"So, I guess there's no need to ask how everyone's day went?" William Anderson said, while looking around the dinner table at his family.
"No," agreed Eric, who had switched to his Stage 1 were-merman form and was now proudly displaying the webbing between his fingers (and his toes, if his shoes were off).
Nate, unfortunately, didn't have a chance to assume his werewolf form and certainly didn't want to destroy the clothing he was wearing—for there was nothing available to accommodate his lupine body, so stayed in his human shape, for now.
A slight chill went through him with thoughts of rushing back upstairs after dinner and stripping off everything he had on before assuming what he considered to be his true self. Let alone being in Alex's furry arms afterward.
But that could wait as another part of his werewolf nature asserted itself.
"Don't you think you should save some of those pork chops for the rest of us?" his mother kidded him, as her feline whiskers twitched mischiefly.
"Sorry," Nate replied with a slight blush on his face, before putting a couple back and passing the serving dish onward.
"Mom, Dad," began Eric, looking at the werefox and werecat before him. "Julie wanted me to ask you if I can spend the weekend with her at her pool cabana."
The older Andersons looked at each other. The two weres nodded at each other before Martha turned and said, "If it's okay with her parents, it's okay with us. Just have one of them call and let us know. Okay?"
"Sure," promised Eric, excited to be spending the weekend with his fiance.
"But we expect any homework done first, and you to be home before curfew Sunday night," added his father.
"No problem," said Eric, anticipating contacting Julie via Skype before bedtime.
AND AT THE STOVALL HOUSE...
"Honey, I know you're pregnant, but you can't have developed such an appetite already," commented Martin Stovall, as he watched his wife eat.
"I don't understand it either dear," agreed Melissa Stovall, as she dug into her second helping of sea bass. "We've only had confirmation of the blessed event for a couple of days now, but I feel like I haven't eaten in months."
"Well, I'm looking forward to being a big sister," said their daughter Julie proudly, "and Eric's excited to be a... whatever he'll officially be to the new arrival."
"Hmm..." said Melissa. "What would Eric be? Brother in law?"
Martin thought about it for a moment before admitting, "You've got me. He won't officially be a brother in law until he and Julie get married."
"Don't worry. That won't be until after we graduate high school, as promised," said Julie, before her folks could bring up the subject. "By the way, is it okay if he spends the weekend with me in the cabana?"
Her father didn't hesitate to respond to that question.
"As long as your school work is done and his parents agree. But at least I won't be here tomorrow night because I've got to be at that town council meeting."
"Do you need me to be there too?" wondered his wife.
"That's up to you. After all, the kids will be here."
"We'll be all right, whether you stay home or go with dad mom," replied Julie.
AND IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY...
She sat in the lonely hotel room. The TV was on, but it wasn't much company.
"Why do people waste their money buying vowels and filling the puzzle in for the other players?" she asked aloud.
She wasn't really expecting an answer, so was totally surprised when the phone rang.
"Hello?" the woman said, after picking it up.
"The last of your previously joint assets have been liquidized. We have an appointment before Judge Farrell in his chambers at 11 tomorrow morning to sign the decree, finalizing your divorce to make it official," her lawyer said on the other end. "I'm putting everything in a national bank under your maiden name, so you can access the funds wherever you go."
"Good. And those other arrangements I requested?"
"I had my secretary look into it. We can get you to Seattle, but will have to arrange a rental car from there because there are no direct flights to that small town you wanted to visit. Sun River?"
"Moon Lake," his client reminded the lawyer. "I want to see what's left of my family and try to figure out my life from there."*
AND BACK IN THE LADY'S FUTURE DESTINATION...
The Twists sat around their dinner table, enjoying their meal.
Samantha and her wife Francis, along with their adopted son Ben, were still in their human forms. For now.
Because of the current tensions between them, the happily married lesbian werecats and the werewolf had been silent outside of what little was absolutely needed to be said to eat.
Frances looked around the table. She knew Samantha would support her, no matter what. But it was Ben's future that weighed most on her mind.
Finally, unable to take the silence any more, Frances said, "I've made a decision. Ben—"
TO BE CONTINUED...
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*This woman was last seen in our past episode "Moon Lake, Andersons: Impending Events"; where I also named Ginger and Fred O'Toole's parents as Lillian and Patrick, but got them wrong in their most recent appearance. My bad. SORRY!
Anyway, whoever the lady is, her current actions will be affecting members of our cast in the future.—tmw.