{{AUTHOR'S NOTE: Past sex is happily recalled in this episode, but none actually happens in the present.—tmw.}}
Melissa Stovall called her daughter down for supper as she set the kitchen table. Since her husband Martin was still somewhere between Oregon after leaving his mother's house in California and trying to make it back home, she didn't see the point in using the dining room suite.
Julie came down and smiled at her mother before grabbing the glasses and pouring milk for two, but Melissa could tell something was a bit off.
"You miss him," she realized.
"Does it show that badly?" Julie asked in return, while staring at her mother.
"Like the early days when I first started realizing just how big a part of my life your father was becoming, let alone how much I miss him at the moment, being so far apart from him," replied Melissa, urging her daughter to sit down next to her as she served the leftovers, since she saw no point in cooking something new until Martin came home tomorrow. "You love Eric Anderson very much, don't you?"
"With all my heart and soul, but the pain of separation, even though I know it's only temporary..."
"I know dear," replied her mother, reaching out to hold Julie. "Like me and your father, you found your soul mate in Eric. That is something very special to hold on to, no matter what. You want to continue relishing in the connection like you have over the weekend, but other things get in the way."
"It's like I know Eric's close by, because he's in my heart, but so far away as well, despite just being a couple of blocks away at his house."
"I know the feeling. My heart grows stronger with every mile your father draws closer to me once more." Then Melissa looked at her daughter, thinking things over before saying, "You know, I shouldn't be telling you this, and if in any way it ever gets back to your father I'll deny saying it until I draw my last breath, but..."
"But what?" asked Julie, staring at the older woman.
"That first night of our honeymoon was truly magical," began Melissa, recalling the happy memories. "Until then, we hadn't done more than kiss and hold hands, since I was still a normal at the time. Back then we were only renting the cabin on the shores of Moon Lake we own now, but we waited until after dark before your father led me out to the shore line, as naked as the day we both were born."
"I bet it was beautiful under the stars," observed Julie.
"Beyond any romantic fantasy you could ever imagine," confirmed Melissa. "Anyway, while I wasn't a virgin, I felt like one as your father made love to me for the first time. He was so kind and gentle, but skipping to the end, after we truly consummated our relationship and I felt myself starting to undergo my first transformation into the were-mermaid I am today, your father took my hand and led me into the lake."
"And then?" prompted her daughter.
"The newest were-mer couple of Moon Lake didn't resurface until late the next afternoon, because your father didn't have me take my first were-mermaid birth control pill until we were getting ready to leave the chapel for the drive to the lake after the wedding reception."
"That sounds a lot like Eric and me, only in reverse since he was the normal. It was a truly magically romantic moment as we lovingly gave each other our virginity before he became a were-merman," said Julie. "He was so kind and gentle. Even willing to wait if necessary because he didn't want to hurt me. But the moment was true and special for both of us."
"You do realize how major a commitment Eric has already made to you, and I'm not talking about just that single pearl necklace around your neck," said Melissa, indicating the were-mers' idea of an engagement ring.
"Yes, I do," confirmed her daughter, "and I intend to make sure Eric never has any reason to look back and wonder what might have been or doubt his decision to join were society, let alone as my loving were-merman."
"Your father and I still have some reservations about this situation, but those only stem from the fact you're both only 14. We have no doubts about the emotional love the two of you have for each other."
"I know. But like I told you about our shared prophecy dreams or whatever you want to call them, Eric and I don't get married until the summer between high school graduation and starting college, and we don't have our first child until a few years after we've both graduated college and have established ourselves professionally."
"Until that dream I had about endangering your existence if I turned down your father's next marriage proposal, I never put much stock in those so called prophecy dreams some weres claim to have," admitted Melissa.
"But now?" wondered Julie.
"I hope all your dreams come true darling," she replied, before hugging her daughter again.