While obviously Grace only had Toby’s best interests at heart, she couldn’t deny there was a part of her that was excited by the prospect of taking such complete control of her son’s life. It had started with a desire to keep him to herself but the more she’d thought about it over the last few days she was starting to realise there was something about having absolute power over her son that she found more than a little thrilling.
Grace leaned back in her chair and let out a great breath of air. She was trying to stay calm but was so full of energy and excitement for tomorrow that she felt she was going to burst!
A dull thud above her head told her that Toby was on the move. No doubt pacing up and down his room with worry at the prospect of his upcoming date. Grace was glad to see he was worried; he was always easier to manipulate when he got scared and she knew just what buttons to press to use his nerves to her advantage.
*********************************************
Toby
It was Thursday evening, and Toby had been a nervous wreck since the moment he’d woke up. At the start of the week he’d been nothing but excited about his first ever date night. But as Friday crept closer that excitement gradually evolved into a sense of fear that put his stomach in knots and gripped his chest whenever he thought of it. Now his nerves were threatening to overwhelm him.
At first he’d tried playing video games to pass the time, but he couldn’t concentrate and gave up after his third heavy loss in a row. Films and TV didn’t help either, he just found himself staring at the screen, taking nothing in and finishing the show with no idea what had actually happened. Cooking dinner for his Mother took his mind off it for a while, though he’d had little appetite himself and now as he placed the last of the washing up on the drying rack, he felt the nerves more keenly than ever.
A quick glance at the clock told him it was 19:30; still far too early to go to bed he thought with a grimace. Maybe he’d go up to his room and try another film, a comedy or something he’d seen a hundred times before. Anything that would kill a few hours without him needing to think too much about it.
Toby’s deliberations were interrupted by the sound of his Mother calling from the dining room.
“Darling, could you bring me in another glass of wine please?”
Without thinking Toby retrieved the chilled bottle, made his way to where his Mother sat at the table and obediently refilled her glass. As he poured, he noticed his Mother watching him thoughtfully, an affectionate smile playing on her lips as she noticed her son’s timid glance. He filled the glass and turned to head upstairs, but was stopped in his tracks when his Mother’s hand shot out and clasped around his wrist.
“Wait before you go,” she started “sit down for a minute. Mommy wants to speak to you.”
Toby’s cheeks flushed bright red; why was she always so patronising? He’d told her before he hated it when she referred to herself as ‘Mommy.’ He wasn’t a child anymore, he was a grown man! But it wasn’t worth the hassle of an argument, so as always he ignored the remark, and took the seat next to her.
“Uh yeah, sure,” he replied “what’s up?”
“What do you mean ‘what’s up?’ she giggled “It’s a big day for you tomorrow, your first ever date! Are you excited?”
“Oh right, yeah of course I’m excited!” Toby looked into his Mother’s eyes. He’d been so scared to tell her about Sophia, yet ever since he had she’d been nothing but lovely about it all. Ever since this all started he’d been distant from the one person who’d always loved him. Maybe he’d misjudged her, and right now he could really use a friendly ear. “But I guess, I’m nervous too.”
“You’re nervous?”
“Yeah, I’m really nervous. Terrified actually,” Toby admitted, trying to keep the tremor from his voice “I’m so scared I’m going to do something wrong, or that she’ll decide she doesn’t like me after all. I know it’s stupid because we get on so well, but I can’t stop worrying about it.”
“Oh honey, that’s alright. Everyone gets nervous before their first date, it’s completely natural,” she said reassuring “to tell you the truth, I’m actually a little scared myself.”
“What do you mean? What are you scared of?”
“Oh you know It’s just…” his Mother paused as though reluctant to go on “you’re my special boy. It would be very hard to see you putting someone else first. Mommy would find it terribly upsetting if you just forgot everything she’s done for you and cast her aside for another woman.”
Toby felt a pang of sympathy for her. Here he was worrying she was going to be a problem when really she was just scared that she was going to be abandoned. Toby loved his Mother, she had spent the best years of her life raising him and the last thing he wanted was to upset her.