The Stovalls picked up their daughter Julie and her fiance Eric Anderson about 20 minutes after they confirmed Eric could go to dinner with them.
Julie put her school bag in the trunk of the family sedan before they left. Eric would be dropped off at his house on the return trip.
Martin Stovall drove while his wife Melissa sat next to him in the passenger seat. Every once in a while she would gently caress her belly and smile at him.
She had recently became pregnant with their second child. It would still be a matter of several weeks before there was any physical signs of this blessed event occurring, but Martin wanted to celebrate the occasion with his whole family, which included the young man formerly from Minnesota who was now a fellow were-mer and would one day be marrying his daughter.
Thinking about Julie and Eric made Martin take a gander at the young couple in the back seat.
He couldn't help noticing that both had assumed their Stage 1 were-mer forms, showing the webbing between the fingers of the hands they held.
Julie had her head laying on Eric's shoulder, her blonde hair cascading over him, but Eric certainly didn't mind.
In fact, Martin could see the smile on Eric's face from just being with his beloved.
"Do you kids mind if I ask you a question?" Martin said, breaking the silence between the quartet as he drove.
Acting as if they had been caught raiding the cookie jar or something, Eric and Julie immediately sat up straight and put their hands in their respective laps, the webbing disappearing in the process.
"No sir. What is it?" wondered Eric.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your privacy," he said, to which Julie reached across the seat and grabbed Eric's hand in hers again. "But I was wondering about something. I know you two were meant for each other, and I'm glad your future looks bright together."
That brought smiles to both of his back seat passengers as Martin added, "The fact that both of you shared the same prophecy dreams proves that, but I can't help wondering. I understand that sometime after both of you graduate college and start your professional lives, that Melissa and I will become grandparents."
A statement that made Martin's wife smile as she reached over and caressed his shoulder.
"Yes sir," said Eric, while Julie wondered what was on her father's mind.
"Please, when we're in private like this, you can call me Martin. But anyway, I understand Eric Junior, but where did the name Melinda come from? There's nobody by that name on my side of the family reef."
"Come to think of it, mine neither," added Melissa.
The two teenagers looked at each other.
Then both simply shrugged their shoulders.
"I have absolutely no idea si-I mean, Martin. There's nobody in my family history by that name that I'm aware of," replied Eric.
"I've certainly never met a Melinda at school," answered Julie.
"Me neither," added Eric.
"Strange," conceded Martin. "Oh well. I'm sure any children you two have, when the proper time comes, will be very special."
Neither Eric nor Julie could ignore the stress her father had put on the word PROPER. After all, while love was a many splendored thing and different amongst the various were species, both of them were still just 14 year old Freshmen.
Although Julie proudly wore the single pearl necklace Eric gave her, the were-mer equivalent of an engagement ring, their dreams revealed that they didn't formally tie the knot until the summer between graduating high school and the start of their college education, and neither wanted to do anything to possibly jeopardize that bright future ahead of them.
"Well, I think it's great that you two have found each other," said her mother, who still regretted what she considered her "moment of stupidity" by waiting 10 full years between first meeting Martin and finally admitting what her heart was saying from the start before becoming Melissa Stovall—wife and were-mermaid.
"Can I ask a question?" said Eric.
"Sure, son," said Martin, his private admission of accepting Eric into their lives and pod.
"Will the other mers miss us next summer when we're unable to attend that convention in the Pacific you told me about?"
Martin and Melissa Stovall had to stop and think about that.
They had been so wrapped up in recent developments that they forgot all about the were-mer get-together in the ocean between California and Hawaii next year.
Considering that all the known were-mers only met once every 4 years in a secret spot where they could exchange information and news...
"Yeah, but I think they'll understand, considering the circumstances," answered Martin, while giving his wife a brief peck on the cheek. By the time of the meeting, Melissa would be in her last trimester and nearing her due date. While she could still see, hear, and breathe underwater as easily as any other mer; such a long distance swim would be totally out of the question even for a were.
"Well, I think I'm gonna be a great big sister, while Eric will make a fantastic uncle," said Julie proudly, before putting her arm lovingly around Eric.
"I have a question," said Melissa.
"Yes dear?" asked Martin.
"Where are we going for dinner? I haven't eaten since breakfast," she said.
"Well, I originally thought about going to our favorite seafood place in Seattle, but we unfortunately got a late start, so we're going to that little inn and restaurant off the highway about halfway there."
"You mean that one where we spent our last anniversary? The one that secretly caters to weres?"
"That's the one!"
"You kids are in for a real treat, food wise, but you have to go there sometime when you're adults," suggested Melissa. "They have this totally enclosed private fresh water swimming pool and—"
Then she realized that there was no response to anything she had said.
Melissa Stovall turned around and looked in the back seat, but instead of being concerned, what she saw made her smile.
Eric and Julie were holding webbed hands again. Although he was now laying his head upon her shoulder, both of them were lost in their own private little world once more.
"Aww..." said Melissa, before turning and smiling at her husband again.
"They're deeply in love, just like us," said Martin.
"Yes. Just like us," agreed Melissa, before her webbed hand reached out and caressed his arm.