Hi everyone! Here's part II of A Second Chance! This story will be partially in the 1st person, from Maria Montez' POV, and partially from the 3rd person, which is Francesco's POV. Let me know in the comments what you think and don't forget to vote if you like A Second Chance. The story still has 2 other parts left, so add it to your reading list to make sure you don't miss out on the updates! :)

--

To say that Francesco Montez despised his mother would be an understatement.

He hated the woman.

No, that wasn't even truly accurate. Francesco hated her because he loved his mother the way any child would, but he loathed her because he'd instinctively felt from very early on that she certainly didn't love him the way a mother should.

It was the repulsive way with which she kept staring at him with those insane, creepy, loving eyes, as if she'd lost all traces of sanity. Every parent should love their child of course, but the way that Maria Elisabeth Montez loved her son wasn't normal.

She adored him. Insanely, passionately. Where other kids got scolded for bad grades or reprehensible behaviour, Francesco was always adored, praised, forgiven.

It was as if he could do no wrong. He remembered his first memory of realizing and confirming this fact. He was six years old.

He'd hung out at a friend's place that day, and the two kids had begun searching games and videos up on the Internet. For the first time they'd stumbled upon a video with lots of cuss words, which of course made them chuckle. The two began throwing insults such as 'asshole' and 'dickface' at each other right and left, giggling uncontrollobably, when Kevin's mother had caught them in the act. She'd violently yanked her son's arm and slapped him, making Kevin cry as the little boy swore that he'd never say such things again.

Despite his young age, Francesco felt in the instinctive way that dogs knew who to dominate and who to obey to that his relationship with his mother wasn't quite normal. Everything he wanted he'd always get. Every gift, every movie, class, pet ... and everytime he'd cried due to injuring himself or simply to get his way, he'd get hugged, kissed and praised.

That day, the little boy walked up to his mother confidently before yanking the sleeve of her shirt. She was at her desk again, working on yet another illustration. His mother was a famous graphic designer in New York, but of course to him back then she just did pretty drawings.

"Yes, darling?" He stared at her wordlessly then. Coherent thoughts weren't really formed in his mind, except that he knew that he had a hypothesis, and he wanted to test it out. So without another word, Francesco gently brushed the beautiful, expensive vase on his mother's desk and, still without averting his eyes from her, he pushed it to the floor in one, swift movement.

Maria watched the vase break into a thousand pieces with surprise. Her son waited, breath hitched. Now was the moment of truth. Would she ..?

She laughed and shook her head before grabbing him and sitting him on her lap. He was getting big yet she still insisted on doing it. Following that she covered him in kisses.

"You're weird honey, you know that? But I love you. Mommy loves you, Francesco ..." she buried her face in his neck in a way that made the hair at the back of his neck flare up. "So much. I love you so much. I'll always forgive you."

And that's how he knew, that no matter what he did, his mother would never reprimand him.

Francesco changed after that. He began to hate his mother and gradually increase the offences to provoke her. But no matter what he did, his mother always seemed to respond with even greater love, stronger adoration and, ultimately, even more forgiveness.

And a question began trotting inside his head:

Why can't you love me the way other moms love their children?

And increasingly, that question drove him away from her.

--

What do you think is wrong with Maria? Do you think Francesco's justified in feeling uncomfortable? Let me know your theories in the comments below! :) And don't forget to vote if you like A Second Chance so far!