Julie Stovall stared at her reflection in her bedroom mirror as she brushed out her blonde hair before school.
Life is great! she realized with a smile on her face. I found my true love, and we're going to happily spend the rest of our lives together! as her thoughts turned to her fiance Eric Anderson.
Okay, the young couple was only 14, so the Freshmen still had the rest of high school before they turned 18 and could marry the summer before they started college, but otherwise...
Last night when she came home, Julie heard her parents going at it "hot and heavy" in their bedroom.
Between her father being dosed with a potent aphrodisiac at the annual Halloween party and her mother realizing that she forgot to take her were-mermaid birth control pill that morning,* Julie's parents had talked it over and decided it was time to try for another child anyway.
But even after spending another wonderful afternoon with Eric, Julie was still longing for her were-mer.
The emptiness is so strong at times, she realized, while playing with herself in the shower. Yet thanks to our prophecy dreams, we know how bright our future is, but that still doesn't mean I don't miss him.
Her parents were still being intimate as she tried to go to bed.
I wonder if Eric and I will be that loud when it's our turn to spawn? wondered Julie, as she finally drifted off to sleep with pleasant thoughts of Eric swimming by her side for all eternity.
Now it was the next morning.
There was absolutely no noise coming from her parents bedroom, so Julie didn't know if they were getting ready to face the new day** or if they were still asleep.
And if the latter, How will I get to school today?
Then, as she set her hair brush down, Julie saw her own bottle of were-mermaid birth control pills sitting on her dresser.
Our dreams never said anything about there ever being another Stovall, let alone me becoming a big sister, but I certainly can't jeopardize the future for Eric and me, she realized, before taking her own pill; knowing that weres were so fertile, that the medication was necessary to prevent a population explosion that would risk the "normal" world prematurely discovering their existence before were society was ready to reveal themselves.
But thoughts of that bright future as Mrs. Anderson made Julie pause and put her hand against her chest.
She smiled at feeling the single pearl necklace press against her skin underneath the dress she was wearing today.
Unfortunately, the modest neckline of the dress covered her most prized material possession, but Julie cherished the were-mer version of an engagement ring almost as much as her love for Eric himself.
Mom must feel the same way about her necklace, for I've never seen her without it, thought Julie, knowing that, having been married to her father for so long, there were tokens on Melissa Stovall's to represent over two decades of marriage as well as her love for her husband.
Going downstairs as quietly as possible in case her parents were still sleeping, Julie went into the kitchen to grab something to eat, but was surprised to see her father standing in front of the sink having a cup of coffee.
Martin Stovall was dressed and ready for another day of work as Moon Lake's mayor.
"Hi sweetie," he said with a smile, before kissing his daughter on the forehead. "Ready for school?"
"As soon as I eat, but I must admit I'm surprised to see you," said his daughter.
"Mom is still asleep at the moment, but I've got a budget meeting later this morning that I can't miss," he answered.
"Oh," said Julie, grabbing some bread to make toast. "Is she...?"
"Pregnant?" her father finished the question for her, since most weres were more straight forward on many subjects, compared to normal human beings. "The doctor will say for sure later. Your mother is going to call him when she wakes up for an appointment to find out for sure. Are you happy that we're trying again?"
"Well, you have to admit that it wasn't the best of circumstances because of the spiked punch and everything, but the child was made out of the love the two of you have for each other, so it will all work out."
"I'm glad you're so supportive," said her father.
"I'm looking forward to being a big sister, and Eric..."
"Yes," agreed her father, looking at his daughter. "You have been..."
"Yes dad. I just took this morning's before coming downstairs."
"Good," said Martin Stovall with a smile. "I'll admit, it took me a while to wrap my head around the thought that you were sexually active now, let alone that you had already found your true love," he confessed, while rinsing out his now empty coffee cup. "Don't get me wrong, Eric's a good kid. Bright mind, good soul, and there's no question that he loves you and is the one you're destined to be with. But between being your father and the fact that both of you are only 14..."
"I understand dad, but don't worry. We're not going to do anything to jeopardize our future together," swore Julie, as she collected her toast and started buttering it. "Love at first sight and true love-soul mates are proven scientific concepts, at least for were-mer. Eric and I are bonded to each other just like you and mom are. It was a slow and romantic courtship that ended with that wonderful day in the pool between declaring our love for each other and***—"
"It's okay. I don't need the specific details. Just as long as the two of you are happy and Eric always treats you right," said her father with a smile, before hugging his daughter.
"He does dad. He does," replied Julie, thinking of her were-mer as she returned her father's gesture.
When they separated, Martin Stovall said, "Okay. I'm going to double check on your mom and grab my briefcase. If you're ready to go when I come back down, I'll give you a ride to school."
"I will be," promised Julie, as she started wolfing down her toast. I just wish Eric and I had some actual classes together, instead of just Freshman lunch. Maybe next semester.
On his way back upstairs, Martin Stovall thought, What did I ever do to get so blessed? A beautiful wife. A wonderful daughter. Another child possibly on the way, and I ain't even 80 yet! All I have to worry about is this dang budget meeting today and make a decision by the end of the year whether or not to run for re-election next Spring. Otherwise, life is great!
TO BE CONTINUED...
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*Between previous episodes of this series and Moon Lake, Tad.
**Monday, November 2, 2015 to our cast, since this series technically started in September 2015 in real life.
*While Julie and Eric first met much earlier than that, the "wonderful day in the pool" began way back in this series, with the episode "Marco."—tmw.