Thawing Hearts

Author's Note:

This story has been posted to Literotica.com with the full knowledge of the original author, Sinfantasy. No part or whole of this story may be reprinted in any other format or on any other website without the express written consent of the original author.

Any and all persons engaging in any sexual activity are at least eighteen years of age.

While I've diligently edited this story, please be aware that some errors may persist.

Note 1: This is a slow-burn story. It will take a while to understand the backstory and situation of the characters before the action begins.

Note 2: This story is an entry in the Literotica Winter Holidays Story Contest 2024. Please vote.

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Chapter One: "The Unspoken Desire"

"Will I see you again tomorrow?" Pat asked sweetly.

"No, you will have to wait till next year," Maria chuckled. "I want to spend Christmas and New Year's with my son," she added.

Pat laughed with her and leaned in for a kiss but ended up kissing on her cheeks as Maria turned as usual...

Pat had had enough of her refusal even for a simple kiss. "Maria, what's going on?"

Maria knew she had to come clean. "It's my son, Brian. He is still not okay with me dating again."

Pat was not buying it. "We have acknowledged our feelings for each other, but you asked me to wait till Brian is eighteen. It's been three months since then but you refused to date me until tonight. And now you are saying he still has not agreed?"

Maria sighed, "It's complicated, Pat. Brian feels threatened by the idea of having someone else in our lives."

Pat was not willing to let this matter rest. "Look, Maria. I know Peter's passing was hard on you. I also understand Brian is very close to you. But it has been four years now. You need to move on."

Maria stayed silent as she gazed into the distance.

Pat sighed in frustration. "For god's sake, Maria, Brian is already eighteen. It's not healthy for an adult man to cling to his mother."

Maria took a deep breath. "I have been hiding something from you, Pat. Brian says he is in love with me. That is why he doesn't want me to date. He even threatened to move out if I did."

Pat blinked at her. "Oh, oh... We have got a little Oedipus at our hands."

They both remained silent for a while, thinking about this new revelation.

Pat looked at Maria with a probing gaze. "I know you, Maria. What are you not telling me?"

Maria met Pat's gaze as she started with her side of the story...

***

Contrary to Maria's beliefs, Brian wasn't a momma's boy, not at all. He always followed in his father, Peter's footsteps. He dressed like him, acted like him, played soccer like him, and even tried to mimic his thoughts. Be it barbecue or fishing, he mirrored Peter's passions. His father was his role model.

However, everything changed when he was fourteen. Peter started feeling weakness in his limbs and his health continued to deteriorate in the coming days. Brian watched a strong, healthy man wither away right before his eyes. This experience hit him hard. He stepped into his father's shoes and started taking care of things Peter used to manage. Brian matured beyond his years in those few months.

Chemotherapy was not working for Peter. Preparing for the inevitable, he started with getting his finances in order. He called Brian to his hospital bed one day.

"Brian, I know your mother can be difficult to live with. But you are the man of the house now. Remember, a man never abandons his family. You will stick with her and support her when I'm gone. Promise me," he asked.

"I promise Dad. I will always stand by Mom and protect her." He said with resolve.

Peter passed away two days later. Brian watched as they lowered his father into the earth, but he did not cry. He stood by his sobbing mother as he accepted the condolences of friends and family.

Back at home, Brian pulled Maria into a tight hug as he let her cry.

"We only have each other now," she whispered. "Just you and me against the world."

Brian nodded into her shoulder. His resolve hardened with the acceptance. He would keep his promise to his father, no matter what it took. Maria was all he had left.

Peter had made some wise investments, and they were well off. Maria had no reason to work, but she was an independent woman. She channeled her grief into her career. It did not take her long to climb the corporate ladder with her amazing performance. She started spending more and more time at work.

Brian felt lonely as he missed his mother but didn't complain. He started supporting her the best way he could. He learned how to cook to ease her burden and did all the household chores. Maria always had a warm meal and a clean home when she returned from long hours at work.

Brian would wait for Maria every evening. When she would return, tired from her busy work schedule, he would hurry to greet her. "Hi, Mom! How was your day?" He'd ask brightly, eager to get any scrap of attention from the woman he adored.

Maria would give him a cursory kiss on the cheek, her lips cool against his skin. "Fine, dear. Did you finish your homework?" She'd ask, already moving toward the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine.

He'd follow behind her like a lost puppy, wanting to be close.

Brian loved soccer. One day, he took a fall while playing soccer. His injuries scared Maria. "No more of this foolishness," she snapped with worry and anger. "I want you to drop off that team immediately. I won't have my son risking his life for some childish game."

While he understood her concern for his safety, he did not like it when she decided for him. Soccer was his happy place, his connection to memories of his father. He could have refused, but he recalled the promise to his father.

"Okay Mom, I'll quit," he sighed. He quit soccer and joined the swimming team.

Then Brian's friends got busted while smoking pot. Maria was livid. She insisted he cut ties with his friends. "I don't want you around those delinquents," she said firmly. "They'll only lead you astray."

Brian was a sensible kid and knew what was right. He had never smoked or broken any rules, but he enjoyed the company of his friends. Still, he knew better than to argue. "Okay, Mom," he agreed with a shrug.

Again, he could have refused, but he did not wish to burden her with worry. He felt the loss of his friends and the company he used to enjoy. Now, he had far fewer friends than he would have liked.

Brian reached the age of sixteen, and a neighborhood girl, Betty, asked him on a date. But Maria was possessive of her time with Brian and refused to allow him to date. "You're not going anywhere with that floozy," she declared.

Betty was a good girl, but Brian didn't argue. "You are right, Mom. I will stay away from her," he agreed, as always.

This time, he had no problem in agreeing with her. After all, he loved his limited time with his mother. It did not matter that he had never had a girlfriend. Spending time with the woman of his dreams was more important to him.

One day, Brian retaliated against a group of bullies and took quite a beating.

Maria sat him down and listened to the entire story. "Those little shits," she hissed. "We will show them what happens when they mess with you." The next day, she enrolled him in self-defense classes.

Brian loved some serious workouts after a long time. He channeled his longing in his classes to impress his mother. He soon gained proficiency in martial arts.

When he shared his results with his mother, she gave him a rare smile and a kiss on his cheeks. That was all the reward he needed, but that was not all. Maria asked him to settle his score with the boys. He took it as her command and beat the shit out of them.

When the matter reached the school authorities, Maria confronted them for ignoring the first incident when they bullied Brian. He had always known his mother had his back, but watching her in action took his admiration to the next level. He did not understand it then, but Brian fell in love with Maria, his mother, that day.

Then came the day when Brian scored poorly on his math test. "Honey, I know you tried your best," Maria said gently as they reviewed the paper together. "But we need to work harder."

Maria spent months tutoring him to improve his grades. Irrespective of her busy schedule, she always made time for him. It was inspiring to see her put in so much effort for his sake.

Brian never neglected his studies after that. He significantly improved in all his subjects with Maria's help. But that wasn't all he did.

He started stealing glances at her. Watching the frown on her face when he made a mistake, a slight twitch of her nose when he was doing something wrong, or a smile that cornered her lips when he got the answers right.

It was plain admiration of a strong woman. There was nothing sexual about it.

Over time, these feelings grew in intensity for him. Until they became an all-consuming desire to be close to her, to please her, to earn her love in return.

And then one day Brian heard Maria talking to someone named Pat Cummings. For the first time, he felt immense anger and jealousy.

***

Maria Lopez was a striking, intelligent woman, both physically and mentally strong. With her Latin American heritage, she had natural grace and an athletic build. Her dark olive complexion, deep brown eyes, and full lips gave her a sexy Latina look. She had soft feminine curves but maintained a healthy physique with her active lifestyle. Brian would watch her, drinking in every detail like a man dying of thirst.

Maria was a complete package of what a sexy, strong, career woman could be. Given her beauty and being a young widow at thirty-four years of age, she was the target of many admirers and suitors. Yet she focused on her career and did not bother looking for another relationship. She soon earned the name of "ice queen" among her colleagues.

She worked her way up from a sales executive as she continued to fend off any romantic interests coming her way. By the time she became Marketing head, her title also grew to be "frozen glacier."

Maria had very few friends and what little free time she had, she spent it with Brian. The more Brian clung to her, the more she hated it. She did not want to push away her son, but she wanted him to stand up for himself. He was a responsible child, if only he could be a little firm and decisive.

Although they were close, she always maintained a certain distance from Brian. Hugs and kisses were rare between mother and son. But still, they loved and cared for each other, nonetheless.

Apart from Maria, someone else also had a similar growth curve in her company. Pat Cummings was a researcher in the R&D department. Along with Maria, Pat also earned the promotion to R&D head of the company. They were like fire and water since their first meeting. However, it all changed when they fought over a product launch.

Pat wanted them to be the first to launch a revolutionary product in the market, but Maria was against it. She wanted their rival to launch the product and create a market for this invention. They could then beat their rival with improved products and take over the demand. She wanted to use a followership strategy.

As expected, Pat wanted to be the first to launch the product. Maria suggested they should showcase a prototype to gauge the market. Pat immediately agreed. As Maria had anticipated, although the invention itself was appreciated, there was no response from the market.

Their rival was spooked and they launched their product a little earlier. Maria asked Pat to continue improving their product and wait. In the next six months, when the market showed increasing demand for the product, Maria launched their improved product, capturing the new market in one fell swoop.

Pat acknowledged Maria's genius and began deferring to her opinion. Ending their rivalry, they soon became good friends. Pat was a nerd, a cute nerd. However, Pat did something many so-called "alphas" had failed at. Pat broke through Maria's defenses and reached the core of the "frozen glacier."

Pat and Maria bonded well. Their frequent collaborations started extending to lunch and coffee breaks. Just like Maria, Pat was a single parent. While Maria did not talk much about Brian, Pat's daughter Rebecca was the most frequent topic of their discussion. Following Pat's example, Rebecca had already completed her college education by the young age of eighteen and was working on her PhD.

Pat was proud of Rebecca and liked to brag about her. But being a gifted child, Rebecca was a loner and that worried Pat. Pat suggested they should meet as a family so their children could spend some time together. However, Maria had her reservations about involving Brian in this just yet.

A few days later, while Maria and Brian were watching Maria's favorite TV show, Pat called her. Maria spent the next hour talking to Pat. By the time she returned, Brian was fuming.

"Mom, this was supposed to be our time. How could you waste it talking to someone else?" He was on the verge of tears and ran to his room.

Brian's outburst surprised Maria. While she did not confront him about it, she noticed the change in his behavior. She saw him stealing glances at her, making efforts to please her. But that was not all. He started checking her out when she left for work. He would observe her carefully when she returned from work. Every time her phone beeped, he became curious.

This was an unhealthy obsession, but Maria did not know how to address it. Brian was a good boy, and she did not want to reprimand him. Instead, she asked Pat not to contact her when she was home.

While Maria kept Pat away from Brian, they did spend a lot of time together. They grew close and acknowledged their feelings soon. This was new to Maria and she was worried how Brian would take it. She asked Pat to wait till Brian's eighteenth birthday before they could start dating.

Pat agreed to wait, but Rebecca was already on board with the idea. Maria visited Pat's home many times. She also connected well with Rebecca.

They had not even gone on a proper date yet, but Pat had hinted at them moving in together. Maria would have agreed only if Brian was not so obsessed with her.

***

Brian's eighteenth birthday was fast approaching and it was time to pick a college. He wasn't willing to go away for the college and Maria was not willing to let him go either. "You're not ready," she said firmly. "You need me, and I need you here."

"Yes Mom, you are right," he had agreed without resistance. He accepted a scholarship at a local college and followed his mother's guidance for his electives.

Brian got exactly what he wanted, but the entire conversation bothered him. Maria had always been overprotective, almost smothering. He used to be ok with Maria's choices about his life, but now he wanted to be part of those choices.

He thought back to that day in the hospital, the weight of his father's hand in his own, the smell of antiseptic and sickness. Those last words, a command that Brian had taken as gospel: "Be the man of the house. Protect your mother." But what if being a man meant standing up for himself, too?

He understood her fear. Losing his father had been devastating for both of them. They had always stayed together. "Just you and me against the world." She had said. But what about now? Why is Pat coming into the picture?

Brian groaned in frustration. Something had to change, and it had to change fast.

***

Maria decided to do something different for Brian's birthday. Before leaving for work that day, she called him. "I made a dinner reservation for us tonight. Let's go out tonight and celebrate."

Brian had a wide grin on his face at the prospect of spending the whole evening with her. He spent the day happily anticipating the evening. When he returned home, Maria was already there, a rare occurrence.

He saw her walk through the house, a towel wrapped around her body. She pretended not to notice as she went to her bedroom. Brian could not help but be captivated by her. Since he had heard of Pat, he had become possessive of her.

While he had not seen much, for the first time, his thoughts turned sexual. He knew it was wrong to look at his mother in such a manner. But he could not help it. She was so beautiful, strong, and perfect.

As Maria stepped down the stairs, Brian caught his breath. It had been ages since he had seen her in a party dress with heels. She looked gorgeous. "Wow, Mom," he said, "You look amazing."

She smiled at him in a rare, soft expression. "Thank you, my boy. You are looking nice, too." She ruffled his hair as they moved out. "Let's go. I'm starving."

The dinner date was fantastic, not because of the restaurant or the food. Brian wasn't interested in that. He simply enjoyed his mother's company. She had loosened up, and they had a great time catching up on their lives.

They even danced a few slow songs together. Brian hadn't had so much fun since his last soccer game. He loved having her in his arms. Their fun continued as they drove home, laughing and joking together.

When they reached home, his mother asked him to join her while she enjoyed her wine glass. That was when Maria dropped a bombshell.

"Brian, I'm going to start dating again," she said happily.

Brian froze as she confirmed his worst fear. She wasn't asking his opinion; she was telling him her decision.

She saw him lost in his thoughts and continued, "Pat is an amazing person, you would love..."

Something inside Brian shattered when he heard Pat's name. He couldn't take it anymore and interrupted her. "No," he growled.

Maria was taken aback. "What do you mean by no?" she asked, surprised.

"I mean, you can't date, not while I'm still here," he replied with conviction.

Maria looked at him carefully. There was a fire of defiance in his eyes. She had never seen him go against her and did not like it.

"I have had enough of your obsession with me, Brian," she scolded him. "It's my life, and you don't get to choose for me."

Brian took a moment to gather himself. "Yes, it's about your life, but what about mine? If you can make my life choices, I get to make yours too." His voice was firm as he looked her in the eye. "It's just you and me, Mom. If you bring someone else into our lives, I'm moving out."

Startled by his conviction, she blinked at him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

It was a rhetorical question. Of course, he was serious. In that one sentence, Brian had flipped her worldview.

Maria had always thought that he was too dependent on her. But for the first time, she realized that was not the case. He deferred to her views and choices out of his own free will, just like Peter used to do.

That thought shook her to the core. Had she never understood her boy? She needed time to process this. At the same time, she felt a flickering emotion. Something she hadn't felt for a long time. She liked this version of Brian. Confident, unruly, taking his stand. She always wanted him to be like that. But was it false bravado?

She needed time to test him and came up with a simple plan to buy her some time.

"Well, I don't believe you can survive on your own," she challenged.

"That's not the point, Mom. It's either me or Pat. You can try me if you want, but if I leave, I won't return." He refused to back down.

"Very well. I don't want you to move out, but I think you are bluffing." She observed him before continuing with a smug smile. "Show me you can earn a hundred dollars a week. I'll give you a month."

He didn't hesitate. "Deal. But you can't date during this time."

She laughed. She liked his defiance, but wouldn't let it go unpunished. "Deal."