Hunter
When Blue and I returned to the lunch table, we acted like we hadn’t tried to eat each other by the
fountain area just a moment ago. Instead, I picked up my mini-pizza and took a large bite off it, and
reached out to get the Tuna Greek salad wrap. Elaine and dad knew what had happened of course;
their faces told me they weren’t oblivious. If anything, they appeared to be content with this new
development, i.e: me getting serious with a woman in my life. The mermaid part, they didn’t need to
know.
I noticed Elaine’s plate filled with her usual vegan food. Not that I hated vegan food, it’s just that I
couldn’t make a habit of eating it to save my life.
“Blue and Hunter were swapping saliva out there. I saw you.” Elliot spoke to me with a mouthful of
sausages.
Aunt Paige sighed and shook her head. She picked up her plate, and reached out to grab Elliot. “Let’s
go sit and eat with Hannah, sweetie...”
Elliot pulled his hand away. “No. I’m sitting here with Blue.”
“Come, Elliot.” Aunt Paige warned having had enough.
“Nooooooo....”
“You’re not going to the Carnival next Sunday.” Aunt Paige said. She’d pulled an ace out of her sleeve.
I realized she must be doing this often.
Elliot jumped down from the table. “Where’s Hannah? Let’s go sit with her.”
I watched as the mother and the kid walked away from the table and that made this even more
awkward. At least Elliot played as a good comical distraction between our conversation.
“So Blue, what are you planning to pursue as a career?” Dad asked.
"Haven’t really thought of any career as of now.” She said.
Good girl.
I’d predicted my dad’s list of questionnaire for Blue and had told her specific answers to those
questions, so far nothing had been asked out of the book.
“Surely you have something you aspire to become.”
Blue thought of that for a while.
Oh god, no.
This wasn’t even rehearsed. Blue was walking into dangerous territory.
Before I could tap her knee, she said, “I’d like to become anything that Hunter would like me to
become.”
Huh?
I could see the surprise on their faces, clear as day. Dad narrowed his eyes at me; even my step-mom
was giving me cold stares now. What were they thinking?
“You shouldn’t let Hunter dictate your life. Do what you want to.” Dad suggested Blue.
Right. They thought I was being a possessive boyfriend and keeping Blue from doing what she truly
wanted.
“You could also go into modeling. You have the face and the body. Why haven’t to tried yet?”
Blue shrugged. “I don’t know what modeling is.”
“Have you never wanted to be something?”
“A mother. I just saw a mother while I was going to work the other day, and I really wish I could have a
child like that, my very own baby that I could watch as he or she grew up. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
I was two seconds away from face palming.
Speechless. That’s how the table was at the moment. I continued to eat my food like Blue hadn’t just
admitted to my parents that she aspired to become a mother. Someone needed to tell this beautiful
mermaid-girl that ‘becoming a mother’ didn’t constitute as a career option. It was more of a natural way
of life.
The dead silence dragged on when dad asked, “How could you?” And that was the first time my father
had acknowledged me directly.
“What have you done?” That was my step-mom.
I had to put the spoon of caviar back on the plate that was supposed to go in my mouth. I looked at the
two of them. “What did I do? Why are you guys looking at me like I’m some kind of a criminal?” I asked
them directly, having had enough of getting the accusing stares and being treated like I had some
deadly viral diseases.
My step-mom sighed. Literally fucking sighed, and Elaine never sighed in front of guests unless she
was downright pissed. Blue appeared to be folding and unfolding the table cloth, obviously worried and
confused about what was happening.
“You do not have a right to spoil a woman’s life, or her career.” Dad bellowed.
Blue was in tears. “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I couldn’t lie to them.”
I raised my hands in defeat, in confusion. My family was going to drive me fucking mad. “I have no idea
what you guys are talking about.”
In a soft voice, Elaine asked. “Why didn’t you tell us anything, Hunter?” to Blue she asked, “How many
months pregnant are you, my dear?”
“Preg…what?” Blue asked.
I tried to hold in my laughter. I understood why they assumed Blue was pregnant. First, her answer to
their question and secondly, it was still hard for them to come to terms with the fact that I would get into
a serious relationship with someone, unless….
Well, unless I’d gotten her pregnant.
“Look, son…” Dad said in a level-headed voice. It appeared to me like he was starting to have jolly
dreams of playing with his non-existent grandchild. “I understand things like these could happen, she
got pregnant but so what? Both of you are still young, but it doesn’t mean Blue cannot pursue a career
she’s interested in.”
“I agree.” Elaine said, her eyes were glazed over too. Seemed like she was planning to take her future
grandchild to charity events and show off to her circle of posh ladies. “You can have a kid and still
manage it. We will do what we can to help.”
“I don’t think I’ve been more proud of you, Hunter, taking responsibility for the young lady and the child.
We have enough money to make sure the child gets everything he or she needs, you only have to
worry….”
Dad rambled on. Could either of them stop talking to just breathe? I needed a small chance to talk.
“We could talk to Blue’s parents. They have nothing to worry about.” Dad assured us.
Elaine was getting giddy with happiness; she took Blue’s hands in hers. “Forgive me, honey, but I’m so
excited for this. Can we have a baby shower at the mansion?”
I laughed because now my parents had become really desperate. And my chest was filled with a warm
fuzziness that I couldn’t even describe. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. To have
my father admit that he cared for me enough to say that he would support me if I wanted to have a
family was just so overwhelming.
How could I become so happy in one day?
“Dad, Elaine…guys…I’m sorry to break it to you…” I grinned. “But Blue is not pregnant.”
They stared at me with blank expressions for so long that I thought I’d made a mistake by telling them
this.
“Oh.” Elaine said. “We…we thought…oh never mind.”
“I’m sorry that I’m not pregnant.” Blue said innocently. “I tried to…I tried to convince Hunter that we
could—”
I pressed her hand under the table and when she looked at me in question, I slowly shook my head.
God only knew what she was about to say. One could only guess.
Dad brushed his fingers on his thick mustache, I guess he was feeling embarrassed. He was the one
most excited. He eyed the steak accusingly, like it was to blame for the misunderstanding. “Mrs.
Timble, where’s the desert?”
Now looking at their heartbroken faces, I kinda wished Blue was pregnant with me.
“Dad, thank you.” I said.
He looked up from his plate; his silver-gray eyes which were much like mine assessed me. “What for?”
“For everything.” I said. I caught Blue’s hand once again and just held it so I could have her strength,
her courage to speak what was on my mind because I needed it. “I’ve caused you a lot of trouble; I’ve
messed up more times than I can count, and you’ve always had my back. I hated you for cutting my
financial resources but when I look back now, I think you did the right thing. I needed this wake up call.
Thank you for that.”
I felt Blue’s fingers trace mine slowly; she was helping me to go on. What I was about to say right now
was the hardest thing ever, because it needed to be done. I needed to let some things go. I went on,
“And I do not blame you for what Mom did to you. To us.”
For a long time, when I’ve had rows with my father, we’d often argued about my actual mother leaving
us, and when I was angry, I never thought of what words came out of my mouth. I’d blamed my father
for her mistakes. I’d told him it was his fault that she’d decided to leave, never wondering if that’s want
she wanted regardless of the fact that he’d tried in vain to keep the family together.
Dad nodded. “Welcome back, son.”
“Elaine…” I said to my step-mother. “I’m mostly not around anymore in the house, and I hardly ever get
to say this but I’m really thankful that you’re part of the family. My mom left me and dad alone when I
was so young and then you came along and helped him smile. Instead of appreciating you for taking up
the role of my mother…I…I caused you pain for years. I’m so…so sorry.”
I heard a sob and when I looked up I saw the fresh tears in her eyes. Tears of joy. She climbed up from
her seat, “Oh, honey…” She came around the table towards me and enveloped me in a hug, the same
way she always did since I was around eight or nine, the time when I hated this woman, when I thought
all step-mothers were like the one from Cinderella’s story, who would ask me to scrub the floor.
She kissed the top of my head and said, “I love you, Hunter sweetie.”
I nodded. “I know you do.”
When it was time to leave, Elaine asked Blue to visit again and promised that they would do a girls day
out with Hannah, and Blue appeared to be enthusiastic about the idea. Hannah was her best friend,
and it appeared that she got along really well with my step-mom, too. It was a win-win situation, any
way you looked at it.
Elliot was reluctant to let Blue leave, he’d already told her that she was his girlfriend and that he would
marry her when he grew up.
I climbed into my car that evening feeling happier than I’d ever felt in a long time. Blue had confessed
that she loved me, and it seemed like the wall between my father and I was becoming non-existent. I
couldn’t have asked for more.
“I’ve embarrassed you, haven’t I?” Blue asked me from the passenger seat.
I kept one grip on the steering wheel, and took her hand with the other, brought it to my lips and kissed
it. “You haven’t embarrassed me at all. In fact, you made me proud.” I chuckled to myself. “My family,
they think I won a lottery with you.”
Blue stared at me in confusion. “A lottery? You mean like money?”
That made me laugh some more. “You’re the lottery ticket, honey. A jackpot.”
We snuggled on the couch that night and watched a movie together, I’d ordered Pizza for dinner which
was Blue’s favorite. She loved eating the pepperoni separately. Dr. Pepper was her favorite drink, and
she loved running her fingers through my hair.
This time she didn’t have to insist sleeping in the same bed, I’d climbed in with her willingly.
Regardless, she still appeared to be worried about something. She kept looking at the window. When I
closed it and drew the curtains, she seemed to be a bit relived.
I stripped off my shirt and jeans, keeping only the boxers on. I hadn’t allowed her to do the same, so
Blue slept in her nightie. When she hugged me under the blanket, I instantly went hard down south and
I had a pretty good idea it was poking her. We spent a lot of time making out, my hand was kneading
her breast and my balls were literally screaming at me for release. I realized that this wasn’t good for
my health. But I couldn’t bring myself to go further with Blue other than touching and kissing. I was
having an inner battle with myself. My body was screaming at me to take what was being offered, but
my mind was asking me to wait. In the end my mind won over my body, although I knew it wasn’t going
to be the case any longer. She told me she loved me, and I loved her too; there was only so much a
man could do to control himself. I’d been holding off from having sex because well, I didn’t want to hurt
the mermaid by deflowering her.
God knew what misconceptions she’d had about sex, and I realized I was scared of disappointing her.
What if she hated having sex? I’d have to die fucking celibate.
A few minutes passed and I heard her soft snores against my chest. I held her against my chest and
closed my eyes. Sometime during the middle of the night, there was a light sting in my arm which woke
me up. I checked the clock on the bedside table, it was way past one a.m. Blue was sleeping
soundlessly, her arm possessively around my middle.
I winced when I felt a shot of pain again. Had I been bitten by a bug? I couldn’t even see anything in
the dark. With nimble fingers, I carefully lifted Blue’s arm off mine and placed it around a pillow. She
moaned and mumbled something in her sleep. Slowly, I climbed to my feet and tiptoed to the bathroom.
I closed the door behind me and switched on the light to check my arm. Unlike my left arm, the right
one was devoid of any tattoos, and right there below my wrist where it was stinging me, I could see it.
A sinister mark, kind of like a serpent, but not exactly. I looked closer and it appeared like a tail of a
fish.
A mermaid?
It looked like it was incomplete and getting branded on my skin. I rubbed my skin there and it stung like
a bitch. I opened the washbasin tap and let the cool water run all over my arm. A few minutes later
when it stopped stinging I went back to bed.
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