Joanne Howard sat in the Intensive Care Unit's waiting room at San Diego General, worried about both her fiance and her lover's only child.
The red haired woman had overheard Karen Yuletide talking to her fiance Peter Talbot about Karen's "induction" into something being interrupted by news of her mother's terrible accident.
Joanne couldn't fault Karen dropping everything to rush from Washington State back to California in Monica Yuletide's proverbial hour of need, yet she was still concerned about her future wife's child.
Karen isn't mixed up in some cult, is she? While men aren't my thing, this Peter Talbot seems nice enough, she thought, taking a glance at the man sitting on the other side of Karen.
Six foot something. Muscular without being cliched or too bulky. Whatever "ceremony" Monica's accident interrupted, both seemed anxious for it to happen, yet what little investigating Joanne could do while at work today didn't shed any light on the subject.
If anything, it deepened the mystery, for most of the pictures of Moon Lake, Washington she was able to Google showed the majority of the local residents like Peter: built, buff, and beautiful.
Karen, while beautiful like her mother, was nowhere near the same league as the women in the photos Joanne saw.
Would that change once she was "inducted", and what was she being inducted into?
Joanne had so many questions she wanted to ask, and the opportunity arose when Peter's cellphone started buzzing.
He looked at the display and said, "It's a text from my father, inquiring as to how we are doing."
Peter was about to start a reply text when Karen suggested, "Maybe you should call him."
"Good idea," he said, rising from his seat. "If there's news, I'll just be in the men's room, trying to obtain a little privacy for my conversation."
Then he kissed Karen on the top of her blonde head before leaving.
As the waiting room door closed, Joanne said, "Men aren't my thing, but he seems like quite a catch."
"He definitely is," said Karen with a smile.
Joanne paused before saying, "So, we haven't had much opportunity to get to know each other better."
"True," agreed Karen. "This is definitely more awkward than what Peter and I originally had planned about coming down for Thanksgiving weekend and introducing him as my fiance."
"Guess it was a bit of a shock finding out about me and Monica too," realized Joanne.
"A little," admitted Karen. "I always figured that mom might someday finally find someone else to love, and it's not that I have anything against same gender couples of any combination. It's just a surprise that mom fell in love with a woman."
"Truthfully, I think Monica was prepared to spend the rest of her life as a spinster before we met. I really had to go out of my way to court her before she would even consider something as platonic as lunch, let alone anything more serious that could be considered an actual date."
"When dad left, it hurt both of us tremendously," confessed Karen. "The fact that you got through to her at all is commendable."
"Thank you. I really do love your mother, and to see her like this..." Joanne said, fighting tears. "Even when she finally realized that she had romantic feelings for another woman, let alone me specifically, it still took awhile to earn her trust, let alone love. But it was all worth it. The age difference between us—"
"What age difference?" asked Karen, interupting Joanne.
"Neither of us looks it right now, but she's eight years older than me. Your mom's pushing 40 and I just entered my 30s. Anyway, age was the last obstacle I had to overcome but once I accomplished that, she accepted my marriage proposal and couldn't wait for you to come home during Thanksgiving break and introduce us to each other."
"She is one for surprises. I didn't even know mom was dating until we came here and..." then Karen grew silent.
"Well, that apple didn't fall far from the tree, because neither of us knew about Peter before your arrival," said Joanne, using that as her opportunity to start asking some questions. "How long have the two of you..."
"I met him in my art class," Karen answered, explaining about Peter's life modeling.
"He doesn't just pose nude, does he?" asked Joanne.
"No," said Karen, not mentioning she had already seen him furry too. "He graduates next year with a business degree."
"So have the two of you..."
"What? Oh, no. Not yet," said Karen, genuinely blushing.
"How do you like this Moon Lake?" wondered Joanne.
"Nice, quiet little town. A far cry from San Diego. Yet if it wasn't for my scholarship getting me a full ride, I probably wouldn't be going to school at all."
"What would you be doing?"
"Don't know. I would still have liked it to be something artistic, but definitely something that didn't involve the phrase Do you want fries with that?"
"I hear ya! Monica has shown me some of your work. You do have quite a talent," said Joanne.
"Thank you. Mom's my biggest fan. Peter runs a very close second, but their opinions are a bit biased, if you know what I mean."
"Don't knock it. Monica says you're doing well, grade wise."
"Pretty strong A/B average," confirmed Karen.
"A as in Art, I presume?"
"Yes. I want to enter the animation field after I graduate and oversee my own productions."
"Having never been to it myself, what's college like? Is it wild fraternity parties and all the other cliches you hear about?"
"Can't swear to any of that personally. Everyone I know takes their studies and courses pretty seriously," replied Karen.
"Monica says you have a good head on your shoulders. Nice to see you're doing her proud."
"I try."
Well, that makes all of this as clear as mud, thought Joanne. What the heck is it you want Peter to 'induct' you into, and what is it about what little I do know about this Moon Lake that has me worried about you?