Melissa heard the shower turn off as she got up and stretched. Her night had been pleasant, though not without her odd dreams in that sense. She still had no idea why she was talking to a younger version of her mother in her bedroom mirror and how this younger version of her mother could show her things. It didn't really change her decision. She looked to her end table and noted the werecow birth control pills she'd gotten and gave a small smile. She made her choice and knew that Trevor would make her happy and he was worth being a werecow to be with him.
Though that didn't necessarily change her curiosity over her dream. Her dad said he dreamed of being a weretiger with Virginia, which made sense to Melissa, as Virginia had been a good neighbor and had made it clear that she had some interest in her father. In that, Megumi's explanation of dreams made sense for her father and Virginia. However, with her own dreams, she really couldn't be certain as everything seemed to be so random. She saw some images of herself, but they weren't singular or focused. It was rather random. That is what made no sense and that is what Melissa felt she had to figure out.
She managed to shrug off the worst of her concerns and readied herself for the day. She dressed herself and made her way downstairs. As she came down the stairs she could soon hear bacon and/or sausage cooking on the stove as well. That told her that her father was making breakfast and that made her smile a bit, as she would enjoy breakfast and seeing the healing that her father seemed to be going through after becoming a were.
"Morning, dad," Melissa called as she walked into the kitchen to find him cooking. She could even smell the bacon and sausage cooking along with the various eggs
Her father turned back to her and gave a smile as she entered the kitchen. He smiled as he turned, which made Melissa smile as well. He looked well, and that made Melissa happy. It was entirely a sign of his getting over what happened to her mother.
"Morning, Melissa," Harold smiled, "Sleep well?"
"I did okay," Melissa answered, "though... I suppose my subconscious mind has been wondering over all the odd and even good things that exist here..."
"You've been having odd dreams?" Harold raised an eyebrow, remembering his dreams of being a weretiger and this son he was to have with Virginia.
"I suppose it'll be nothing super weird that goes beyond what we've already experienced," Melissa answered as she watched her father bring a plate and set in front of her.
"You've had dreams of what kind of were to be?" Harold asked.
"No," Melissa said putting a few bites of food in her mouth, "it's been more like I've been talking to someone... someone who could show me all the potential possibilities of what kind of were I'd be... werefox, werewolf, werecow, weretiger..."
"Weretiger?!" Harold said slowly and actually sounding hopeful.
"Easy," Melissa answered, "I've already made my choice regarding what were to be. The dreams are just signs of my mind pondering over some of the odd things that differ Moon Lake from the rest of the country."
Melissa watched as her father returned to the stove and collected a plate of his own. He eventually returned and sat down across from her. He prodded his eggs for a few moments before he spoke.
"So... you'll really go through with being a were... cow?" Harold asked.
"You make it sound like I shouldn't," Melissa answered, "there's nothing wrong with my choice and there's nothing wrong with being a werecow."
"But... I'd ask why a werecow?" Harold wondered, "You really weren't a ranch or farm girl before..."
Melissa shrugged, "I wasn't... but then there is just something about Trevor that speaks to me... that makes me happy. And if being with him means being a werecow... I'll take it. And in the end does that matter? You and mom both taught me that what we look like on outside matters little in comparison to who we are on the inside. So, would it REALLY be so wrong if I ultimately turn into something that says "moo" instead of "roar?" Would it?"
Harold blinked for a moment and remembered some of the lessons he and Eliza had taught Melissa while she was little, particularly as the college town they'd lived in included large minority populations. People were always different and everyone deserved to be free and to make their own choices and not to have their humanity lessened because of it. He found himself smiling with pride. Moon Lake wasn't what either of them expected, but Melissa was being the woman that Eliza and he had raised with all the tolerance that he wanted to see from his daughter.
"No," Harold shook his head with a smile, "No it wouldn't."
"And there are things about being a werecow that would sit well with me and who I am... being strong yet gentle," Melissa added, "nothing wrong with that."
"Of course," Harold nodded and then sipped his coffee from navy blue mug with a gold M on it, "I suppose my biggest thing is to make sure that this Trevor doesn't take advantage of you."
"Daaaaad," Melissa gave a groan, "Trevor wouldn't do that. I know he wouldn't... I don't know how know... but I do..."
Harold chuckled a little bit and then reached over and ruffled Melissa's hair, knowing that was the sort of thing that annoy her a little. Melissa brought up her hands to shoo his hand away and that made him smile.
"Hey... I'm your dad," Harold chuckled, "do you really think I wouldn't exercise my right to protect my daughter?"
"Well... I don't think you have to worry about anything," Melissa answered, "there is just something special about Trevor. He has huge heart and while neither of us expected to find a place full of were-beasts and fallen in love with one... but it's happened."
"Yeah... both of us had some surprises," Harold smiled, "you've made a friend and Virginia has gotten me over my grief... Neither of us have had what we expected."
"But it wasn't bad, right?" Melissa questioned.
Harold paused and remembered his late night walk and how strangely at home he felt walking through the woods and even hunting. He felt supremely confident that he could have killed those deer easily and in a way it made him feel stronger than he'd ever felt. Though now he felt better at letting the deer go. He felt more than strong enough to kill them on his own, which made sense. Mundane tigers were capable of killing Water Buffalo and Gaur on their own and they most commonly preyed on deer that were comparable to Mule Deer and White Tailed Deer in India and the Russian far east. His new instinctive knowledge knew he had the power for it, however, he didn't have a huge deep freeze and didn't know a thing about butchering meat. In this, he figured that Virginia probably said that weretigers gathered to hunt larger game as a pride not out of physical necessity, but to make sure that nothing was wasted, as it wasn't like he was going through feast and famine cycles that mundane predators went through.
"No," Harold answered, "strangely... now... now I'd say it's been rather good."
"Good to hear," Melissa answered.
"Though these dreams..." Harold began.
"Beyond curiosity... I really can't say what they are," Melissa answered, "If they're the future, then it's an odd future. From what I've read, there is no were that can turn into any and every animal... and I can't say that things feel super real, so it's not like the dreams you told me about becoming a weretiger to be with Virginia. The only thing that feel's real is the girl I've talked... but she looks more like a young version of mom."
"That does sound strange," Harold commented, "I wish I could help you there..."
Melissa swallowed the sausage link that she was chewing on, "Hey, it'll be all right..."
"There ought to be someone you could talk to," Harold said slowly, his mind drifting to the other werecat he met the night before, Frances, he believed her name was.
"I have Trevor," Melissa offered as she finished her breakfast and got up to kiss Harold's forehead.
"Just so long as..." Harold began.
"I promise that we'll take it slow... and go on a few dates," Melissa answered, "there are some things and places here in Moon Lake that I've kinda wanted to see and do with Trevor that are more "date" related than learning about weres and so on."
"Good," Harold nodded, "and you'll promise to let me know twenty four hours in advance before you go through with it... with Trevor, I mean?"
"Yes," Melissa answered, "but YOU also need to remember to accept my decision. No trying to make me change my mind. If you do that, I'll take my pills to school and the only warning you'll have will be that my werecow birth control pills aren't here. Deal?"
"Deal," Harold said slowly, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving you or guarding you."
Melissa then moved to hug her father and held him as tightly as she could manage, "like I'd want you to stop loving me."
Both of them ended up laughing at that.