Mistletoe Magic

Mistletoe Magic - Ch.1

As always, Copyright remains with the author. Enjoy. thepeckker

The beep of an incoming email caused Justin to quickly glance away from his latest Crypto purchase to the pop-up notification.

At initial glance he was shocked to see that the source of the email was his ex-wife Maria, with the subject lineChristmas in July.

His mind immediately went back to that night three years ago when he fled his home town. Maria had just told him that she was pregnant. Most couples would be ecstatic, but Justin was not, he knew it wasn't his child. He'd had tests when Maria couldn't get pregnant after trying for a couple years. A moderate case of Oligospermia with instances of abnormal morphology the Specialist had said. Essentially, Justin was inflicted with a low count and abnormally shaped sperm.

Justin eventually found out through his divorce lawyers that the child's father was his younger brother Greg. He shouldn't have been surprised really. After all, Maria and Greg had been close friends since their early school years, and it was Greg who'd introduced Maria to Justin in the first place.

Justin was bored one night about a year ago and did some cyber stalking. They're married now; Maria and Greg, and at that time had recently had a second child.

Justin had fled that night and hadn't contacted his family or friends during the three years that'd passed. He'd gone interstate and got mixed up with some bad nerds! Crypto freaks with insider smarts. Justin had hopped on that train and gone for the cyber ride of his life. Working seven days with as many hours as he could for two years straight. Now he had a multi-million dollar portfolio of crypto and properties enabling him to retire at the tender age of 34. Notwithstanding his wealth, he still stayed in the game as a side hustle, and for a bit of fun, while keeping fit by surfing most mornings and attending his local gym. Recently he'd also taken up golf.

He'd dated little after his divorce, and those he did share his bed with were normally surfer chicks or fitness junkies that just wanted a fuck buddy to satisfy their urges. Something Justin was very adept at, given the feedback he'd received. Although he liked the casualness of these arrangements, in recent months he'd found himself craving company that was more intimate and stimulating.

He re-read Maria's email several times. It was imploring him to return home, as his parents, especially his mother, missed him terribly. She said that his parents should not suffer for something that was not of their doing.Ha!Justin thought sarcastically,she's finally found some empathy!

The last part of the email mentioned that Justin's mother, Claudia, was planning a "Christmas in July" gathering for family and friends. She urged him to find it in his heart to return home for the event as it would be the best gift Claudia and his father Frank could ever receive.

After some self-reflection Justin decided that perhaps it was time. For too long he'd been bitter and twisted and self-absorbed over the failure of his marriage. He'd not moved on with his life, just found another avenue for his time and energy.

He did eventually acknowledge that he could no longer blame Maria for seeking an alternative avenue for children. He knew that she had craved a child of her own since the beginning of their marriage and was concerned about her maternal timeline. Greg was another matter. He didn't quite know how he felt about his younger brother and the wedge now driven between them.

He didn't respond to Maria's email. He had two months to get everything in order before tackling the long flight to his familial home. He decided to leave a week early so that he could settle things with his family beforehand, and then help out with preparations before the big event.

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The brass doorknob felt unexpectedly cold beneath Justin's palm, its surface slick with condensation from the storms humidity--a jarring contrast to the dry weather he'd grown accustomed to. So long since he'd last crossed this threshold, the scent of pine needles and cinnamon punched through him like a physical blow. Behind him, the glittering skyline of his own city had faded into memory, replaced by the fresh smell of his hometown. His Tesla rental, silent as a predator in the driveway, seemed alien against the backdrop of his father's weathered pickup truck.

Inside, his mother's laughter spilled from the kitchen, that familiar melody tightening Justin's chest as he shed his cashmere coat. His father's booming voice followed, no doubt scolding his mother for being so jovial or for some other lame reason. Justin traced his fingers over the mistletoe dangling above the veranda's arch--crude, asymmetrical, deliberately imperfect in its arrangement. He instantly knew this was his mother's handiwork.

His hand shaking, he reached out to the old worn door knocker and gave it two short sharp raps. From the heaviness of the footsteps that followed he knew it would be his father who answered.

As the door swung on its inward journey his father said, "Yes, what is..."

In the microseconds that followed, Justin could see that his father had not aged well. Although he was only sixty two years old, his face was heavily lined, his clothes hung on him due to a noticeable amount of weight he'd lost, and he'd developed a stoop to his posture.

Justin simply said, "Hello Dad."

Despite the lack of closeness that had been normal between the pair, Frank stepped through the doorway and took Justin into the biggest bear hug his frail arms could muster.

"Hello Son... It's been a while!"

Father and Son just stood in the doorway... embracing... each with tears flowing freely.

Eventually Frank pulled back and, wiping the tears away, said, "You'd better come in then, 'ere, I'll take these," and with that he took Justin's luggage from him and led him through the hallway into the kitchen.

"Whatcha got there then Frank," Claudia said as he put the cases down.

The gasp caught in her throat when she spotted her son. Three years had carved new lines around her eyes... the kind that probably only deepened when she laughed too hard... but her body was still a slow, dangerous curve beneath the thin cotton dress she wore. At 5'7", she wasn't tall, but she carried herself like she was... shoulders back, hips swaying just enough to make the fabric cling firmly where it shouldn't.

Justin's breath caught. Her hair, that wild tangle of chestnut streaked with premature silver, was pinned up haphazardly, tendrils escaping to brush the nape of her neck. He'd forgotten how her mouth moved when she was surprised, lips parting slightly before she spoke, like she tasted the air first.

Her dress was too tight across the chest, not that she'd admit it, and the buttons strained over breasts that were fuller than he remembered... round and heavy beneath the fabric. The waistline nipped in sharply, and then flared over hips that had softened with age but still moved with an unconscious rhythm.

Justin's fingers twitched at his sides. He could see the outline of her thighs through the skirt, strong from years of gardening, and tan lines showing on her bare feet where her sandals had previously been strapped around her slim ankles.

Claudia made a sound, a half sob and half laugh, and then rushed at him. The impact pressed her body against his, warm and yielding, her perfume mingling with the scent of her skin, something sweet and uncomplicated. He felt the weight of her breasts against his chest, the way her fingers dug into his shoulders like she was afraid he'd vanish again.

She pulled back just enough to cup his face, her thumbs brushing his stubble. Up close, her eyes were the colour of weak tea, gold flecks swimming in the hazel.

"You look tired," she murmured, then in hushed threatening tones, "Don't you ever leave me again my beautiful baby boy!"

But her voice cracked, and Justin realised with a jolt how her lower lip had trembled while the neckline of her dress had slipped just enough to reveal the lace edge of her bra. He'd spent years convincing himself that the slow, restless heat in his gut whenever she'd hugged him goodbye, was just misplaced loneliness. Now, with her body pressed firmly against him, he was wiser and knew better... there was a longing within her that he'd not noticed before.

Her fingers traced his jawline, lingering too long, maybe accidentally, and Justin caught the scent of vanilla on her wrists. Her dress clung to her like a second skin, the fabric tight over the swell of her waist and the curve of her ass. She'd always been soft, but now the fullness of her hips was deliberate, a woman's body and not a girls like he'd been used to. Her legs, still toned from the summers work, brushed against his, and he could feel the heat radiating off her skin.

Claudia exhaled, shaking, and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. The gesture made her breasts shift under the fabric, and Justin couldn't help but follow the movement. They were larger now; fuller... was that motherhood or just the passage of time? And the way they swayed when she moved was hypnotic. The dress wasn't meant to be provocative, but it was too small, the buttons straining, and every breath she took threatened to undo them entirely.

Justin's pulse hammered in his throat.

The air between them crackled with something unspoken, something neither of them dared name. Justin clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. He'd spent three years running from his family. Now, standing like this in his mother's kitchen, he realised he should have been running toward her all along.

"Here, let 'im go woman," said Frank interrupting the moment, "you'll squeeze the death out of 'im!"

Claudia stepped back suddenly, smoothing her skirt with trembling hands, the moment shattered.

"You're just in time, dinners almost ready," she said brightly, but her cheeks were flushed, and she wouldn't meet his eyes, "we're having a roast and there's more than enough for us all."

Justin watched her fingers tremble when she set another place at the table, her knuckles etched with fine lines he didn't remember, the wedding band digging into flesh softer than in his memories.

The conversation flowed freely between them as three years melted away. While Claudia finished preparing the meal, Justin filled them in on what he'd been up to--his job and how he was living these days. Frank hadn't gone anywhere, still stuck at the same factory doing the exact same work as when Justin took off. He admitted he was envious that Justin got to retire early while he'd be grinding away for at least another decade.

Claudia finally sat at the table next to Justin. He noticed her bare foot brushing against his calf under the table... accidental, surely, except her toes lingered just a second too long before retreating. Across from him, Frank carved the roast with deliberate, practiced strokes, the knife scraping against bone in a way that made Justin's teeth ache.

He hated to see his parents living just above the breadline and offered to help them out financially, however his father turned his offer down flat. He was a proud man and, despite not being as successful, his ego wouldn't allow him to take handouts from his son.

It was then that the elephant in the room raised its trunk!

"Greg called today," Claudia said, pouring wine with a steady hand, "He and Maria are bringing the boys by tomorrow." She didn't look at Justin when she said it, but the air between them thickened, charged like the moment before a storm breaks.

Clearing his throat, Frank said, "They're good kids... smart." He said it like an apology, or maybe a challenge, his eyes darting between his wife and son.

Justin took a slow sip of wine, letting the bitterness coat his tongue, before confessing, "I'm not here to make trouble."

His gaze flicked to Claudia's mouth--the way she pressed her lips together when nervous--and he wondered, distantly, when he'd started cataloguing her tells. The table creaked as Frank shifted, oblivious to the way Justin's knee had drifted toward Claudia's under the linen.

Claudia exhaled sharply, as if she'd been holding her breath since he walked in.

"We just want things to be... normal," she said.

Justin smiled, tight-lipped, and reached for another slice of meat, his fingers grazing hers.

Frank cleared his throat again, louder this time. "Maria's a good mother, Son!" he said, staring at his plate, "and both the boys are happy."

Justin watched Claudia's hand tremble as she once again tucked the offending strand of hair behind her ear.

"Normal," Justin repeated, leaning back in his chair, "yeah, sure!"

Claudia's voice dropped to a whisper, "They'll be here by noon," she said, eyes darting to the staircase behind Justin, as if expecting Maria to materialise at any moment.

Justin traced his fork along the edge of his wineglass, the metallic scrape echoing in the sudden silence, "I'll behave," he declared, though the promise felt hollow even as he said it.

Claudia's knee brushed his again, lingering longer this time like an unspoken acknowledgment, or maybe a challenge.

Frank wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Maria's made a good life with Greg," he said gruffly, "The boys..." he faltered, glancing at Justin, as if realising too late how loaded the words sounded.

Justin forced a smile, picturing toddlers with Greg's stubborn jaw and Maria's dark eyes.

Claudia's fingers twitched toward her own wineglass, her wedding ring catching the light.

"You don't have to stay," Claudia said suddenly, her voice low enough that Frank didn't glance up from his plate.

Justin studied the flush creeping up her neck, the way her pulse fluttered beneath delicate skin.

"But I want you to," she added, softer still.

The words hung between them, molten. Frank grunted something about dessert, pushing back his chair with a scrape of wood on tile.

Justin leaned in, close enough to catch Claudia's scent--vanilla with something sharper underneath.

"Do you?" he breathed, watching her throat work as she swallowed.

Her foot slid up his calf, slow, deliberate. Across the room, Frank rummaged through the refrigerator, muttering about forgotten custard. Claudia's lips parted--not an answer, but an invitation--and Justin knew, with sudden, terrifying clarity, that he wouldn't be the one to pull away first.

"You'll see them soon enough," Frank said gruffly, returning with a bowl of pudding flecked with nutmeg, "They're good boys--look just like Greg at that age."

"I'm not here for them," Justin said, and Claudia's breath caught in her throat.

Frank scraped his spoon against the bowl. "Maria's always been good with kids--hasn't she, Claudia?"

It hasn't taken him long to get back to being an arseholeJustin thought about his father, as his knuckles whitened around his fork.

Claudia licked her lips, slow, deliberate, "Yes," she murmured, "always so... attentive."

The air between them crackled with something hotter than anger. Justin watched a bead of sweat trail down Claudia's collarbone; disappear beneath the neckline of her dress.

"Will you stay?" she asked again, softer, her hand brushing his thigh beneath the table.

Frank slurped his custard, oblivious to the tremor in her voice. Justin didn't answer, he didn't trust his own voice, but when Claudia's fingers tangled with his, he didn't pull away.

Frank sighed, pushing his empty bowl aside, "Family's family," he said, as if that settled everything.

Claudia's grip tightened. "Greg will want to make things right," she lied smoothly, her thumb tracing circles on Justin's palm, "He's changed."

Justin snorted, earning a sharp glance from Frank. "Changed how?" he asked, watching Claudia's lips twitch.

Frank wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Maria's kept him in line," he grunted, stacking dishes noisily, then, "You'll be civil," he muttered. It wasn't a question.

Claudia's pulse fluttered wildly beneath Justin's fingertips. "Of course he will," she said, breathless now, her other hand sliding Justin's wineglass toward him.

Frank stood abruptly, chair screeching, "Bed," he announced, though neither of them moved.

"Before you go Dad, something occurred to me while we've been eating," Justin announced, "I know you won't take any assistance from me, but would you allow me to fund a crypto account for you or mom? Say ten grand? I'll show you what to do and help out as best I can, then when you have made the seed money back, you can repay me? It's not like I'm giving you anything, just advice and some setup costs. Wadda you say?"

Frank looked from Justin to Claudia, her eyes pleading with him not to refuse his sons offer. Looking back to Justin he said, "I'll discuss it with your mother... now I'm off to bed."

Justin watched Claudia's throat work as she swallowed the last of her wine, her eyes dark with something hotter than regret. Frank's footsteps faded upstairs. The refrigerator hummed.

"He can still be an ungrateful arsehole Mom!"

"I know you must think that Justin, but he does love you in his own way. Nevertheless, I must admit, he has got grumpier and harder to live with as he's got older."

"What about you Mom? How do you put up with it all then?" Justin pleaded.

"Oh, that's easy son... despite his ways, I still love him... and even though we are not as, shall we saycloseas we once were, he's strived to look after all of our best interests!"

Justin reached out and took his mother's hands in his. They sat there in silence, his thumbs rubbing the backs of her fingers.

Without thinking, Justin suddenly blurted out, "So what's with all the touching and closeness since I've been back Mom? I mean, we never openly showed affection like that before... and so..."

"What? a mother can't be affectionate to her son! I'm sorry that you are uncomfortable with that Justin!"

"It's not that... please don't get me wrong, it's just something I'm not used to! In actual fact, I love being close to you again, the closer the better I..."

"Oh really!" Claudia interrupted, "Well SON," she emphasised harshly, "When you left Maria so suddenly, you also left this family. You didn't contact us or leave any message that you were alright. You just left. We were out of our minds with worry. It was not until we heard from the lawyers that we could relax."

"I know... I know," he interrupted, "and I can't apologise enough for the way that happened and the pain I caused."

"Jesus, Justin... you just left me. Abandoned your own mother--dumped me with this lot" Claudia gestured wildly at the empty room, "And while I was sitting alone all those nights, I kept thinking--what did I do wrong? Hadn't I shown you enough love?"

"Mom, no... god, I'm sorry," Justin grabbed her hands, squeezing too tight, "You were perfect. Best mom ever."

She exhaled, shakily, "Well, I swore that if you'd ever come back home I'd make damn sure you knew how loved you are. We were never... touchy-feely. That changes now!"

Justin said nothing for a short while, just continued to hold his mother's hands.

"I... I really like it when you touch me, Mom," Justin finally admitted, his voice quiet but sincere. "It makes me feel safe... loved," he paused, swallowing hard before adding, "And... I dunno, wanted, I guess?"

Claudia's lips curled into a warm smile at his words, though her cheeks flushed slightly.

"That's sweet, baby. And you are--," she caught herself, realising how that sounded, and cleared her throat, "wanted, I mean... obviously."

Flustered, she quickly changed the subject, "So, do you want your old bedroom Justin... or shall I make up the basement guestroom for you?"