Mayor Martin Stovall did not come home until almost one am that Monday morning. While his wife Melissa waited up for him and word of how things went, for once she was not mad at her husband or even suspicious of his activities. Although he had been unfaithful more times than she knew about or cared to recall, one thing he did take seriously was his duties to Moon Lake as its mayor.
As he walked in the back door from the garage, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek (which totally surprised him) and led him to the kitchen table. After fixing a light snack, for she knew how he always skipped eating when in crisis mode, Melissa asked him how it went.
"Jeremy Bower's in custody, although he and the Lawson girl are both pretty banged up. More from fighting each other than anything else. As long as the FBI and whoever else is involved buys our cover story when they interview both and take Bower into custody tomorrow, they should be out of town by Tuesday at the latest. Then hopefully everything will get back to what passes for normal around here," said Martin. He left out the part about Eric Anderson trying to help but getting lost in the woods instead, because he knew Julie and Eric were no longer together and he didn't want to upset his daughter.
"Listen, about early," began Melissa, looking closely at her husband. "I am still very upset about a lot of things around here, but I really was just going to the grocery store today. You'll know when and if I leave you," she warned.
"I know, and I can't blame you," replied Martin. "I want to change. I have to change if I want you to stay, and I really do want that. I just don't know if I can change," he confessed.
"Well, Julie's only a freshman, so there's still time. If I do leave, it will be after her high school graduation, but what did change between us?" wondered Melissa.
"I had a lot of time to think about that when I wasn't worried about current events, and the answer is me," admitted Martin. "I was out and about so much on town business. The long hours and all the trips across the state and around the country, that opportunities started arising. At first I was completely faithful. But over time, especially those early years while we were taking care of Julie and you weren't interested in anything sexual..."
"I see," said Melissa in a neutral tone of voice, staring at him.
"The very first time... I won't tell you who, when or where, but I was away on business and it was with another were-mermaid who reminded me a lot of you. After that, I kept trying to fight the urge, but over time it just started getting easier and easier to actually have those kinds of encounters than avoid them."
"Well, admitting you have a problem is the first step in trying to solve it. We can discuss this in greater detail, and how to address it, when things are more quiet. What time do you have to be back at work?" asked his wife.
"By eight," he replied.
"Then maybe you should go upstairs and take a nap."
Martin Stovall hoped something might develop between them that night, but his wife slept on the living room couch instead.
THE NEXT MORNING...
Melissa Stovall saw her husband off to work, and then took her daughter Julie to school. After her antics over the weekend that resulted in Eric Anderson dumping her and being grounded for sneaking out of the house and other offenses, her mother reminded Julie that she would be there promptly when school let out for the day, and Julie still needed to apologize to Eric when she could do so privately.
At least I don't have to do so publicly. That will save me some embarrassment, thought the young were-mermaid, glad for at least one break in her serious suspension of privileges.
As her mother's car pulled into the school parking lot, Julie noticed a couple of her friends waiting for her.
Melissa Stovall parked at the curb to let Julie out, as her friends approached and said, "Hey Julie. Did you hear the news?"
"What news?" was her only reply, since she currently had no phone or computer rights.
"Spencer Lawson got chased by some madman and Eric Anderson went to her rescue," said one girl.
"That's not how I heard it. I heard they were out on a date when they were attacked and both of them subdued the jerk," said another girl.
"Well, whatever the story is, I thought Eric was your guy?" asked a third girl. "You're always telling us you had him on a string. What gives?"
"I'll tell you," said Melissa Stovall, who was now standing outside of her idling car. "I don't know anything about Eric and this Spencer Lawson, but Eric caught my daughter cheating on him with a were-otter and broke up with her."
"MOTHER!" screamed Julie, her face starting to turn various shades of red.
"Were-otter? You mean Brian Walker?" asked the first girl, to which the other girls said "EEEEWWWW. You slept with him?"
"If that's his name, then yes. Julie's never to see him ever again, and she's grounded until at least the end of January," replied Melissa.
"I thought it was just until the end of the year!" angrily replied her daughter.
"THAT was before I found out about the string comment," said Melissa sternly.
"MOTHER!" screamed Julie again, now to the point of tears.
"That first part might be difficult. Julie and Brian have history together," said one of her friends.
"Well, if Julie knows what's good for her..." said the mother, staring directly at her daughter.
"HOW COULD YOU!" screamed Julie.
"ME? You made this mess. Now you have to live with the consequences. I'll be back in time to pick you up after school. DON'T be late!" warned Melissa Stovall, as she got back into her car.
As she drove off, Melissa could see in her rear view mirror Julie running off into the school, her friends trailing after her with a ton of questions and comments.
Despite the pain it was causing her daughter, there was a smile on Melissa's face as she went to work.