Dinner was a relatively quiet affair at the Anderson home. For Eric, it especially related to his day and afternoon. His mind worried on Arthur who'd clearly seemed to be interested in Julie, and it seemed to him like he was trying to put the moves on her, which aroused feelings of worry and even antagonism, which Eric had never expected to feel. After all, Julie was his one true love, she glowed for him as he had glowed for her, showing that they were destined soul mates. Julie had turned him, and in a way that was to reinforce a loving bond and make sure that their "first time" wasn't some instinct driven rut that would not have true love behind it. Eric gave Julie the necklace his move had gave him to Julie in what amounted to an official wedding proposal for weremers and one that Julie had joyously accepted. Yet, Arthur was putting the moves on her and she didn't seem to be that resistant to those moves, and filled him with worry.
Sure, it could be the group project that they had, especially since they had a class together. It was something that he and Julie had agreed that they'd hoped for at lunch for a few days now... that they could have classes together in the future. The fact that they didn't have classes together wasn't really anyone's fault, as that sort of thing happened, but it seemed to Eric like Arthur was trying to take advantage of that. It made a part of him really want to actually pummel Arthur for hitting on his fiancée, which was a sensation that he'd NEVER pictured himself feeling. Sure, there had been plenty of arguments he'd had online with people over Star Trek versus Star Wars and so on, but that was impersonal and Eric had never gotten to a point where he was that angry in any of those debates.
At the same time there was the run in with Spencer Lawson who had pretty much jumped him on his way home from Julie's house. She was beautiful and a were of some kind, though Eric was still too new to were society to which for sure, and more importantly, she didn't glow the way Julie glowed. There was some glow... but it was dull and dim, more that she could be a friend to talk to than a true love, which Eric knew Julie was, for when he looked to her, she radiated light as brilliant as the sun. But Spencer had caught him in the open and quite forwardly French kissed him and then drove off, leaving him aroused and completely befuddled on what to do. And he had no definite answers, as he would never cheat on Julie but was puzzled as to how this new girl could essentially turn him on so quickly, and that soon battled with some of the jealousy over Arthur getting Julie's attention.
It was a befuddlement that was caught onto as he sat at his place at the table and poked at ham his mother had cooked. It wasn't bad, in fact it tasted quite good, but his mind was pondering over so many questions that he couldn't fully focus on eating and barely noticed his parents talking with Nate over what the practice schedule was for Moon Lake High's Thanksgiving Day game. About all that Eric understood out of that was that the game was played between two groups from within Moon Lake High and that this year it would be flag football after an incident where a normal who'd gotten into the game ended up getting clawed by accident. Eric simply poked at his food and periodically took a small bite out of it.
"You ought to eat, Eric," Eric heard Martha say to him.
"Hmm?" Eric said looking up to find his mother and father both looking to him. Nate was quietly eating and was focused more on his plate.
"You ought to eat while your dinner is warm," Martha spoke while pointing to Eric's plate with her fork.
"Okay," Eric said simply and made a bit more of an effort to eat, barely noticing a worried frown pass over his mother's face.
Eric ate slowly for a little while before Nate finished and stood up. The sound of Nate's chair moving made him look up to see his older brother getting up and taking his plate toward the door behind his parents to the kitchen.
"Dinner was great, mom," Nate told her, "thanks."
"I'm glad you liked it, how is your homework coming?" Martha managed a smile.
"I'm getting there," Nate answered, "Don't worry."
With that Nate left the room. Eric could hear the soft clink of Nate's dishes being put in the sink. After that there was a soft silence as Nate went around through the kitchen to the living room and could soon be heard going up the stairs toward the second floor. It was as if Nate was avoiding the dining room and Eric soon guessed why when he noticed both his parents looking to him.
"Is everything okay, son?" William asked, "You seem a little distracted."
"Yeah, I'm okay," Eric answered simply and managed but didn't say much more than that moved to get a bite of the last of the mashed potatoes that was on his plate.
"Are you sure?" William asked again, "You've been awfully quiet all through dinner."
William had noted Eric's downcast eyes and how he seemed so focused on something other than the food that was in front of him. There also hadn't been the daily update on how wonderful Julie was, which had been something of a daily occurrence after Eric became a weremer. It was this sort of thing that reinforced the worries that Martha had mentioned to him when he came home in that something was going on with their youngest son. After seeing him being so quiet and self-isolated for so long in Minnesota, he didn't want that to happen again, and in that, William was determined to get at what was wrong.
"You can tell us, Eric," Martha said to him, her voice soft and tender and Eric thought he heard worry in her voice, "We will always love you."
"Thanks guys," Eric managed a small smile.
"So, what's going on?" William asked Eric again, "Is something wrong with Julie?"
"I don't know," Eric managed a sigh and then slowly began to recount the day, running into Arthur in the morning and his apparent interest in Julie and the feelings Eric had that wanted to fight him for being interested in Julie. It then ended with the run in with Spencer Lawson that only added to Eric's confusion as he had no idea on what to do beyond the fact that he wouldn't cheat on Julie. He then finished, "and the whole thing has left me confused."
"She shouldn't have forced herself on you," Martha spoke quickly, referring to Spencer's kiss.
"It wasn't quite forcing herself on me," Eric managed looking down, "More like a very forward hello... I don't think she's lived in an environment like Moon Lake and might be a bit... excited... by the fact that there are so many weres here. And feeling a bit confused over everything that had been going on between Arthur and Julie... she didn't know that I have a one true love... but the whole thing has left me confused."
"It was good that you told us," William spoke, "but in many ways... I wouldn't worry too much."
"But... Arthur clearly..." Eric began.
"Eric... has Julie ever said anything to you where she's made you feel unloved?" Martha asked him.
"No," Eric answered.
"And did you not tell us that she turned you, she not only told you and asked if you wanted it but made sure the moment was a romantic one?" William asked.
"She did," Eric answered.
"Then I'd think you're probably pretty safe in trusting her to do the right thing with regard to dealing with Arthur," William told him, "and it probably is only homework that they're working on. Your brother is working on his... so we know that Moon Lake High DOES still assign homework."
"But... I don't want to lose Julie," Eric said weakly.
"And if you be patient, you won't," William commented as both his parents got up and came around the table, "Moon Lake is a place pretty different from the rest of the country. In some ways it's rather magical, but that doesn't change a truly loving relationship isn't something that instantly happens overnight..."
"Remember that Julie is her own person and that while she may love you, there are going to be aspects of her life that will not revolve around you," Martha added, "Talk with her and let her know how you feel... but make sure you let her know that you trust her."
"And in some ways... don't be afraid to be patient and go slow," William said to his son, placing a hand on Eric's shoulder, "I know that this ability to see something that confirms Julie as your one true love is special... but knowing that she is your one true love isn't the same as being able to keep it. She may not want you to pick a fight over her, especially if the boy you pick a fight with ISN'T a threat or would understand the bond the two of you have..."
"He may not have even seen Julie's necklace," Martha added.
Eric paused and then nodded, "Maybe... but I... I felt so driven... so... jealous."
"The green eyed monster will always come out when we think someone has an interest in the one we love," Martha said slowly, "To some extent I felt the same way with regard to some of the women your father was with in the past... because I KNEW he loved me, but let his own libido get the better of him. Some of it might have been that I wanted their figure... which I think I've surpassed now, but that's a different issue.... some of it might even have been that I wasn't so much jealous that he was with other women but that I wasn't invited to the party..."
Eric slowly nodded, remembering that a lot of what had driven at least part of the family's issues in Minnesota was the fact that his mother had been repressing that she was bisexual. It didn't excuse his father's past behavior, but it did explain part of it, and in the end, from everything that Eric had noticed, his parents had more than reaffirmed their bonds to each other as weres.
"Don't dwell too much or so much on being in bed with Julie," William advised, "I'm sure it's fun... but don't dwell on it. Especially as you'll likely have centuries of that together once you grow up. Right now... focus on building that bond and building the trust between the two of you so that you can know and feel that all things are honored."
"And... what do I do with regard to this new girl?" Eric asked, "I mean... with Julie... I suppose I can talk with her and do all that... because she is the one I WANT to spend my life with... she is the one I want to have children with. The one I want to be with... but how do I explain that without hurting the other girl's feelings, as I don't want to be mean to her or anyone."
William glanced Martha and gave a heavy sigh. They were glad that there seemed to be nothing wrong that couldn't be worked with, and that some of what was troubling Eric related to what they'd wanted to talk to him about. As, what Eric described was the sort of thing that they'd wanted to help prevent... be it becoming too embroiled in sex that he forgot what made Julie love him in the first place and that he didn't become possessive of Julie, as that wasn't love either. However, the introduction of this Spencer Lawson character was new and potentially threw a monkey wrench into their plans. For, while she may not know that Eric had committed himself to a relationship, they still thought her "hello" was for too forward for a fourteen year old.
"It's good that you don't want to be mean, but at the same time you need to remember to be honest," William spoke, "Learn from MY mistakes if nothing else. Let this Spencer know that you have someone you love very much and someone you're personally committed to."
"Maybe introduce them," Martha added, "but your father is right that you must be honest with her... and with Julie as well. You don't necessarily have to say that she kissed you... but at least say that Miss Lawson approached you. That will show that you are taken and could leave things open for being friends..."
"And if it becomes something like what your mother and I have now... introducing them would at least the three of you the opportunity to understand the situation," William spoke, "and that there is agreement between you. For as I said... don't repeat my mistakes. Especially with someone who's made you so happy already."
"But the key thing is not to force it," Martha spoke, "love is something that takes time to build and takes a great deal of patience. Even with the assurance that Julie is "the one," that doesn't mean it's going to be easy."
"And that would be assuming that is something that you actually want," William said slowly.
"This whole thing has had me confused," Eric admitted as his parents comforted him by placing their hands on his shoulders, "I mean... when I met Julie... everything seemed so certain... like a wonderful dream... in that the only one who could... who could turn me on would be Julie... and now..."
"Arousal has little to do with love," William told him, "There may be many people that may get you interested for one reason or another."
"Having control over the reaction is what will relate more to love," Martha spoke, "and that will relate to how you act and what you want and what Julie will accept... and if she doesn't accept the idea... or you don't want that idea... then love will be determined by how true you can stay to Julie and not just go and do something because you're aroused."
"Which I why I said don't repeat MY mistakes," William added.
By this point, Eric had finished his dinner and did feel a bit better with regards to his mental thought process over what had happened over the course of the day. His desire to be with Julie was still there and still strong and in some ways the talk his parents gave him came off as a bit of a "pep talk" in that regard, but there was a great deal of sense and life lessons in it as well. As he thought about it, as he thought about his times with Julie before his transformation, there was a lot of conversation on likes, dislikes, and other things. After his transformation, while a lot of those things remained, he slowly realized that he had also been looking for opportunities for more "adult" activities. And while Moon Lake might be more inclined to look the other way, his parents talk on "patience" was also a good reminder on that there was more to a relationship than went on between the sheets. He loved Julie and wanted their relationship to be based on more than their performance in bed...
"I won't dad," Eric answered and actually turned in his chair to offer his father a hug, which was warmly returned. He wasn't quite sure on what exactly to do regarding Spencer Lawson, but he was certain that he loved Julie and wanted to be with her and wanted her to be happy, and he didn't want to rush anything because of a reaction to another were having interest in him. Maybe introducing to Spencer would work, to show that Eric had his one true love and allow for them to make friends properly, and if there was anything more that come from that, it would develop honestly. "I promise."
As his parents released him from their hug, he soon moved to put away his dishes for washing and then head upstairs. He'd gotten most of his homework to finish and would likely only get a short period of time to say good night to Julie, and he didn't want to waste any time, as the most important thing he'd have to say was that Julie was his everything.