Martha slowly made her way out into the waiting room where she found William and Eric slowly finishing up their business for the day with Rudy at his desk. In many ways she was greatly relieved by how things went and that things with Eric had turned out fairly well. From the way Frances had described things, it was likely that Eric would have some issues with bipolar disorder, but not to any degree that would be truly troubling. From the way Eric described things, it was more of a situational/emotional type of cause rather than anything else. And Frances's mention that Eric wouldn't need medication had taken a load of worry off of Martha's mind. That had Martha feeling much better.
She might have been a bit embarrassed by some things that related to her repressing her sexuality and the full details behind her and William's issues when they first came to Moon Lake. She knew that Nate and Eric knew of the base troubles that had related to William's infidelity, but there were many details that she and William had tried to keep quiet. A lot of this related back to why Martha had repressed so much about who she was and how confident she'd felt in herself. That was something that she'd never even mentioned to William, which had created situations where William had come to her with some "fun" in mind and found she'd been troubled by something else... particularly the part of her that was also interested in women. Though, while William learned on that shortly after the two of them became weres, she hadn't felt the need to explain all that to Nate and Eric, some of that was shame at recognizing there was nothing wrong with being bi after becoming a werecat.
But as the meeting ended, Eric seemed calm and didn't judge her for the things she repressed and at the same time, her issues and William's infidelity in Minnesota hadn't had the damage that she'd truly feared that it did. That gave her a lot of things to be relieved on, which let her move forward. Eric managed a smile as Martha joined him and William at Rudy's desk and softly patted his shoulder. For Eric, he'd gotten some answers that gave him some measure of closure, and while Frances hadn't said anything specific on what the "condition" was, the treatment didn't seem too bad. Some parts might be a bit scary with regard to new people, which related to the confusion he'd had with regards to Spencer Lawson's arrival in Moon Lake, but then as he thought about it, she'd seemed like a potential friend, and he had some sympathy for Morgan Barr. In many ways, Eric saw much of himself in Morgan, and at the same time with things sorted out with Arthur, things seemed better there as well. In this he supposed it wouldn't be too hard branch out and find a social club to hang out with.
"Well... that went well," Martha commented as she looked down to Eric, "and I'm glad that you're okay."
"Me too," Eric answered, with his own relief that things wouldn't be so bad that he'd be a major risk to anyone, "And I'm glad to have had some answers..."
"Neither of us ever wanted to hurt you in any way," William spoke as they walked back out through the door and to their SUV parked outside Frances' clinic. "Both you and Nate... and I'm glad you were willing to go forward with recognizing things. That's very big of you."
"Thanks, dad," Eric answered he climbed up into the back seat, "So what now...? I mean with regard to today."
"It'd probably best to get you and Martha home," William said slowly and looked down to his watch, "I have one last class today that I can make... and I'm sure you'll have homework to work on."
Eric slowly nodded and buckled himself in and simply settled into the backseat of the family SUV. It wasn’t long before he could feel it move backward and then stop and move forward again, though as his father began to drive home, his mind quietly pondered over things that Frances had suggested as possible things he could do. It was a sort of pondering that really had no end as to what might be there, and at times he saw a few things that showed others in activities. As they drove through the center of town, the modest city park that dominated the center ring of the town with its bushes, trees, manicured grass, now with the grass dulling in preparation for winter and a dappling of other fall colors from the leaves that had fallen or were falling from the trees, Eric noted some groups of people enjoying some time outdoors. Some of it was throwing a frisbee back and forth, or playing frisbee golf along the park. Some were adults and some were even younger children. All of it showed some physical activity and from the SUV, Eric couldn't fully be sure who was a were and who wasn't in the park, and among those that might have been weres... he couldn't be fully sure what kind of weres they were.
"Though... I'd probably favor a group I can talk with," Eric mused to himself as they rode long down Wood Street, "Like a school group... something like that. Anything physical I can probably do in my spare time..." He then paused and turned his head to look to one group engaging in their fun in the park. "... Which is what THEY'RE doing."
It wasn't too much longer before they were soon outside what had become a very familiar house, as it was the home they'd moved into. William slowly pulled up to the curb and put the vehicle in park, with the automatic locks clicking into the unlocked position as it settled into "park." This got Eric to look forward for a moment while reaching sideways for his backpack and while catching his parents looking to each other at the moment.
"You won't be too long?" Martha asked to William.
"It's my last class of the day... my four thirty class on Tuesdays and Thursdays," William answered, "It's actually where Eric's appointment timing was fairly good for me... though, if it lasted longer, I would have waited..." Eric watched as his father turned to him, "As regardless on what may go on... you and Nate are the most important people to your mother and I. Seeing you happy and being there for you is the most important."
"I know, Dad," Eric responded with a sincere smile, "but you have your class..."
"And if I don't hurry, I'll be late... which would mean the class is cancelled," William nodded as Eric and Martha both climbed out.
Once outside and had shut the SUV's back door, Eric soon felt his mother come to hug him from one side. He looked to her and saw her give a warm smile to him, obviously relieved that things weren't as bad as she'd probably worried that they were. It was a reminder of how much of a mistake Eric had made by letting his emotions get so out of control over a misunderstanding, but in a way it was also sign of things moving forward.
"I'm glad you're feeling better," Martha said to her son as they made their way up toward the front door of their home.
"I'd think we're all doing better," Eric commented with a small smile, "got everything off our chests and all that... and with ideas on how to move forward."
"Yes... and I'm sure the High School has lots of things you could do," Martha commented, "when I went through High School... and before I met your father... we had debate club, a tutoring program, a chess club, "Future Farmers of America," and so on. Seniors even had the option of a college prep program if they so wished... in addition to all the assorted sports programs, but then... neither your father and I went to Moon Lake High as you are now."
"So what did you participate in while you were in high school?" Eric wondered, "debate?"
"Oh no..." Martha answered, "don't let old "debates" from when you and Nate wanted things as little kids as proof of debating skill. A lot of that got into various things that could be options for commentary on social issues or various civics related issues... and well... I didn't want to mess with that sort of thing at the time..."
"Because you were repressing who you were?" Eric asked slowly, to which Martha nodded but said nothing. Eric didn't press anything further. He only vaguely remembered his maternal grandparents. He'd never heard them rant or rave at things, but then the visits had been fairly brief and usually in connection with a major holiday, usually Christmas. So it was possible that there were some events that he didn't see that had an effect on his mother, and he didn't want to stress her in bringing up old issues.
Eventually Martha did fully answer the original question, "I was on the chess club though and I did some tutoring in my Junior and Senior years. One underclassman I tutored saw his grades go up from low Cs to high Cs and mid Bs in one year and to low Bs to low As the next. He actually thanked me after I graduated high school and that was sorta what got me interested in teaching..."
"And I thought you just liked chess," Eric mused as he blinked while his mother opened the door, "as you taught me..."
"I did... though I'll admit that I wasn't the greatest chess player," Martha chuckled, "which is why our games have been few and far between... you keep beating me too quickly."
Eric didn't know what to say to that, though he noted that his mother still had a warm smile on her face.
"In a way... I'm glad you've been so good," Martha commented, "any teacher should be greatly pleased to see the student surpass them. If Moon Lake High has a similar club... I'm sure you'd be great for it... might even get a comparable challenge."
The two then made their way in. The door clicked behind them before Eric heard his mother speak again.
"Anyway... I'll let you get started on your homework... and I have a little studying of my own to do," Martha spoke.
"You mom?" Eric wondered.
"Just updating myself on what I'd need to renew my teaching certificate for this state and probably to meet all the other nation wide requirements to be "highly qualified" and so on," Martha answered, "a lot to go over, but it isn't too bad. I'll get started on dinner in a little while... probably closer to after your father gets home."