"So, how is your family finding Moon Lake?" Mrs. Stovall asked Mrs. Anderson.
"Just lovely, now that things have settled down since Yvette Smith has finally been taken into custody," replied Martha. "Nate wanted to be the family were from the beginning, and apparently harbored a secret fantasy of becoming a werewolf long before we moved here and discovered it was actually possible. Granted, William would have preferred to have a choice in whether or not to become one, let alone which variety, but the three of us have adjusted quite well to our new state of being. Especially in my case. It's like a part of our lives we didn't even know was missing has finally been recovered."
"I know the feeling," agreed Melissa. "At first, I was shocked when Martin told me weres existed, let alone the fact that he was one too. But over time I finally listened to my heart and fell in love with him, embracing every aspect about him, including his were side. I certainly wasn't a virgin before moving to Moon Lake; but our honeymoon, when we finally consummated our relationship and he welcomed me into were society, let alone made me his were-mermaid, was one of the most exciting and happiness days of my life," she said with a smile, before sipping more of her tea. "The only regret I have is that I didn't come to my senses sooner and marry Martin earlier. I shudder to think of all the time together that I wasted."
"But weres are supposed to be very long lived. So think of all the time you still have ahead," pointed out Martha.
"True," agreed Melissa, recalling that the oldest were she had ever met was pushing 400 when he passed away. "But if you're willing to tell me, how is Eric adjusting to being the only 'normal' in the house now?"
"He seems okay with it. We've all shown Eric our alternate forms and explained to him that, except in my husband's case, we just did what was right for us. Why do you ask?" wondered Martha.
"Peer pressure can be a funny thing. While no one I know of would do such a thing, I don't want Eric to think that he has to become a were to be accepted or fit in. The citizens of Moon Lake don't believe or behave like that. In the end, everyone will want Eric to eventually do what's right for him, regardless of what that might be," said Melissa Stovall. Although it will break Julie's heart if Eric doesn't eventually become a were-merman so they can live happily forever after together, like in those dreams they apparently have been sharing.
MEANWHILE...
The subjects of the parental conversation have been having a nice, quiet, romantic dinner together.
Julie Stovall led Eric Anderson on their walking tour of Moon Lake to the local diner. Granted, it was also the only diner in Moon Lake, but still...
Eric had never been in one before, and was caught up in the retro-decor and styling of the place. Spotting a microwave oven in the kitchen through the order window, the fact that the old fashioned looking jukebox actually played CDs, and there was a small assortment of video games in the back corner were the only things that threatened to break the illusion.
The fledgling couple sat down in a small booth, each sitting across the Formica topped table from the other. After looking over the menus, Eric ordered the Chicken Fried Steak dinner with ice tea, and was surprised when Julie asked for the same.
After the waitress left to place their order, Eric looked at his date and said, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I thought mer people only ate seafood."
"While it's true that mers love seafood, it's not the only thing we eat," said Julie with a smile. "Life's full of surprises. Why, just a couple of weeks ago, neither of us knew the other existed, and now look at us," she added, reaching out to hold his hand.
Eric couldn't help but smile at her, as their fingers touched. "Julie..." he began to say, but then the waitress delivered their drinks, and promised their food would be along in a couple of minutes.
Eric and Julie started eating their meal in silence. But then Eric felt something strange against his leg. He looked underneath the table long enough to see that Julie had kicked a shoe off, and was running her stocking foot against him.
Eric smiled at his new girlfriend, took a long sip of his tea, and then found the courage to speak to her. "Julie, I have to be totally honest with you."
"That's the best kind of relationship to have," she said, putting her knife and fork down. "What's up?"
"The way I feel about you..." he began, trying to find the right words. "I've never felt this way about anyone before in my whole life. If I'm not already in love with you, I'm pretty dang close."
Julie simply looked at him with those rich blue eyes of hers and smiled. What she actually wanted to do was run around the table and immediately hug and kiss Eric, but never said a word, for she felt he had more to say.
"Yet... the whole were situation..." Then Eric grew silent.
When she couldn't take the silence any more, Julie asked, "What about it?"
"As far back as I can remember, despite being picked on and bullied about it at times, science has been my life. While there may not be another live crew mission going to the moon or beyond in my lifetime, I've always longed to be a part of that in some way. Maybe developing a new rocket fuel, or finally figuring out a safe and practical method for faster than light travel, if not actually being a part of one of those future expeditions."
"So?" said Julie, not understanding what the problem might be. "If you ever do decide to become a were, there's no reason or rule that says you can't do both. There have been plenty of were scientists, and a couple were part of the space program too, although none of us have actually made it into outer space yet."
Then Eric actually started to blush as he said, "Right now, I'm beginning to wonder if that even matters, because if I ever do become a were, the only type of were I want to be is the kind that you would be proud to know, love, and be with."
Julie stared at Eric, fighting to hold in the tears of joy she wanted to express, despite that comment about if I ever do decide to become a were.
She knew her next words would be crucial to his, hers, and their future; so she thought them over very carefully before speaking. "Eric Anderson, I am proud to know, love, and be with you right now as a normal human being; and if you ever do decide to become a were, I would still be proud to know, love, and be with you, regardless of what type of were you became," she said, reaching out to hold his hand again. But please eventually decide to become a were-merman my darling.
"But what about you?" Eric asked. "You told me you wanted to study Oceanography and help find a way to protect and preserve the seas and sea life from pollution and climate change."
"So?" Julie asked in return. "I can still do that. Besides, if the space program ever does get that far again in our lifetimes; they have water in some way, shape, or form on other planets, don't they?"
Without another word, Eric leaned over the table and kissed Julie, who eagerly returned the romantic gesture. The fact that they each now had cream gravy stains on their clothes from their Chicken Fried Steaks didn't matter to the happy couple.
Unknown to the dating Freshmen, Samantha Twist had walked into the diner to pick up the takeout order to feed her family and Martha Anderson, their dinner guest tonight; when she spotted Eric and Julie. Her acute werecat hearing had overheard most of their recent conversation as she pulled out her cellphone long enough to take a picture of them kissing. She would share the image with Martha and Frances, but would wait until the next time they were along to tell her wife what she heard.
Then Samantha paid for her food and left, hoping she had done so unobserved.
However, being the only weres in the diner besides the employees, Julie had picked up the slight scent of werecat and briefly opened her eyes just as Samantha Twist was putting her cellphone away. Her lips curled into a slight smile as she continued kissing Eric, hoping that sometime she could get a copy of any pictures the Town Chancellor might have taken for herself and Eric.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Technically, the Moon Lake Saga is currently about a week and a half away from Halloween in our story line, but Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!—The Masked Writer 2015.