IT'S JANUARY FIRST. HAPPY NEW YEAR!—The Masked Writer 2016, formerly 2015.
WITHIN THE STOVALL HOUSEHOLD...
"This has certainly been another fun day in Moon Lake," observed Martin Stovall in the privacy of his bedroom later that night. He was already in his pajamas and laying atop the turned down covers of their king sized bed, thinking about reading before going to sleep.
"Yeah, even without all the town business that you can't tell me about," added his wife Melissa, from their private bathroom. She had left the bathroom door open so they could talk while she was getting ready for bed.
"You know," said Martin, forgetting about the books on his nightstand, "I've got to be honest with you. Sometimes I forget how smart Julie really is. Has to take after you," he added, turning on his side to stare at the open bathroom door.
"Oh? What brought this on?" asked his wife, before Martin heard the sound of teeth being brushed.
"This evening, after supper, when we sat down to discuss the facts of life with her. From a clinical and scientific stand point, Julie understood everything perfectly."
There was pause in the brushing before Melissa said, "I sense a 'but' coming, though." Then she resumed cleaning her teeth.
"The emotional side of things. Sometimes I think Julie sees the romance more than anything else."
Martin heard his wife spit before she replied. "Julie is only 14. Of course she's going to see that. Between the books she reads in her personal time and our shining example of how a happy romantic couple should be..."
"Well, I certainly don't want to discourage that. And she does seem happy with Eric Anderson."
"I think they're both trying to feel their way on this. From the one private chat I had with his mother when I dropped off his book bag yesterday, Eric's a very intelligent kid too, but this is foreign territory for both of them," observed Melissa, as she began flossing her teeth.
"Sometimes as a parent, I want to do everything I can to help Julie grow and succeed. Yet there are other times when I just want that cute little child who fell asleep in my arms every night as I read to her to never grow up," admitted Martin.
"I think every parent feels that way. I know I do," agreed Melissa from the bathroom.
"From what I've seen, they do make a good couple though," conceded Martin. "They're both smart, and they compliment each others' strengths and weaknesses so well. Together, they balance the head and the heart. Her over emotionalizing things at times augmenting his overthinking things at times and vice versa."
"Like us. It's uncanny. Especially whenever Julie calls herself and Eric us in reverse."
"I know." Then Martin paused before adding, "I've never told you this before, because you're... touchy about the ten year gap between our first meeting and our wedding night as it is. But some of those nights I went without you, I pined so miserably about being alone..."
"REALLY?" asked Melissa, stopping whatever she was doing.
"Like I told Eric. Love at first sight is a genuine, proven scientific fact for were-mers. The moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one. Intellectually, I was willing to wait as long as it took, but emotionally..."
Silence was the only response from the bathroom.
"Honey? Are you all right?" he asked, as Martin started to get out of bed.
"I'm okay," sobbed his wife. "Just give me a moment," she sniffled.
"I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't. That was a wonderful compliment. That your love for me runs so deep..."
"It still does."
There was another pause, before Melissa changed the subject by asking, "You still worried about the pill issue?"
"I am her father," was Martin's only response, as he laid on his back to stare at the ceiling. At his wife's insistence, he had painted it aqua-blue with little swirls of alternate colors to mimic looking up at the water's surface from below. The ceiling light was the only thing that spoiled the illusion. "Then again, considering the libidos of some weres..."
"Well, Julie's now promised us she would stay on it until after her first wedding anniversary."
"Whenever that is." realized Martin.
"We'll just have to trust her. But she is a were-mermaid of her word," added Melissa.
The last sentence grew louder as Martin heard footsteps and a light switch click off.
He turned and saw his wife standing in the open doorway of their bathroom.
Except for the pearl necklace he gave her as a symbol of his love during their wedding ceremony and a smile, Melissa Stovall was wearing absolutely nothing else.
As she approached him, Martin saw the sparkle, and undeniable lust within his wife's now sea green eyes. "I need you," announced Melissa, as she anxiously took his pajama bottoms off. "Hold me. Love me. NEVER let me go!" exclaimed Melissa as she mounted her husband's hardening penis.
"Always!" promised Martin, as he gently cradled Melissa within his arms.