From Mother-In-Law to Lover

Author's note: A slow-burner this. There's quite a bit of relationship stuff as I've tried to explore how a man and his mother-in-law could fall in love and all the counter-currents, emotional and cultural barriers in their way. Given the taboos involved and the mother-son surrogacy of such a relationship I think it does belong in the incest category. Having said all that there's plenty of rumpy-pumpy in it once the two protagonists get going. I hope you enjoy it.

*****

In my mid-twenties, I met a girl and fell in love. Jodie was tall, slim, blonde and very vivacious - actually a bit of a wild child. I was rather more of a steady Eddie so maybe it was the attraction of opposites, but we had a great two years together. We had a child on the way, so we decided to get married but we would have done so anyway.

Jodie's parents were a bit of an odd couple or rather oddly matched - at least I thought so. In his mid-fifties but looking slightly older, Howard, was a university professor with a rising and public reputation. Tall and thin with a balding head and glasses, he looked like the dry, fastidious academic that he was. He and I never got on. There was no overt hostility, but he showed no interest in me or any desire to get to know me.

His wife, Pat, by contrast was warm. She was a deputy headteacher in her mid-forties. Only her general classiness and depth of character prevented her from being the raging extrovert her daughter was, but she was definitely a people person in contrast to her cold and distant husband. I didn't think she was out and out beautiful when I first met her but her looks grew on me over time. She looked vaguely foreign, her skin was slightly darker than most and I found she had an Italian grandmother who'd obviously passed on her sultry good looks as well as a vivacious personality. She had black hair, a wide and generous mouth and quite pouty lips with a few laughter lines. Her eyes were mesmerising - dark brown eyes that could be soulful, thoughtful or merry depending on her mood. She also had great legs which were quite slim, but then she thickened out a little further up and her hips were noticeable. To top it all off she had a large pair of tits that were a real distraction.

In contrast to Howard, Pat really took to me and made me feel welcome when we visited. She was always interested in what I had to say and with her knowing and empathetic look in those captivating dark brown eyes she seemed to understand me instinctively. She was overjoyed when we announced we were getting married although quite disappointed that it was going to be a civil ceremony as she was quite traditional in her outlook on life and belonged to what I thought was a narrow-minded church.

Their marriage was not close so far as I could tell. Howard certainly showed little affection to Pat although he was very fond of Jodie. He ploughed all his energies into his burgeoning academic career - he often travelled to international symposiums, was on TV and radio sometimes on high-brow programmes, had a newspaper column and had published several books. Pat, on the other hand, was into various good works, she was a prominent member of her church, a parish councillor and involved with various local charities. Although I was very fond of her, I did think that she revelled in her high standing in the local community. She may have had foreign blood in her but in all other respects she was as English as, I dunno, steak and kidney pie? Daily Mail reader, conservative in outlook, respectable and a little snobby with it.

The wedding was not too lavish but good enough. In the only example of generosity in the time that I knew him, Howard was good enough to put his hand in his pocket and helped us out with the costs. My mother had sadly passed away about a year beforehand and my father a decade before that so there weren't too many of my family there. Jodie also had a small family - she had no brothers or sisters and neither did Howard nor Pat but they did have a few more distant cousins there. However, we did have lots of friends there - my friends being a bit more regular than Jodie's were. All in all there were about a hundred people there and we had a great time. Jodie's louche friends didn't get too drunk or doped up to spoil it. In the evening, Pat and I danced together and she told me that this was one of the happiest days of her life.

"I've a favour to ask, Tom," she went on, "well not so much a favour but I'd really like it if you started calling me, 'Mum'"

"Of course," I replied although I was not too keen on the idea.

She hugged me in gratitude. Her large and well upholstered tits pressed against me giving me all sorts of ambiguous thoughts.

Annabelle, our daughter was born about six months after we got married. The pregnancy and birth were not too difficult so far as I could tell and I was as supportive as I could be. The first three months after Annabelle was born were hard work but very happy. However, it soon became apparent that motherhood was not Jodie's thing at all. Never very organised at the best of times she got very frustrated at the tedium of looking after a baby. When I came home from work she could not wait to dump Annabelle on me. I was very happy about this regardless of how hard a day I'd had at work. What did irk me though was her insistence that she could take up her vigorous social life like we both had before Annabelle was born.

Rows became frequent. She chafed at any restrictions or discipline to the point where health workers started to raise concerns. As a compromise I gave up my job to look after Annabelle while she resumed her advertising career but that did not stop the partying for her. She'd always dabbled in soft drugs (and after all who doesn't like a bit of weed now and again?). However, things got worse once she started or restarted the cocaine. Apart from anything else we simply couldn't afford it. Things got very nasty.

Annabelle was only six months old when Jodie announced that she was leaving us both. I was heartbroken and devastated. She took up with a succession of boyfriends each one more dangerous than the one before until she settled down with a yardie pimp called Michael who once pulled a knife on me.

Even although she didn't want to look after Annabelle there was very bitter custody battle and divorce which dragged on for months. In essence, she wanted me to look after Annabelle whilst she could have unlimited access (which meant turning at any time of the day or night to take her away) and most of the family assets. Various injunctions and court orders were taken out, social workers got involved and I frittered away my life savings on solicitor's fees. Eventually, Jodie and I had a very uneasy truce which meant she had Annabelle every other weekend although she arrived late and dropped her off late. Once or twice she never turned up and then demanded to have her mid week which disrupted all the other child care arrangements. But this truce was all pending a final custody settlement several months away with an equally bitter divorce settlement to follow.

Pat took our split very hard. She'd been absolutely thrilled with the birth of her granddaughter and had done whatever she could to help us both when our difficulties started. She openly sympathised with me while still trying to stay loyal to her daughter but that only pissed off both of us. Pat had been seeing Annabelle several times a week but that became impossible. Once the custody battle started she was in the enemy camp as far as I was concerned and I bluntly told her that she'd no longer be welcome round my house.

"You mean I can't see Annabelle anymore!"

"I can't prevent it, but that'll have to be when Jodie has her. She's your daughter!"

"But I hardly ever see her!" she wailed.

I remember the scene vividly. Pat was dressed in a long white wrap over a closely fitting white cotton top (which accentuated her prominent breasts) accompanied by black trousers and knee-length black boots. She'd had her hair cropped to an attractive elfin look which suited her. But her attractiveness cut no ice with me.

"Pat, however hard this is for you, it's much, much harder for me!"

It was like I'd slapped her in the face. Her beautiful brown eyes filled with tears and she mumbled an apology and slumped off. I was angry and distressed the whole weekend after that scene. I knew that this was none of Pat's fault, but she was tainted by association. The hurt on her face really got to me, though and I regretted what I'd said to her.

Annabelle's first birthday was coming up, so I planned a little birthday party for her and her little pals from her nursery at one of the local play barns. Jodie and I weren't even speaking so I had no intention of telling her but I did decide to ring Pat. It was Howard who answered the phone.

"And what do you want?" he asked rather rudely.

"I'd like to speak to Pat If I may."

"What about?" he demanded.

"Annabelle."

That stumped him. He'd shown no great delight at the birth of his only grandchild even when things were much better. He reluctantly passed me over to his wife, "It's him!" I heard him mutter.

"Hello?"

"Pat, it's Tom."

"Yes," she said in a quiet voice.

"I was rather harsh with you last time we spoke and I'd like to apologise."

A pause, then, "You were right though, you are going through a hard time."

"Well, regardless, I am sorry and should not have taken it out on you."

"That's fine, Tom, apology accepted."

"I'm having a little party for Annabelle next weekend at the play barn. Would you like to come?"

"Oh yes, thank you, thank you, yes I will!" I could hear her voice quavering, "Where is it?"

I gave her the details and she repeated them. Howard must have been hovering in the background because I heard him snarl, "Don't forget my inauguration!"

"Yes, I'll be there!" she said, ignoring him, "Thank you, Tom! Thank you so much!"

The party was an OK affair. All the little tots turned up and dribbled their jelly and ice cream down their clean clothes and played with the balloons. All the other mums treated me politely but distantly as if I had a disease and talked amongst themselves. I don't know what they'd heard about Jodie. Perhaps they were just embarrassed. I was relieved when Pat turned up. She was dressed to the nines in a knee length white dress with a floral pattern, a smart cream jacket with a green trim and smart white heels. She looked elegant and beautiful and a bit out of place.

"I'm sorry I can't stay too long. Howard's been appointed Professor of International Ethics and there's an inauguration ceremony that we must go to."

"Is he outside? Ask him to come in!"

She gave an embarrassed grimace and muttered something about him not liking children's parties. I could see him outside in his grey suit and in his expensive car. Fuck him, I thought!

Pat stayed quite a while, playing with Annabelle and chatting to me. Howard was blowing his gasket and started beeping his horn impatiently.

"I'll have to go," she said.

"Pop round tomorrow. You'd be very welcome."

The next day was Annabelle's real birthday.

"Oh, thank you I will!" she smiled, pecked me on the cheek and left.

Pat came round our house the next afternoon with another present for Annabelle. She was wearing a white cotton blouse and smart and close-fitting light blue brushed cotton trousers. I could easily make out her white bra underneath her blouse and I caught the odd peek or two of her cleavage as she played on the floor with Annabelle. She stayed a couple of hours and we chatted a bit. We were quite open with each other about the court proceedings with Jodie. I had a good lawyer, but he'd advised we might still have several hearings before the judge made his final rulings as evidence from social workers and various other submissions still needed to be made.

She didn't defend Jodie and openly sympathised with me although that didn't help any.

"It must be so difficult for you, Tom. Let me know if there's anything I can do. I'd be very happy to babysit if you wanted to go out."

My social life was rather poor. I'd just got back into full employment, but all my spare cash went on legal fees and nursery fees. Jodie was supposed to be paying maintenance but she was always behind. But there were a couple of events coming up that I wouldn't mind going to.

"Thank you, Pat. I may take you up on it and do feel free to pop round the weekend after next when it's my turn with Annabelle."

"Oh thank you I will!" she was so pleased, "I know it must be very awkward for you my being here."

It was a bit awkward on all sorts of levels but all I said was, "We have to do the right thing by Annabelle and I don't hold you responsible for Jodie. You're always welcome here!"

Pat's eyes filled with tears and she gave me a tight hug as she left, "You're the best, Tom, the very best!"

It took me a while to rid my memory of the feel of her soft body against mine and the beguiling scent of her perfume.

She became a regular visitor at the weekends I had Annabelle and did babysit for me once or twice too. Relations were back on an even keel and it was good to have someone to talk to. And we did talk and talk. We talked about life and love and politics (she conservative, I liberal) and culture and music (she liked classical, I liked electric blues). We talked in a roundabout way about her stale marriage to Howard and of course more directly about my disastrous marriage with her daughter. Pat was a good listener and I'd always found her very empathetic.

Then came the court hearing. These matters are both stressful and tedious. There's always a lot of waiting and then the hearings get adjourned for another month without anything really being decided. Jodie and I always ignored each other apart from the odd glare. I felt utterly betrayed and perplexed to see that Pat had accompanied her and resolved that she wouldn't see Annabelle on my watch again. Jodie gave some testimony about the child care arrangements, lying blatantly about my supposed misbehaviour. My lawyer did, I think, quite a good job in taking her evidence apart and I saw Pat shaking her head in dismay. The judge adjourned for another month with nothing resolved again. I was surprised to see Pat approach my lawyer and have quite a long conversation with him. I couldn't see where Jodie had gone and Pat left without speaking to me.

My lawyer came up to me, "Your wife's mother has just spoken to me. You did see her just now didn't you?"

"Yes, that is the lady you were talking to."

"It's very unusual but she has offered to testify on your behalf at the next custody hearing. In summary, she's willing to contradict the allegations your wife has made about you and to state that you are a much better parent than your wife."

I was staggered, "Will this make a difference?"

"The courts usually decide in favour of the mother as we've previously discussed. On the other hand your wife's behaviour has been quite bad. I certainly think that testimony from her own mother could tip the balance."

But Jodie would see this a complete betrayal, I thought. I knew they weren't close but blood runs thicker than water they say. So, when Pat next came round I asked her about it.

"You said something that struck home - we have to do the right thing by Annabelle. And I think that she is better off with you than Jodie. It shames me to say that of my own daughter and I know she'll never forgive me for it! But it is a truth that she is a bad mother and you're a good father."

"Thank you, Pat!"

She nodded and her eyes filled with tears. I put my arm around her and she hugged me, sobbing and trembling with grief. The hug continued and my cock started swelling. "Don't press into me, Pat," I thought desperately in case she felt my erection whilst, at the same time, wanting her to do just that. My cock was now fully erect and she must have felt it press against her belly, but she did not immediately disengage. By this time I'd really got the hots for Pat. I just wanted to kiss her, put my cock inside her actually, but this was definitely not the right time to make a move. Eventually she did break off, wiped her eyes and gave me a soulful look and left.

However, the incident did seem to bring us closer together. She came round every week and at weekends when I had Annabelle. Pat mothered us both. She would bring some food she'd prepared (even though I was quite a good cook), girly clothes for Annabelle, tidy up a little round the house and generally fuss over us both. I found it quite hard bringing up a child all by myself so I was very grateful for her help and attention which seemed to be bestowed as much on me as on Annabelle. And she was great company, unexpectedly showing an outrageous sense of humour.

The next court hearing was very painful. Pat gave her testimony calmly and quietly but convincingly under cross-questioning from the other side. Jodie glared coldly at her mother throughout and stalked off at the end of the hearing. The final judgement was six weeks later and entirely in my favour. Pat didn't attend but of course I told her immediately afterwards. I kept my elation down because of the pain she was obviously feeling. She'd lost her daughter probably forever and that shouldn't happen to any mother.

She certainly looked quite down next time I saw her. She was wearing a great big baggy jumper that didn't really flatter her. Her hair looked flat and her whole demeanour was depressed although she put a brave face on it. To cheer her up I suggested we go for a walk in a local country park. Annabelle was able to walk a little but we took her buggy to push around for when she got tired. We played Pooh sticks at a stream and hide-and-seek in a small wood. This cheered up Pat a lot and we also had a good chance to chat . She was smiling and laughing when we got home. She stayed for tea and all in all we had a great time. I could see though that she was not looking forward to going home. Pat told me that Howard was coldly furious with her about testifying in my favour.

As she left she came up to me and asked, "Tom, I've asked you this before and I hope you'll say yes again. Will you start calling me 'Mum' again? I've lost my daughter, but you're the son I've always wished for!" Well, how could I refuse? But she wanted to be my mother and I wanted to be a motherfucker!

"Of course... Mum!"

She hugged me and I kissed the top of her brow. She held me a long time and then left without another word.

It was all a bit odd given that I was divorcing her daughter. I'd hoped for a quickie divorce but Jodie still frustrated my every move. She appealed the child custody judgement. So there were more delays. I expected the final settlement to be delayed until next year.

I kept my word and was a dutiful and loving son even though I had other desires (and possibly designs). One time Pat came over when the weather was still cold. She wore brown calf-length boots, a loose cream skirt and an expensive looking V-necked green sweater. As usual she looked great and I tried without succeeding not to look too much at her V-neck and her boobs. What really got to me was when I was playing on the floor with Annabelle who thought it would be great to climb on me. I was flat on the floor with her bouncing up and down on my stomach. Pat was laughing and as she leaned forward, her legs parted slightly I could see right up her skirt, her thighs encased in fine tights and glory of glories a flash of her white panties. It only lasted a second and she didn't seem to notice but the image stayed with me for days.

Howard was often away doing his academic stuff. He'd been appointed Visiting Professor at a prestigious American University and he jetted off there every few months. He was such a prick that most women would have left him but Pat had a strong sense of duty bolstered by her faith so she just made do without him. That did mean we spent quite a bit of time together and sometime she asked to help with some practical chores in their house. The house itself was very nice, detached late Georgian and with a big garden. Worth at least a million by my reckoning. Pat was getting some new furniture in and decided to do a bit of a general clear out including the big attic so I offered to come round and help. When I turned up with Annabelle I was a little surprised as she wasn't really dressed for shifting boxes. She had a very pleasant light brown and white loose skirt that finished a little below the knee and a fawn cotton top that did not hide the swell of her breasts. She was as surprised to see me and it turned out there'd been a bit of a mix up and she wasn't expecting me until the next day.