Incest/Taboo The Anderson Women

Author's Note: This is a fictional tale and all characters in this story engaging in any sexual activity are over the age of 18 years.

This story is a little slow. So keep that in mind if you are looking for a quick fix.
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Julie rang the bell and stood waiting for Ryan to open the door. The night breeze was cold which made her pull her jacket closer to her body. She rushed past him as soon as he opened the door for her. It was the third time this week that she had come to his house. Her visits had become frequent in the past week. Ever since she heard from Sarah that Mike was about to return home, there was a constant buzz that she felt throughout her body which was very weird for her, and the only way she could quell it... was to fuck someone. Since she had not been on a proper date for a while, Ryan was the next best thing to quench her thirst.

"Want a drink, babe?"

"Sure."

Julie took off her jacket and threw it on the couch. She was dressed in her work clothes, result of another late night at the office. Though she was working for her father, she had to go through the proper process; just like her elder sister Sarah had done before her. The both of them were being groomed to take over the family business and were briefed not to hope for any leniency.

"Late night, babe?" Ryan asked as he handed her the drink.

"Yes. I was distracted during the day and had to finish up late because of that." Julie cricked her neck as she downed the whole glass in a single gulp. Putting down the glass in the sink, she walked towards the bedroom.

Ryan was watching her every little move and felt a stir inside him because of the subtle seductive glance she gave him right before she entered his bedroom. He eagerly followed behind her.

She was lying on the bed when he entered the room. There was not a stitch of cloth on her body. Her whole body was laid bare on display. He feasted upon the sight of her svelte figure. Her proud peaks seemed most inviting, and the thin strip over her pussy only ever added to the charm. Her right hand moved towards her nipple and the other one towards the love hole. He was almost driven crazy by the amorous display so he quickly rid himself of all the clothes and attacked her with a growl.

Julie moaned in pleasure as she felt his hands all over her breasts, squeezing them, fondling them, mauling them. She pushed one of his hands towards her needy vagina and sighed in approval as he flicked her engorged clit. Ryan placed a line of kisses as he moved from her neck to her lips.

"Yes... rub it... rub my clit." Julie moaned.

She was getting hotter by the second. She leaned her head back, lifting her body, and cried out in a mix of pleasure and relief as she felt him insert his finger in her wet snatch for the first time tonight. "Ooh... give it to me... give me more." She demanded in a frantic need to reach her orgasm. Ryan obliged gaily as he pushed another one of his fingers inside her slippery slope and his other hand played with her clit.

"Just... like that."

Julie pushed his head down, inviting him, demanding him to roll out his tongue and pleasure her. Ryan was not a fan of giving head, but her energy seemed a bit different today, it seemed almost... berserk, as if she had not had sex for months which he knew for a fact wasn't true, like at all. He reluctantly, at first, started licking her lips, and flicked her clit with his tongue for equal measure.

"Yes... yes... go-" Julie whimpered, on the verge of cumming. She locked his head between her legs, lost in the pleasure as she was and wanted nothing more than to cum on his slurping tongue.

The cries and mewls coming out of her mouth spurned Ryan to go faster. His fingers were a blur as they went in and out of her dripping pussy. Her lips were red and puffed up by the increased blood flow. He twisted her clit between his fingers and that set her off.

"Gonna cum... cumming..." Julie groaned as she finally felt the tension slacken, as she felt herself rolling down the peak. The buzz inside her body had stopped and she could finally breathe easy.

But this was not enough.

Like a jaguar pouncing on its prey, she jumped up and reversed their positions. Her eyes were steely and her face focused. She rubbed his erect dick over her pussy to get it wet with her juices. With one hand holding his dick in place, she parted her lips with the other. Her pussy swallowed the member as she slowly lowered herself.

"Fuck... I needed this."

"You're on fire tonight, babe"

"Yes..." She moaned as she felt herself envelope his full length inside her pussy. She savored the feeling of being filled. 'If nothing else, his dick's nice,' she couldn't help but reflect on the impressive size of his member. She rocked her hips slowly, and ground her clit on his pubic bone.

"Babe..." Ryan loved this hellcat riding him like he was a bronco. He couldn't get enough of her. He was mesmerized by her boobs, as they were moving up and down with each sway of her hips. His cock felt snug like it was being massaged, like it was being kneaded in slippery and wet dough.

"Yes, ride me."

Julie put a hand over his mouth to shut him up. She lifted his other hand to place it on her boobs. Her nipples were erect and needed attention. She moaned in delight as he pulled at her nipple, "Yes... the other one..." She slowly fell into a trance as she rode him. Her nipples sent nice little shocks, straight from her breasts to her pussy. The frustrations of a long day at the office and the anxiety of tomorrow's 'event' were funneled away from her dripping pussy.

"Babe... I'm gonna cumm..."

"Wait for me," Julie commanded. They were both off to the races, seeking pleasure for themselves, seeking their own release. It was a pure physical act between two people who loved sex and there was no romance in it; it was just... plain fucking.

"Yes... yes... yes" Julie shouted as she was the first one to cross the race line. Her head titled back, her long hair hung down straight, falling to his knees; she looked the epitome of a woman in pleasure. But that didn't last long.

"Babe, I'm cu-"

Julie quickly got up from her position, and jerked his cock with both her hands. His dick, pointed straight towards his chest, shot a jet of cum as his whole body jerked up and down. Globs of semen painted his whole torso, as his dick slowly wilted in her hands.

"Oh Babe, that was great."

"What happened?" Ryan asked after the both of them had caught their breath.

"Hmm... just stuff, I guess." Julie said as she went into the bathroom.

"Not staying, babe?"

"Mike's coming home tomorrow; I have to be there in the morning." She shouted from inside.

"Who's that, babe?"

"He's my... like my cousin. It's been six years since he came home so everyone's excited, and I have to be there."

"Wasn't he in San Francisco or someplace?"

"Yes, he's moving back." Julie said, as she came out of the bathroom. She picked up her clothes and started dressing herself.

"Why? What happened?"

Julie glanced back in his direction, a bit peeved by all the questions, she asked, "What's with all the questions?"

"I don't know. Just interested, I guess."

Julie paused for a moment, contemplating if she should tell him the reason or not. Though he was a bit irritating, he was harmless. But more importantly she had been seeing him for these 'sessions' for a while now, and didn't want some little argument to compromise the arrangement. 'Anyway, it's not something secretive...' she justified.

"His very close friends passed away and he got the custody for Joe. So he's moving back as it would be good for Joe to be near a family."

"Oh... Joe's the name of their child," she added.

"Friends!? As in plural?" Ryan was a bit shocked by the unexpected words. He thought it was because of '...a job or something, but this turned dark...' He shook his head trying to shake away the sadness.

"Yes. It was such a tragic accident. Joe's only four years old, it's such a shame he wouldn't get to know his parents."

"I feel bad for him already."

"Well, I have to go." Julie was already out his bedroom as she said over her shoulders.

"I'll call you," she mouthed and gestured before leaving through the front door.

(Six Years Ago)

"Mike!"

Sarah banged the closed door of Mike's room. The loud party music coming from downstairs made it hard for her to hear if he had any response. She banged the door again, determined to drag him out of his room.

"What?"

A lanky youth opened the door. His dark unkempt hair, crooked tie, and the scowl on his fair, square shaped face, all pointed towards someone in not the best of moods.

"It's your graduation party. You should come down. It'll look bad if you remain cooped up in your room."

Sarah proceeded to fix his tie and straightened his coat, which was a bit oversized for his thin frame. She wanted to fix his hair as well but knew from experience that he would just mess them up again, so she took a step back and took a long look at him, to see if she could do anything more. He looked much better than a few moments ago, surprisingly, which made her hum in satisfaction.

"Why? I don't even know half of the people!"

Mike whined as he was annoyed at his father for throwing him a needless party where all the guests were old people, most of whom he had never even heard the name of. He had wanted to go out and celebrate with his friends, but as was the story of life he had to attend some event organized by his father.

"They are friends of the family, it will be fine."

"You know, he always does this..."

Mike huffed, frustrated at the antics of his father and his own inability to get out of these events. It was to be an important night for him. He had long decided to confess his feelings to Julie on the day he graduated high school, and now this "surprise" party had ruined everything. He deemed it to be his only chance and was quite nervous it. He was not very optimistic about her response but, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained,' was the motto he lived by and after he had thought long and hard about it he concluded that doing it tonight would be his safest bet. Still he reminded himself countless times over the last week not to get his hopes up.

"Where's Julie?"

"Hmmm... maybe with Jason."

Sarah's interest was piqued by the fidgety demeanor of Mike. She guessed that he was probably going to tell Julie. Though she didn't believe it was the right thing to do, she didn't dissuade him. She was sure it would only make things awkward between them and nothing more would come out of it, nevertheless, she silently cheered him on.

"Come down... soon." Sarah kissed his forehead and went downstairs to rejoin the party.

Mike peeked downstairs behind her retreating back. A slow song was playing, to which many of the elderly couple had taken to the dance floor. He still couldn't believe his father would pull this shit on his graduation day. For as long as he could remember, there was always only the one explanation for why he had to attend these kinds of parties, "It's all about the connections and events like this helps you make connections with the right people in the business," his father would say to him. He never quite understood the point of making connections from such an early age, but he didn't want to "rebel" against his father.

He heard the music being changed to a more upbeat one, and decided that the time was about right to join the party. He adjusted his look in the mirror, satisfied, he rushed downstairs. There were a few congratulatory greetings as he moved towards the mini bar, but he was relieved that nobody had engaged him in a long chat. Pouring himself a glass of coke, he surveyed the crowd. Though he was allowed a glass of wine and a couple bottles of beer occasionally, he opted against it tonight, too fearful that he would make a fool of himself if he was under the influence. As he looked around to see if he could spot Julie anywhere, his eyes rested upon his father and step-mother.

Mike thought they made quite a good looking couple. His father was a tall man, and though he had let himself go a little during the last couple years, he looked pretty good for his age. With a head full of hair, trimmed beard and dressed in a tux, he was not at all out of place dancing with his wife, Vanessa. A smile came upon Mike's face as he gazed at her. He was always complimentary of her dressing sense, and today too she looked impeccable. Her long, blonde hair was fashioned in a tight bun. The black gown was a snug fit on her voluptuous body, and her heels made her nearly the same height as his father. The faint red lipstick and a hint of blush on her fair cheeks only added to her already charming appearance.

During his freshman year, a "friend" of his had made a comment about his mother being a MILF and got decked to the ground as a result. After that incident, nobody ever said anything like that to him ever again, at least to his face. Mike laughed at the memory, for all his nagging and whining about the suffocating ways of his family, he still loved them very much and couldn't bear anyone disrespecting them.

A sudden loud laugh broke his reverie. His uncle John was telling some story and a few of his friends were guffawing along with him. If it was any other day, Mike would have flocked to his side in a flash, he loved the stories his uncle would tell, but not tonight. Tonight he had more important business. He had spotted Julie walking towards him, an empty glass in her hands. He smiled at his decision to camp out near the mini bar.

"Hey!" he was having a hard time keeping his nervous in check.

Julie gave him a smile and a hug. "Enjoying your party!?" she teased.

"Gimme a break," Mike rolled his eyes. He watched on as she poured herself another glass of wine, feeling conflicted about her inebriation. On one hand it may mellow her response if she was drunk, on the other hand things could really get out of hand if she started making a scene; or worse, laughed out loud at him.

"Where's Jason?" Mike asked with a clear distaste in his voice.

"Tch," Julie clicked her tongue at the mention of her now ex-boyfriend. "Dead," she said after a brief pause.

"What? He's dead!?"

Julie choked on her drink as she saw the over the top reaction of Mike. "Not literally. He's just out of the picture." She said in between her bouts of laugh.

"Oh!" Mike sure didn't like the guy, but he wouldn't wish death on him.

"What happened?"

"He was too immature for me," Julie stated as a matter of fact. "I swear, all these frat boys are bunch of moronic dicks, I don't know why I even bother with them."

"Yeah," Mike nodded in approval. He was never a fan of all the boys she dated, which was understandable as he had a huge crush on her, but he absolutely despised when she dated any member of the "frat community". Suddenly he felt a lot better about tonight, like a big threat had been removed from his way.

"You know what," Julie turned to face him, "I've had it with these brainless idiots. From now on I would only date mature guys." Mike grew pale, his confidence from moments ago faded, and he grew paler still as she continued, "Guys with stable lifestyle and job, and not some "kid" who has yet to grow out his beard."

Mike felt crushed; it was like a ten ton hammer dropped on top of his head. All the air of courage left his lungs in a flash. All his dreams, however unrealistic and far-fetched, shattered in an instant. He had repeatedly told himself not to get his hopes up; that it would be impossible between them, not in a million years did he have a chance with her; but there was always a hope, however small; all his youthful optimism turned to stone. He was like a zombie as he listened to her go on and on over all the immature things her boyfriends had done. Every time she said the words 'mature' and 'immature', he felt a dagger being stabbed in his heart. Julie was so focused on venting her pent up feelings that she never noticed when he left her side.

Mike went out of the house, the whole atmosphere felt suffocating to him. He walked past Sarah, and it didn't even register in his eyes when she waved at him. His heart was crushed and he just wanted to be somewhere, anywhere, other than his party. Sarah, who had been keeping a close eye on Mike, knew that something had gone wrong when he didn't respond to her. She quickly followed him out to the back garden, where he was sitting alone, tears running down his face. She knew then, the worst had come to pass. She pulled a chair beside him, and took his arms in hers, slowly running her fingers over his palms.

It was long while before a word was spoken between them. It was Mike who opened his mouth first, "I couldn't say it," He said, finally able to calm down after the overwhelming waves of hopelessness and sadness washed him ashore.

"She dumped Jason. Said he wasn't mature enough for her," he stared at Sarah to let her know the reason of why he so "gracefully" withdrew before he could make a fool of himself. "It's not like I expected anything from it," he continued as he wiped the tears with the front of his sleeves, "I mean, I just wanted to say it once and get it over with, it might not have been the right thing to do, but I just wanted to get it out of the way."

Sarah wiped the tears from his face. She could feel the anguish and hurt from his voice, but she was thankful that nothing irreparable happened and that he didn't actually say anything to her. If Julie had rejected him after his confession, she wouldn't know how to act in front of them, 'And it would've turned weird... What do you even do when your cousin is in love with your sister!?'

She asked herself the same question umpteenth time. As close as their families were, sharing the same business, living in opposite houses, it was not a surprise the three of them were very close. But even then, Mike was especially close to Julie, and she was fine with it. Being three years older than Julie, who herself was two years elder to Mike; she always viewed herself as the voice of reason in all of the chaos that ensued. She couldn't say she didn't have a clue about it because it was obvious to her that Mike was in love with Julie, but she chose not to intervene. When she realized that Mike may not simply grow out of them, she grew worried of the implications, but she chose not to intervene. This evening, she was sure he would confess to Julie, but she chose not to intervene. She never intervened. She was fearful of any repercussions it may cause, so she decided to feign ignorance till he actually did something about it. Now, she felt sad with him and for him, but also felt relieved for herself and their two families.

"What do you even like about her? Can't be her "winning" personality?" She joked in an effort to lighten the mood.

Mike was dumbfounded. He had never actually told anyone that he liked Julie, and to be faced with this question now, he was speechless. He found it quite hard to understand why Sarah had waited this long. Though she always feigned ignorance on the subject, he was positive that she knew, with her intelligence it would be more of a surprise if she didn't. He was more surprised that Julie never realized it. '...or maybe she did, and maybe that was her way of indirectly telling me to back off.'

As he felt a little tap on his thigh, Mike turn to look Sarah in the eyes, "What I like about her?" he smiled fondly as he turned his eyes away, "I like everything about her." He leaned back in his chair, with his arms folded behind his head, he continued, "I obviously like how hot she looks, but there's more than that... I like how she never downs her tools; how intense she gets even for trivial things; how fiercely defensive she is of her friends; how she always gives me the juiciest part of her steak; how she sucks the tip of her thumb when she gets nervous..." The smile on his face deepened. Almost unaware of his surroundings he continued, "...when she is concentrating on something, the way she plays with her bangs; her long hair; her little nose; her blue eyes; her red lips; her thin waist; her long legs; her perky bo-"

Mike stopped his rambling mid sentence. He realized he had been talking non-stop, singing praises of Julie, and that made him feel a little embarrassed for his love struck self.

Sarah was surprised by the depth of his feelings. 'It's more than just some crush...'

"Since we look the same, do you also fancy me?"

Sarah couldn't believe that she asked him that. 'Whoa... where did that come from?' It was just a thought that came to her mind but before she could stop herself she had already voiced it out loud, but now that the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to know how he would respond.

Mike was dumbfounded for the second time. He was taken aback by this sudden "enquiry". He couldn't fathom a reason that would make her ask something like that. Too scared to think about the reasons behind them, he barely mumbled in his panic and unease, "I-I don't...I mean it's different."

"Relax. I was kidding." Sarah smiled; inwardly she was a bit miffed. When she saw how relieved he looked as if he had just dodged a life sentence, she felt a further pang of jealousy. It wasn't that she wanted to compete with Julie for his affection but she didn't feel as removed as she had thought herself to be. She was feeling a lot of conflicting things at the same time.

Suddenly there was an awkward silence between them. Both of them felt uncomfortable after that horrible attempt at humor.

"I'm gonna go away."

"Huh... what?"

"I got in at Stanford."

"Hey! Why didn't you tell me?"

Sarah slapped his back. She guessed that there was a good chance it would happen but when he didn't say anything about it later, she thought that it didn't. Keeping with her conflicting mood at the moment, she felt very pleased for him, but at the same time a little dejected that he didn't tell her sooner.

Mike sighed, "Cause... I don't think mom and dad would want me to go so far."

"Hmmm." Sarah also realized that was the case. Her aunt definitely wouldn't want her "baby" to go far from her, and his father was a whole different game. George had already decided that Mike would take over when he retired, much the same as her parents had decided for her.

"It would be good. I would be away from all the craziness and interference."

'He's running away...' Sarah thought.

Mike saw the sorry look on Sarah's face, "You don't have to look at me like that..." he chuckled, "... It's not about that." He paused and let out a long sigh before he continued, "Anyway, I have to move on. And after tonight, talking to you like this, I suddenly feel... I suddenly feel alleviated, you know. Like, I was trapped somehow and now the shackles are off."

Mike stood up after he finished his words. There was a smile on his face and for the first time that night Sarah felt that it was a genuine one.

Julie composed herself before she entered the Sutton household. It had been some time since she last visited. Growing up across the street it was the place she used to spend most of her time with Sarah and Mike, but ever since Mike left the visits turned few and far between.

She once again checked her watch which showed it was ten o'clock. She was late, and she knew that her mother won't be too glad about it.

'I'm only two hours late, it shouldn't make much difference.'

She walked in with an air of confidence even though her heart was up to her mouth. Typically she was a fearless woman, a woman who intimidated others with just a single glance of hers, except when she was with her mother. Her mother was her kryptonite. No matter how much she tried to pretend otherwise or put on a face of false bravado, she was terrified of her mother and her judging eyes. She could only hope that her mother was in a pleasant mood seeing as her darling Mike had just returned. A little scared, she followed the sounds of laughter to the back garden.

The first thing she saw as she silently trod across the grass was the figure of her father, John, discussing something with Uncle George. To the side of them was her mother, Deborah, who was stiffly sitting next to Vanessa. Sarah was sat opposite to them, with a little kid on her lap.

'So, that's Joe, huh!'

She had seen his stills before but hadn't met him in person till now. She was a little excited and nervous at the same time. Now that he was going to be living here, she was sure he would be a big part of their life. Frankly, she could tell Joe was feeling overwhelmed by all the attention. She thought it was quite brave of him that he wasn't already crying or screaming over top of his lungs.

Finally she turned to look at Mike. She had already spotted him from the corner of her eyes when she first entered; it was hard not to, given his impressive frame and the fact that he was the only one who was currently not engaged otherwise. He looked fantastic in her opinion.

'His snaps don't do him justice,' she thought. She had not seen him since he went away, and only ever looked at his photos and videos but he looked much better than he ever looked in any of those.

'But there's also...' she felt strange as she stared at him a little longer, there was an air of tranquility around him which seemed quite unfamiliar to her. The last time they had met, he was a clueless teenager, his eyes shielded with rose tinted glasses. But now, 'it looks like he has been through some serious shit.'

Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes met his. There was a smile on his face, welcoming her presence, almost inviting her forward. She shied away from his gaze and took off running; she then almost crashed into him when he opened his arms to hug her. His arms felt good. The hug felt good; it gave her a sense of serenity, of protection, of bliss.

'That's odd... I never felt like this before...' she reflected on her actions, '... Why did I shy away from his eyes? Why am I hugging him for so long...' and was a little surprised by them. She separated from him with a jerk but when she saw the puzzled and slightly hurt look on his face all her misgivings were forgotten.

"I missed you," she said in a low voice.

"I know."

Julie's eyes widened as she realized that he just quoted freaking Han Solo to her. Further irritation crept in as she watched him smirking at her. The sounds of laughter behind her further fanned her flames, "Ooh... you smug little shi-"

"You're late."

Julie had raised her hand, ready to rain down on Mike but almost stumbled on her feet when she heard Deborah's voice.

"I- I... was... I'm sorry."

"Haha... it's fine, it's fine. She's not that late." John acted as the peacemaker before his wife could further admonish their daughter for her tardiness. It was like just any other day for John Anderson, placating his wife and keeping his daughter from running away in fear of her mother, these were now a thing of habit for him.

Deborah glared at Julie but kept quiet. She was the disciplinarian in the family and she never let anyone forget that. In a pleasant mood today, as Mike had returned home and seeing as it was the first day Joe had come to their family, she didn't think it was necessary to straighten the ways of her wayward daughter, if it meant Joe getting scared.

Seeing that there would be no more barbs coming her way, Julie felt relieved that her mother was in a good mood for once. It was always a bother if she had to deal with her mother. Elatedly she moved towards Sarah and greeted Joe, "Hi, Joe. I'm Julie."

Joe watched the woman in front of him with some curiosity but turned his head into Sarah's bosom after a few moments. This made Julie smile at his shyness so she tried again, this time much more patient and sweeter but the result was the same. By the end of it, Joe was clutching at Sarah like his life depended on it, scared by the strange women and her antics.

Julie blushed in embarrassment when her repeated efforts to get Joe to talk to her all ended in failure. The whole family was snickering at the scene. She turned to Mike who just shrugged his shoulders. "He's a shy kid, isn't he?" she said while getting up, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Yeah... that must be it." John quipped.

Mike felt a little bad for Julie. He went up to Joe, and pointing towards Julie he introduced her, "Joe this is Julie, she is like an aunt to you. Say, Hello."

"... Hello," Joe greeted her in a small voice.

"Hello Joe, it's nice to meet you."

Julie sat on the empty bench and pulled Mike beside her. But before she could even open her mouth, George asked Mike the one question which had been bothering her ever since she heard from Sarah that Mike was coming back home.

"Is this permanent?"

"Yes," Mike sighed as he answered. It was always the same thing with his father. He never quite understood why his father got so mad that he went away. He always maintained that he would return home and said the same to him once more, "It was always a temporary thing, I was eventually gonna come back anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Oh, stop it. It doesn't matter anymore, he's back and he's staying." Vanessa told off her husband. She was different from her husband and firmly believed that Mike would return home eventually. She didn't want another argument between the father and son to ruin the mood.

She had been on top of the world since the morning; her "baby" was finally back, what could be more important than that. Mike was priority one in her life and she missed those days, when she took care of him. Ever since he left for San Francisco, there was a lot of free time in her hands which was unusual for her and frankly she felt it troublesome. Nowadays she kept herself busy with all the different charities she volunteered for, but it was not the same. All the different parties and fundraisers which had started as ways to get out of the house and had eventually become a major part of her identity and who she was as a person, seemed hollow when Mike was not there to enjoy it with her.

She always thought of herself as a mother first and foremost, even before she thought of herself as a wife. Even the fact that she married George was mostly due to Mike. Stepmother, seemed such an ugly word to her and she made sure that Mike never thought of her as such. Though everyone knew that she wasn't his real mother, it didn't stop her from loving him any less. In fact, she went as far as to not have any children of her own so that Mike may not feel alienated by his new mother. So it came as a bit of a shock when Mike wanted to get away from her. It took her some time to adjust to the new reality.

Now she was a major figurehead in the city, respected and adored, but she still missed those days. The mundane days of being a stay at home mother; the lazy Saturday afternoons spent with her son, chatting about anything and everything, were one of her most cherished memories. And she was very much looking forward to spend more time with him, to bond with him again, to know about his "adventures" out west, even if it would be harder now with the added responsibility of Joe. But it would all have to wait. Right now she could sense that George was looking for an opportunity, waiting for the perfect time so that he could get Mike to commit to the family business. So she made it easy for him and took herself out of the equation.

"Come here Joe... let's get you something to eat." Vanessa said standing up and glaring at her husband, warning him to ease up. George raised his hand in submission, making the whole family laugh.

Julie watched as Joe happily jumped off of Sarah's lap, and trotted away while holding Vanessa's finger in his little hand. She turned to Mike, bemused. Mike just shrugged his shoulders again, "How do I know what a 4 year old child is thinking?"

She was getting a bit pissed off by this discrimination, 'What's wrong? Why am I the only one he is scared of?' she then glanced at her mother, who was sat quietly and listening to Sarah. 'I bet he is worse with her,' she smirked in her mind.

George looked behind him and as soon as Vanessa was out of earshot he turned to Mike, "So, what are your plans?"

"Plans?"

"I think it's time you join the business." George declared.

Mike looked at his dad bemused. "I don't have an-"

"You have the qualifications for it. Don't tell me you cheated your way to graduation!"

"Of course not, but its diff-"

"You are smart, it won't be a problem. Hmmm... It's decided then." There was a sense of finality in George's voice.

"I don't get it. Why do I have to do the same thing as you? It's not like you absolutely need me there..." Mike was irritated at his father for being so stubborn. He had a hard time understanding why George was so hell bent on it. He was very much aware and proud that his father and uncle had built such a large business all by themselves, 'but what's the fun about poultry and corn business,' he thought to himself. Though theirs was a multifaceted brand which catered all the various kind of food ingredients, they had made their name by selling corn and chicken. And it was just one of the facts that he didn't like about their family business, and why he was so reluctant in joining it.

John sensing that the tensions were high between the father and son, "George, let me..." took over for his brother-in-law and addressed Mike, "...Mike, listen to us, all this is for you..." he adjusted his tone and said with a greater intensity.

"...For you, Julie and Sarah. Do you even know how hard it is out there? Can you imagine what it takes to actually own something in this era!?" He further paused for effect, and continued in a much sweeter voice, "Just give it a shot. Who knows, you may actually like it! And you're not the same as before right? You have Joe to think about," tempting him, "There are more benefits to working with your family than you can ever imagine," he concluded with a profound smile on his face.

"Huh, I guess it doesn't hurt to give it a try..."

Mike's tone was reluctant and he was only persuaded when his uncle mentioned Joe. 'Well he's right. There are benefits...' and this was the best option for Joe. The whole point of why he moved back was to get help from his family. After a few months of balancing act between his job and taking care of Joe, it was clear to him that if he wanted to do the best for Joe, he would have to make sacrifices on his end thus he decided to swallow his pride and go back home. And he could tell that he would not be left alone until he agreed with his father.

"Great!" Sarah cheered.

"All it takes is a kid, huh!?" John cracked up which made Mike scoff at his uncle.

"You would start under Sarah, and then we'll see..." George said with a huge smile plastered on his face.

'So, that's why...' He understood the excited cheer from Sarah. She smiled at him, and he could detect a tiny twinkle at the corner of her eyes, 'What did I get myself into...' he thought as he nervously scratched his nose. It was then.

"Why is everyone smiling?"

Vanessa strode towards them, carrying snacks in her hands. She placed them on the table and turned towards her husband, "You didn't force him, did you?"

"No Mom, he didn't."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Mike? You can do something else if you want." Vanessa lovingly gazed at Mike. She also wanted him to join the family business, but if it meant that he would be miserable then she would rather he didn't do it. When Mike had left for Stanford, she felt guilty and responsible for driving him away. There were a lot of 'what ifs...' that she would imagine and they only increased her guilt. She thought that the onus was on them as his parents to steer him clear of any potential pitfalls, but if she had to redo the whole thing she would support him more and try not to manage every little future decision in his life.

"Yes Mom, I'm sure." Mike kissed Vanessa on her cheek, and spun her around in his arms.

"Ho!" Vanessa swatted him away, giggling in glee of his decision.

"Are you satisfied now? He agreed on his own. I'm not always the bad guy." George huffed in a fake angry tone, prompting the whole family to laugh.

"Alright, alright, it was my fault to ever doubt your noble self," Vanessa apologized in an overt manner and then continued, "Joe was feeling sleepy, so he's now sleeping in our room."

"He doesn't have his own room?" Julie asked, bemused.

"They only just got here... You would know if you weren't late in the morning and helped your cousin move in."

Julie started at her mother's sudden rebuke, and then pleaded her father with a hurt expression in her eyes.

"Well anyway... Won't he need his own room?" John diffused the situation before it could get out of hand.

Mike was still snickering at Julie when he got tossed that question his way. He thought about it some and then finally said, "I suppose."

"Suppose? What does that mean?"

"Hmmm... it means... sometimes he misses them and feels down. He doesn't quite understand all the things but he is smart enough." Mike further explained, "I check up with him daily and if he's feeling okay he sleeps on his own."

"Before... How did he...?" Vanessa's voice got lower and lower.

She still had difficulty in mentioning the death of Phil and Robin in front of Mike, too afraid to reopen any old wounds. It had not even been six months since the tragic accident, and she could tell it still affected Mike. It was surprising for her that he bounced back on his feet so quickly. Those three were the best of friends and losing two of them must have been incredibly harsh, not to mention that he was taking care of Joe at the same time. When she heard the news from his mouth, his voice was shaking and it seemed like he had been crying for a good long while. She flew to him on the next available flight.

The week after that was almost a blur, during that time Joe was with her constantly, while Mike took care of everything else. It did not come as much surprise to her when Mike received custody of Joe. With the respective situations of their families, it was for the best that their will did not leave any room for disputes. As Sarah had also come to stay with Mike, and George was getting a little antsy, Mike persuaded her to return; so she stayed with him for one more week before she returned home. She avoided the topic ever since.

"You can say it Mom..." Mike reassured his mother. "Hmmm... Before that... Joe had his own room and was comfortable sleeping alone at night," he continued, "It's different now that he's in a new place and all that."

"Oh..." Everybody collective sighed.

"Well we can first see how he adjusts here, before making any big changes..." George suggested.

Mike nodded, agreeing with his father for once. He had no doubts that Joe will adjust very quickly but it was still better to be a little more accommodating.

Julie, who was listening to her family discussing all the different things for Joe, found it hard to suggest any good ideas or even follow their conversation. And the more she watched them the more impressed she got with Mike, "He's really grown up, hasn't he? And not just..." she whispered to Sarah.

Sarah nodded, her breasts puffed with pride.

The discussion about their living arrangements continued on but Julie was disconnected from it. She was lost in thought as she watched her sister and then her cousin, suddenly she felt a little small. 'Compared to them, I'm...' she only returned to herself by the sound of Deborah's voice.

"Do you have a date for the party?"

'Party!?... Shit!' Julie bit her tongue, aghast. 'How could I forget?'
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