As William Anderson and Henry Jenkins, Senior continued to talk about their plans and feelings toward Jenny Harper and her family situation, along with the evil antics of that bastard Dieter Wilhelm; Martha Anderson decided to move over and talk to the ladies present in the hospital's waiting room.
Jenny she already knew, but the others were total strangers to her.
They soon introduced themselves as "Jenny's best friend and dorm mate Karen Yuletide," and "Betty Timid, but soon to be Mrs. Henry Jenkins, Junior," she said proudly.
Jenny's finance Harry Jenkins was standing nearby, stretching his legs after sitting for so long. The man standing near Karen smelled like a lion, but Karen and Betty still smelled like normals as Martha said, "Congratulations. When's the big day?"
"Sometime after Huck's released from the hospital and given a clean bill of health, but before the end of the year in front of a Justice of the Peace if my fiance has his way. I don't mind going the JP route, since I have no other relatives but my immediate family here in Moon Lake," said Betty, "but I was thinking something more romantic like Valentines Day of next year."
"You two know each other long?" wondered Martha.
"Since at least high school, although Huck never realized before now how I really feel about him, and I was too shy to say anything," admitted Betty.
"Well. Sometimes the course of true love is slower than we'd like it to be," replied Martha.
"It was at practically a snail's pace for us," said Betty. "I'm glad we're finally getting together, let alone all my hopes and dreams of becoming Huck's wife will finally come true. Yet there's one thing that does concern me," she confessed.
"What's that?" asked Martha politely, although she suspected what the question would be.
"What's it like becoming a were?" wondered Betty, as Martha saw the question got Karen Yuletide's attention as well.
MEANWHILE...
"Everything's going to be all right this weekend, right?" asked Eric Anderson, as he stared at the computer image of his beautiful fiance Julie Stovall during their nightly Skype chat.
"My dad, Samantha Twist, the police, and everyone else is doing their best to protect the town and make sure Jenny Harper's family and that Dieter Wilhelm guy don't discover Moon Lake's secrets and hurt us somehow in the process," replied Julie confidently.
"I know I shouldn't worry so much my jewel," began Eric, staring at her. "Yet after finally discovering what love truly is..." he began, while putting his webbed hand against the monitor screen.
"I know darling," replied Julie with a smile while placing her webbed hand against the image of his. "Yet what love's brought together," she continued, while holding up with her other hand the single pearl necklace around her neck signifying that she was a happily engaged were-mermaid, "no one or thing can ever bring apart."
"If we were physically in the same room right now, I'd hold you close and never want to let you go," confessed Eric.
"That's good dearest, because I feel the same way about you," replied Julie, before blowing Eric a kiss.
OUTSIDE THE ANDERSON HOUSE...
Young werewolves in love Nate Anderson and Alex Ramsey were lying in the grass of the Anderson's backyard, just holding each other close and staring at each other when not kissing or nuzzling.
"So..." began Alex, staring deeply into his boyfriend's lupine eyes, "someday... me and you. The writer and the chef. Happily married."
"So our dreams say," replied Nate. "And don't forget whoever that young were-child we adopt is."
"Alice... Should she be Alice Ramsey-Anderson or Alice Anderson-Ramsey?"
"Does it matter?" asked Nate in return.
"I guess not, but I don't have the slightest idea why I'm hung up on this name thing," admitted Alex. "It's the only part of our relationship I'm uncertain of."
"Why?"
"Well, while I liked that Julie Stovall's idea about each of us hyphenating our names to reflect our partner's, I want our relationship and our marriage to be a 50-50 equal partnership," replied Alex. "There's too much history of a spouse taking the other's name, indicating they're the dominant partner in their marriage."
"Well, my parents and your parents don't seem to mind doing that, and neither do people like Samantha and Frances Twist. Yet all of those marriages are happy and equal," pointed out Nate. Alex is a bit on the sensitive side like Eric, he realized. Then again, it's one of the many things I love about the big lug, he thought happily.
Alex thought about that for a moment before admitting that was true. "So I'm worrying over nothing?"
"To a point," agreed Nate. "Yet the world's ever changing. Even if it's now legal for us to do so in the United States, there are still plenty of people who have... reservations about same gender marriages."
"To put it mildly."
"There is one thing I definitely know. I love you," declared Nate, before kissing Alex.
"And I you," Alex said happily, before returning the kiss.
My thanks to my girlfriend, her brother, and his life partner for all their advice concerning same gender relationships during the course of my contributions to the various threads of the Moon Lake saga.—tmw.