"So, mom already knows this," began Julie Stovall, talking to her father at the dinner table, "but to spare you some of the more... intimate moments dad, there Eric and I were in the pool, when he suddenly rushes out. I was flabbergasted because he left without a word, but I was even more shocked when he came back with this," she added, holding up the single pearl necklace Julie now wore proudly around her neck.
Martin Stovall just simply nodded his head. He and his wife Melissa, along with their daughter Julie and Eric Anderson, her fiance and the newest were-merman of Moon Lake, were sitting around the table eating, each couple paired together on opposite sides.
Everyone was completely dried off from their afternoon in the Stovall family's fresh water swimming pool, in their regular human forms and fully dressed.
Yet Martin and Melissa couldn't help noticing that every chance they got, the younger couple were holding hands when not looking happily at each other.
"Can you tell him the part about our middle names, or is that a mer secret?" wondered Eric, between staring at his beloved and bites of fresh tuna casserole.
"Well, it was just like you and mom said about your courtship. Somehow Eric instantly knew mine, even though I had never told him it before in my life. Yet when I tried to say his, for a moment I panicked because I thought I didn't know Eric's."
"Really? Why is that honey?" asked her mother.
"Because when I was born, my parents could never agree on what my middle name should be, so technically I have two," revealed Eric, thinking about how his birth certificate said ROBERT(S), between Eric Roberts the actor and Robert B. Parker, his father's favorite author.
"Oh," said Melissa, as Martin added, "Well, there are a lot of private details like that that were-mers don't really share with others."
"You mean like how were-mers can actually already see, hear, speak, and breathe underwater as well as they can on dry land without going through puberty and their first transformation?"
"Yes. That's why we refer to ourselves as The Quiet Weres," confirmed Martin.
"Now, then. While you men were in the swimming pool talking after we left, us women had a private chat of our own," announced Melissa.
"Oh?" said Martin, while Eric looked curiously between the two women.
"We were thinking sometime in July after Eric and Julie graduate high school for the wedding, although definitely after the Fourth that year, of course," said Melissa.
"That way, we have time for the wedding and the honeymoon as well as getting ready for our first semester of college," added Julie, while squeezing Eric's hand lovingly.
"Well, truthfully, while the two of you have our complete blessings, I honestly wasn't thinking that far ahead," admitted her father. "For one thing, I assume Eric's parents don't know the true significance of that necklace around your neck?" he asked Julie.
"No Martin. You're right. My mother made it for me to give Julie as some kind of 'promise' token, but for some reason I kept forgetting to do so until after I became a were-mer, and then it just seemed right to do so. I know I should tell them, but when would be the best time to do so?" asked Eric, using his first name since it was just them present, like Mister Stovall said he should.
"Good question," agreed Martin. "Maybe your Junior year?"
"OH! After Valentine's Day!" eagerly suggested Julie. "That would be so romantic," as her mother nodded her head in agreement.
Then Melissa said, "Not to spoil the moment, but what did you mean by you hadn't thought that far ahead Martin?"
"Well, after talking to you, Eric, and Julie; I'm all for our daughter and her beau eventually getting married and having a great life together just like we do," said Martin, before leaning over and giving his wife a romantic kiss. "But I was only thinking ahead to next Summer*, when Eric can join us in attending the were-mer gathering in the Pacific off the coast of Hawaii. With his parents permission, of course," he quickly added.
Julie squealed in excitement and hugged Eric as Melissa gave her husband a more passionate kiss than the one she received.
Then, when everyone called down, Eric wondered, "When should I ask my parents about that?"
"I think after the first of the year at the earliest would be best," suggested Martin.
"OH! I know the perfect Christmas gift to get you honey," realized Julie.
"I already have the best gift I could ever want my sea jewel," replied Eric, before kissing his lady.
But after Eric (reluctantly) went home for the night, Julie would start making arrangements with her mother to acquire Eric a 100% waterproof backpack style container like the rest of the were-mer wore when traveling underwater on long trips.
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*Considering when this series started to its normal contributors, it is late October 2015 to our cast of characters in the Moon Lake of Earth 1.—tmw.