny young man - it still ignited a flicker in her heart, making her worry that one day the fires of love and lust might consume them. Though that same worry also gave her hope.

"Does it feel strange to be back here?" she asked him suddenly.

Brayden shrugged. "I don't know," he spoke, looking thoughtful. "It doesn't really seem like much has changed. I miss his presence, though."

Laurie nodded in agreement, a silent understanding between the two of them.

The last time they had come to Cape Florencia was nearly ten years prior, when his grandpa had still been alive and treated them to a weeklong trip. How different life had been then, Laurie reflected. Brayden had been playing in the sand, making castles, collecting seashells, not having a care in the world. Grandpa had taught him how to swim properly - finally, after years of struggling with it - and his fear of the water had finally been overcome. A smile tugged at Laurie's lips as the memory danced through her mind - remembering how proud both her father and herself had been when he could actually hold his own in the water, at long last. They'd even treated him to a sundae afterwards, to celebrate.

"... You think he'd be pleased with the man I've become?" The words came out more morosely than he'd perhaps intended, because he added: "I mean, I'm nothing like him, but.. Would he be proud?"

His mother took her time with her response, putting her own drink down on the rickety little table between them, and staring at the ocean waves in front of them for several seconds. "Without question," she spoke with conviction, and there was a timbre of pride in her voice that seemed to make him smile. "You're bright, you're handsome, you're a hard worker. I think he'd be overjoyed." She turned towards him, her eyes sparkling like gemstones behind her glasses. "And so am I," she added with sincerity.

"Thanks, mom." A deep breath in and out. "I'm glad we came back here."

"Me too, honey. Me too."

With only the gentle crashing of waves to fill the void, they sat in silence until two young vixens walked by, each holding a martini glass and wearing sunhats perched atop their heads, and in bikini's leaving next to nothing to the imagination. Laurie frowned as her son's lustful gaze followed the pair, his hands unconsciously running along his smooth chest and stomach, as if he could already feel the heat of their touch upon him.

Was it jealousy that stabbed through Laurie's heart? She couldn't quite tell. The feeling was foreign but unwelcomed. Either way, she did not want to remain sitting there any longer, watching her son ogle other women. "Finish your drink, and let's go find some place to grab dinner." She was using her 'parent-voice', that left little room for objections. "Something other than a seafood restaurant, though. I'm going to grow scales at this rate, if we keep eating fish every night."

"What's wrong with that? I think you'd look great as a mermaid," Brayden jested with an amused grin, then downed his cranberry-flavoured cocktail in one big gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh afterwards.

"I'd rather look great as a human, thank you very much," Laurie sighed.

"You're stunning, mom," he added, matter-of-factly. Even she could tell that her face took on a satisfied look, and Laurie rose from the lounge chair, patting down the sides of her bathing suit before slipping her feet into the sandals that she had kicked off as they first sat down. Brayden quickly followed suit, snatching the tiny umbrella from his drink and twirling it around playfully between his fingers.

"So are you," Laurie replied, her voice tinctured with something bordering on tenderness, which made her son give her a sheepish smile in reply. A smile that lit up her world. As much as she tried to suppress her feelings, it was impossible for her to deny that the connection the two of them shared was stronger than any bond she'd ever known - a love more intense than anything she could have dreamed possible. He was her whole world. And she would never hurt him, nor do anything towards him that he might find disagreeable or unsavoury. That is.. Unless, of course, he wanted that kind of connection too..

--- 2 ---

Cape Florencia was not a typical tourist destination. The people were a good mix of summer residents, permanent citizens, day-trippers, business owners, and retirees. The one sea-side hotel available - run by a friendly elderly couple - had only twelve rooms available for rent, and booking had to be made at least six months in advance. The utter shock that had grabbed Laurie when someone from the reception desk had called her up, asking if they would make use of the reservation that her father had made and paid for - in secret, on their behalf - several years in advance still hadn't worn off as she stood in front of her suitcase, wondering what she should wear for dinner.

"I still can't believe it," she mused out loud to her son, who was scrolling on his phone - half sitting and half lying in the room's only sofa chair.

"Believe what?" Brayden said without looking up from his screen.

"That your grandpa made this reservation without telling us. He must have known he wouldn't.. That he.. That it'd just be you and me, surely?"

Brayden sucked in air through his teeth. "Probably, yes. But I think that might have been the point. He was always full of surprises." His smile was filled with both love and sadness; a tinge of wistfulness about his eyes. "I think he knew that if we'd be back here, we'd remember all the things we did together in the past, before he got sick. The good times, you know? I think it was one last gift from him for us."

"Mmmmh.." the blonde woman hummed, and then nodded. That did seem likely. Digging through her clothing options one more time, she finally picked something out; a baby blue dress of simpler cut, which hugged her waist nicely, but not too tightly, accentuating her generous curves. It was casual and flattering all at once, and one of few dresses that she had kept over the years without relegating it to the trash heap at the back of the closet.

"Do you have to change right here? The bathroom is literally ten feet away," Brayden commented when he saw his mother start to remove her top.

She shrugged, keeping one arm across her chest to hide her breast from view as the bikini top fell to the floor. "It's quicker this way, though." Laurie was a modest woman, in most situations; but ever since she had caught her beloved son sneaking peeks at her during her showers or when changing clothes, she found herself often wanting to put on a show for him, relishing that sparkle of lust in his eyes. Careful not to push too far - or appear unnatural - she tried to make it look like the decision to tease him was entirely unintended, and innocent - an instinctive reaction, without much thought behind it. But each time he took even the briefest of glances at her body, it made her feel desirable, loved, wanted - like no man had ever made her feel.

As her bikini bottoms came off, she had turned around just enough for Brayden to catch sight of her luscious butt-cheeks. More so, she purposefully arched her back in a provocative manner while picking the discarded swimwear up from the floor - feeling naughty in the best of ways. She could feel Brayden's eyes following every movement of her body - not wanting to miss out on any small detail that she might choose to offer up. For a split second, her eyes glanced over to her son - and in that briefest of moments, there'd been an intensity behind his gaze. An animalistic lust which sent her pulse soaring like never before. A clear sign of arousal.

It should have been far too taboo to even consider; imagining herself and her own flesh-and-blood being intimate with one another. The mere thought should have made her cringe in disgust. And yet, there was no repulsion to be found within her mind. He was her special baby boy - whom she loved unconditionally - and he needed comfort, security, warmth. What other woman could be better equipped to provide him with that than her? Wouldn't it just make sense to take him into her loving arms - and make sure that his physical needs were met as well as his emotional ones? That's what she tried to tell herself, at least. To combat the guilt that ate at her insides. But alongside the guilt was a strange form of excitement; gnawing, clawing, trying to burrow its way in, refusing to be ignored. If he'd have risen to his feet and slid down his shorts, she'd have let him ravish her without a word of protest. The temptation grew stronger and stronger.

As she put matching underwear on, then shimmied into the dress, Laurie couldn't help but feel a little lightheaded. With unsteady hands, she sorted herself, out readjusted her bosom and straightened out the hem of the dress. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure." Her son stood up and ran his fingertips through his dark curls. "Do you want me to find a place for us using the app, or would you prefer to just walk around until we stumble upon something?"

"Let's just head up towards the mountainous area and see what we come across," Laurie said, offering him a smile. That part of Cape Florencia was by far the most romantic, capitalizing heavily on its natural beauty and the wonderful view it afforded of the azure sea.

The sun was still fairly high in the sky, but a few clouds had begun to make an appearance, slowly drifting along above them like white, puffy sheep. The stucco buildings lining the cobbled roads looked beautiful under the golden rays, and while Cape Florencia wasn't known for its nightlife, music could be heard coming from every quaint bar they passed by - playing 'summer plagues' and other 'catchy tunes' over and over again on repeat, until one couldn't stand to listen to it anymore.

"The tackle shop that grandpa took us to years ago is still here," Brayden noted, pointing towards the little storefront several buildings down the road. Fishing rods and mannequins in waders lined up against the front window, and the wooden sign above the entrance was slightly crooked - perhaps intentionally, creating a rustic look about the place.

"Oh, don't remind me of that. He went on and on about how they had rigged the fishing competition you two participated in well in advance, and that the seabass he caught ought to have won." Laurie shook her head, a look of mock disappointment on her face. "He never learned how to lose at anything with grace."

Brayden smirked. "Yeah, I remember that. He refused to be in the picture they took of the winners, saying that a photograph of second place wasn't even worth the frame." The two of them laughed together for a moment, reminiscing of days long gone.

The uphill walk was quite arduous, even on vacation. Cape Florencia was one enormous collection of slopes and ridges, villas and apartment blocks alike dotting the terrain. Shops seemed to be thrown in haphazardly, rather than collected together in a more planned location, creating an illusion of chaos wherever the eye wandered. And yet, there were also charming little places - hidden away in unexpected locations - which made it well worth exploring. A wild dog - no owner in sight - ran across the street in front of them, sniffing along as if hunting for food, though that was not an unusual sight anywhere in the region.

"What about that place? Taco's?" The dark-haired young man asked his mother as he pointed towards a restaurant on their right. "That looks authentic."

Laurie frowned. "It says fish taco's, Brayden. No more fish. Please?" Her eyes looked pleadingly at him from behind her frames.

"I'm sure they have other stuff, too," her son tried, with little conviction. Opting not to press the issue any further, they just kept walking without taking a look at the menus inside.

A handful of minutes later, nestled between palm trees and stone-wall gardens, they finally found themselves a decent bistro; a place with a relaxing atmosphere, that didn't seem busy. After grinning at each other, satisfied with their find, they took seats facing one another by a glass wall - watching seagulls flying over the street outside, cawing at their kin - and beyond them, the sparkling blue water stretching into oblivion. The interior smelled of freshly baked bread, and of shallots being fried up in butter somewhere deeper in the establishment.

Young, slender, and with a caramel complexion - the waitress looked up from her pad, smiling brightly at Brayden as she greeted them with a thick Spanish accent. "Welcome to Racamaci. My name is Catalina. May I bring you some drinks?"

They ordered beer from the local micro-brewery, and flipped through menus in plastic laminate pages - Laurie skipping the seafood pages so quickly that Brayden couldn't help but to chuckle - until their beverages arrived. There were no photos, descriptions or ingredient lists; just names and prices - but Brayden went for a classic cheeseburger whilst his mother ordered steak. As the drinks were raised, frothy and cold, both mother and son made similar sounds of satisfaction as they tasted them.

"Your food will be ready shortly," the young girl informed them before walking off. Her big smile and glistening eyes remained trained on Brayden long enough for him to give her a pleasant nod and an appreciative look in return.

"She's cute, Brayden, but we're leaving in a couple of days," Laurie warned him as the waitress was out of earshot. "Don't get smitten." The jealous undercurrents were difficult to conceal - but so was the genuine worry in her tone.

A playful smirk appeared on her son's face, and he replied without looking at her, his eyes transfixed on the seagulls outside as they plucked away at rubbish someone had left behind. "You worry too much. Not every girl that smiles at me wants to get into my pants."

Laurie scoffed. "I'm far more concerned about you wishing to get into theirs."

He paused for the briefest of moments. "Well, what if I do?" Brayden looked at his mom seriously now - studying her expression. "What's so terrible about people wanting to have some fun together?"

She pushed the cutlery around on the table, straightening it up. Somehow she found it difficult to keep his gaze. "Fun, sure. But actions have consequences, honey." She sighed deeply, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "Your father, he was 'fun'. And I don't regret getting pregnant with you, not ever; but he left six weeks after you were born, Brayden. Six weeks. And you remember how I had to work all the time when you were little - double shifts, weekends, holidays; in order to make ends meet?"

"Of course I remember. What does that have to do with-"

"You need to be smart about your choices. Find a girl that has something more to her than a nice smile or a large pair of tits. They are a dime a dozen nowadays, trust me," she insisted, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, watching for his reaction closely.

Her son chuckled at that, and then nodded. "Okay, okay. You sound just like grandpa now," Brayden said jokingly. His grandfather had been quite liberal in many facets of life, but one thing he'd made abundantly clear was the importance of responsible decisions when making love with someone, and selecting a partner - 'one-night stands' not being a part of it. He had been hammering this into Brayden on repeated occasions all through-out the young man's teenage years.

Laurie leaned forward across the table. "You may think his way of looking at the world is old-fashioned now. I get that. But there's nothing wrong with finding someone you actually enjoy spending time with before getting intimate, honey." The blonde woman smiled, but there was a sadness about her eyes; an aching that tugged on her hearts strings. "You have your whole future ahead of you. Last thing you want is to end up getting a girl pregnant at the age of 19 - only to wind up having no choice but to be a dad, or to.." her voice trailed off.

"To run away like my father did? Yeah, I get it mom. I know better than that." He looked glumly at his glass, swirling the liquid around idly as he stared at the white foam within. "I wouldn't do that to a kid, or to a woman. Never." His tone had taken on a solemn edge.

Grabbing onto his free hand, Laurie rubbed it with hers comfortingly. "Good. I'm glad you understand that," she said, with a relieved smile. "Just find a girl back home that really cares for you, and treats you right."

He looked deep into her eyes. "Someone just like you?"

Laurie was so caught off-guard by the way he said the words. She couldn't deduce if it sounded like a genuine question, a challenge, or an innocent jest - or some combination of all three. But without thinking it through, her response just formed on the tip of her tongue, and spilled over before she had the time for any reflection: "Yes. Someone just like me."