Eric did his bet to hurry and be not only ready for bed but ready to say good night to Julie over Skype. In this, it made him glad that he had enjoyed computer games so much, as it allowed him to keep his own computer in his own room. His parents and brother had to share a family computer that was in his father's den on the first floor. In the past, it gave him the free time to play games and debate science and science fiction on internet forums to his heart's content.
Occasionally he did have to share the Skype connection when family friends or family called on it, but that didn't happen too often. His dad's parents were pretty low tech and didn't even have email accounts. His mother's parents were a bit better and did Skype from time to time, but was also clear to Eric that they were still learning how to use it. His mother's sister and her family called on it occasionally, but they were often running around with so many different things that they didn't have a lot of time for it. But now that he had Julie in his life, he had someone he could Skype with that wasn't going to be over a computer game or something else. It would be a personal connection that Moon Lake's newest weremer longed for every minute of the day.
He turned the computer on while he went about brushing his teeth and changing into a pair of pajamas. Once that was done, he returned to his room and checked the clock on the computer. He was just in time and he expected Julie to call him soon. He smiled and sat down to wait, though he didn't have to wait long as it came up with a message that he had an incoming call with the name Julie Stovall featured prominently. He reached for his mouse and moved it so that the arrow was over the answer button. With one click, a delightful image appeared on his screen and his speakers came to life.
"Hey, Eric!" Julie said with a smile and her eyes twinkling.
She was wearing what looked like a over-sized shirt that could work like a nightgown and had what looked like some Lord of the Rings characters on its front. Her blond hair hung down to frame her face, but it looked a bit damp, indicating that she'd recently showered and had dried off enough to have taken her towel off.
"Hello, my Jewel," Eric replied with a smile and a twinkle in his own eyes that Julie easily saw, "Doing well?"
"Quite well," Julie answered, "though missing you terribly."
"I know," Eric commented, "but we will have to wait to get married and move in together."
Julie slowly nodded. She fully understood the realities of their position. They were both fourteen and would have to wait, but as far as she could tell, things would be worth the wait in the end. The main wish that she had was that time would fly by for them until they were old enough.
"I know," Julie nodded.
"But, you know... that doesn't mean we can't hang out or have fun," Eric told her, "or have special moments."
Julie smiled at that. The "special moments" they'd already had were wonderful. The first transformed Eric in her merman and everyone after that simply cemented the love and happiness between them.
"Have you heard anything from your dad?" Eric asked after a moment.
"He had to stop somewhere in Oregon, though he's made pretty good time," Julie answered, "he should be home sometime tomorrow afternoon, depending on traffic and how early he starts."
"Will he be home by the time I walk you home?" Eric asked.
"He might, why?" Julie asked, a small but mischievous smile creeping onto her face, "don't tell me you're nervous. You've met my dad. He's not the kind to jump someone."
"He is still your dad and has the sort of dad rights to say some random boy can't be doing things with his daughter," Eric said quickly.
"Eric... my parents may have their worries, but they're both supportive of us and seeing us happy," Julie spoke, "they're weremers too. They know that what we have is true love that burns with the brightest light. In fact... they lived it before we did. We are in many ways just like my folks, except the inverse... a mermaid falls in love with a normal man rather than a merman falling for a normal woman."
Eric slowly reached out and touched the computer screen. It wasn't tactile contact with Julie, but it was the closest thing they could manage over Skype. Julie did the same.
"And my dad will be more than happy to welcome you to the family and our family's Pod," Julie said with a smile, "Because he knows how we feel and that what we have is true love. His only worry is more that we're both so young, which is understandable... but that's not going to mean he'll forbid you from seeing me."
"That's a relief," Eric commented.
"And from what my mom told me, he's quite eager to meet the new you," Julie commented, "I know mom and your folks were talking about a family get together on Wednesday, but my dad will want to meet with you before then and go through some of the more formal welcomes to weremer society."
Eric visibly gulped, which Julie did notice.
"Hey, it won't be bad, and I'll be there," Julie assured him, "you'll be welcomed and we'll be declared an official couple as far as the weremer community is concerned. He may lay some ground rules, but they aren't going to forbid us from seeing each other or anything like that... And from what my mom said to me... some of his curiosity is on your form."
"My form?" Eric asked raising an eyebrow, "but I pretty much look the same as before... though a bit more toned, like a swimmer, that sort of thing."
"The color of your scales," Julie teased him, "blue green isn't something that's super common. Dad will want to see that for himself."
Eric breathed a sigh of relief as Julie went into a bit more depth on the plan for this "welcome" was to be. It left him a bit nervous, but he put his trust in his girlfriend/fiancee.
"I may have to clear it with my folks, but I'm sure I can manage," Eric said at the end.
"That'll be great!" Julie smiled, "Love you! And don't worry. Everything will be fine."
"Love you, too, my Jewel," Eric answered, "I'll try not to."
"See you tomorrow?" Julie asked.
"Wild horses couldn't stop me," Eric answered, "I'll see you tomorrow."