Jumping back a bit...
Nate and William were just about finished with their “talk” by the time Eric and Evan finished theirs. Nate was left reeling a bit, having been caught up on two and a half days of insanity. It took him a few minutes to form a sentence.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go away for the weekend in the future.” he finally managed.
“Ya, well I doubt things will be like this all the time. The guy’s been caught, and Eric seems to have moved on.”
“How was Eric earlier?” Nate asked.
“As someone in his position would be I imagine. Angry, bitter, but he never showed it around us. I think that night he and Spencer talked things through.” William said.
“That’s good. But I’d like to Julie a piece of my mind though.” Nate said, a tad angry himself.
“It’s not our position to say anything, but I would have to agree with you on that. I’m glad Eric’s moved on, because I for one can’t trust the girl anymore.”
“And you’re okay with Eric and Spencer?” Nate asked. They didn’t know much about her, other than that she certainly was special in more ways than one.
“The two certainly seem to have more in common. And the way Eric talks about her, I think he really cares about her. It’s not just lovesickness like with Julie.” William said. Eric would follow Julie around like a dog on a leash. And while, to an extent, he followed Spencer around, she didn’t keep him on a leash.
“Do you think he’ll make the change?”
“Without a doubt, sometime in the future Eric will. He was going to when he was with Julie. The only thing that’s changed about that is the kind of were Eric wants to be.”
“I’d think a werewolf or one of the big cats.” Nate said.
“True, although Eric said he wasn’t really considering werewolf since that, ‘your thing’.”
“Well that’s a stupid reason.” Nate almost laughed.
“I’ll have to set him straight on that. I couldn’t careless if Eric wanted to be a werewolf, werepanther, or even a wereskunk,” Nate thought.
“Eric’s relationships aside, what about you? How was your weekend?” William asked, very eager to hear how his older son’s days away were.
“Great. A few surprises but great.” Nate said.
“Are we going to get to meet the lucky lady anytime soon?” William pressed. From the expression on Nate’s face, it was clear things might be taking a serious turn. Which was a first for Nate, who’d never had any long term relationships before hand.
“Uh, maybe.I may have invited her to Thanksgiving, and she may have agreed. Of course if you’d rather not…”
“I’m sure your mother would be more than happy to hear you’re planning on bringing her. What’s her name?”
“Kenya.” Nate said, his voice barely a whisper. William raised a brow and brought Nate’s head up so that he could look his son in the eyes.
“What’s going on Nate?” he asked. Nate kept silent for a long while. Again, he found himself struggling to come up with a sentence to explain what he was feeling. This would be the first time Nate brought anyone home to meet his folks. He wasn’t sure how they’d react when they found out she was almost twice his age. Or, God forbid, they found out what she used to do for a job.
“I’m… just a little nervous about bringing her over. She’s… probably not what you’re expecting.” he admitted.
“How so?” William asked.
“Uh… well she’s older.”
“Older? Alright, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. How did you two meet, you never said.”
“In the woods, when I went out for a walk a few nights ago.”
“And I take it things are moving along pretty fast?”
“I’ll say.” Nate said. He’d known Kenya less than a week, and had only learned her name last night. And yet, he’d accepted her past, and then her marriage proposal. Fast was an understatement.
“Do you think this will last? Do you have feelings for her outside of the bedroom?” William was careful how he worded his sentence.
“I think so. I really do like her, and want to keep seeing her. It’s just… there are a few complications. And truth be told I’m a little scared.” Nate said.
“Of what?”
“That I’m making a mistake jumping into this head on. I, uh, made a pretty serious commitment, and I don’t know if I should have waited. She says she wants to be in this for the long run. But, I don’t know, maybe after hearing what happened to Julie and Eric…” Nate trailed off.
At one point Eric thought he’d spend forever with Julie. He’d planned on becoming a were merman for her, and living happily ever after with her. But then things changed, and now it appeared Eric wanted to spend the rest of his life with Spencer Lawson instead. What if the same thing happened to him and Kenya?
He was still young, what if someone else came along who made him feel something more than what he felt for Kenya. Nate wasn’t entirely sure what he felt about Kenya, other than that he wanted to keep seeing her and worried that if he’d said no to her proposal she would have left him.
“Look, Nate, there’s no telling what the future will hold. And if you want to slow things down you have every right to. Talk to Kenya, tell her what’s on your mind. If she really does love you she’ll understand.” Williams said.
“You think?”
“Son, you can’t be in a one sided relationship. If you can’t find some common ground, you won’t have much of a relationship.” William said firmly.
“Alright, thanks Dad.” Nate said. The two shared a tight hug, just as Martha and Eric returned. They both noticed the wide grin on Eric’s face, and the slight bounce in his step. They looked at Martha, and all she could offer for an explanation was a sigh.
“He’s been like that all night. We’d better get used to it.” she said. Martha sat down on the couch to explain what transpired at the hospital, and then to find out what William and Nate talked about. Eric meanwhile, skipped up the stairs to his room, happier than he had been in a long while.