Nervous to see Morticia, Gomez insisted on performing his most obscure tasks first. The guarantee that they would keep him away from a chance encounter with her put him at ease. Until he gained more control over his urges, he forbid himself from seeking her out. The fear that he may do or say something to lose her trust terrified him. If he could not confide in Morticia, he was sure all hope was lost at breaking this spell.
Knowing her routine made it easy for him to plan around her. This was the time of day that Morticia was in the conservatory feeding Cleopatra, so naturally Gomez chose to dust the family portraits that lined the hallways of the upper levels of the house. Familiar faces greeted him as moved down the halls. He smiled as he cleaned the portraits of his ancestors, happily thinking about various memories or stories. Even though they were gone, they managed to lovinging give him comfort by easing his distress as he gazed at their images.
Gomez completely lost track of time while with the portraits, studying each one as if it was the first time he saw it. That's when he stumbled upon the first picture he was actually seeing for the first time, a family portrait of these doppelganger Addamses. Morticia was seated in her high-back wicker chair, Edgar standing at her right with his hand resting on her shoulder, and a dark haired baby sitting on Morticia's lap. Gomez was fascinated, for the first time since his unfortunate predicament began, he could stare at this imposter family without the fear of being caught.
Once he believed he absorbed all he could from that picture, he moved on to the next. It was similar to the one he was just looking at, but in this one Edgar held Thorn on his shoulders and baby Ivan was swaddled in Morticia's arms. Seeing the children so young made Gomez's heart ache for Wednesday and Pugsley. He couldn't help but think back to when Morticia first told him she was pregnant, he didn't think he would ever be happier than he was in that moment, but seeing Wednesday's little red face proved him wrong. Actually, he felt his capacity for happiness grew daily because of his family. Again, a stab of sadness pierced his heart and he couldn't bear to look at the picture any longer.
Quickly glancing over the next few frames that decorated the wall, Gomez was purposefully trying to avoid looking at the ones of the children. His eyes hunted for her like a hawk, spotting her pale face in a few different pictures. The first was larger than those around it and contained just Morticia and Edgar. Gomez quickly realized it was their wedding portrait. A black veil adorned Morticia's head, and a beautiful black lace gown covered her body. Edgar was exquisitely dressed as well, complete with tails and a top hat. Entranced, Gomez obsessed over every detail. He compared the image to the one burned in his memory of his wedding day. Everything about Morticia seemed different compared to when she was his bride. Her long hair was pulled up and covered by the long dark veil. Although her dress was black, its neckline was high and its train was extremely long, leaving no flesh but her hands and face exposed. The only thing that seemed consistent was her bouquet of thorns which were lain delicately in the crook of her arm.
Still obsessing over this strange bridal image, Gomez's eyes began to feel strained. Wiping a hand across his closed eyelids, he looked up with a fresh view and immediately saw it. It was one of the smaller pictures on the wall, but his eyes were trained for her image. At first he didn't believe what he was seeing, Morticia exactly as he was used to seeing her. Her ebony hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she was wearing the dress that drove him wild, the dress she married him in and promised she would never exchange for another.
Leaning in closer to the picture, he drank her in. Beating faster, his heart was sparked by the familiar sight of his willowy wife. Gomez didn't realize he was holding his breath, until her voice danced into his ears startling him.
"Isn't she lovely? That was her wedding day."
For a moment all he could do was stare at Morticia, not sure if he was imagining her. She admired the picture, her eyes glued to the image. Gomez turned his attention back to the picture to see whom Morticia was referencing. Only then did he realize that Morticia stood beside a daisy headed Ophelia dressed all in white. What he didn't expect to see was his cousin Balthazar, whose arm was wrapped possessively around Ophelia's waist.
"They do make a strange couple." Gomez tried to compliment.
Still staring at the image Morticia replied. "Ophelia was actually supposed to marry Edgar."
Gomez waited for her to explain, but she seemed lost in the past as if the photograph magically transported her back to the exact moment it captured. Desperate for her to continue this new intimacy, he questioned.
"She was? Then how did you end up married to him?"
"My mother and Mama Addams are old friends. When they were in school they promised each other that if they had children they would arrange it so they married each other. I think they liked the idea of sharing the same grandchildren. Ophelia is older than me, so they matched her with Edgar. They didn't expect her to fall in love with his cousin."
Morticia's eyes glanced to her wedding portrait.
"So you just took her place?"
"My mother figured; A Frump is a Frump."
"You didn't marry for love?"
Gomez regretted asking it as soon as the words passed his lips. For the first time since she appeared next to him, Morticia met his eyes. Oceans of blue seemed to storm with emotion as she looked into his soul. Trying desperately to decipher what damage he had done, he held her intense stare. The silence was killing him, fearing he had offended her.
"Forgive me, Mrs. Addams." he whispered as he dropped his gaze. "I didn't mean to.."
"It's alright, Gomez." came her soft reply. He watched as she forced a quick little smile. "I may not have married for love, but I am fortunate that it grew."
Morticia was clearly trying to defend herself, her beautiful vulnerability quickly being replaced by unbreachable walls. Desperate to regain what little familiarity they had, Gomez tried to smooth everything over.
"Of course, that's why I asked. It is surprising that a woman capable of such sensual and deep love had an arranged marriage."
To his complete dismay, his statement seemed to make things worse. A slight blush blossomed on Morticia's cheeks, and she let her gaze fall to the floor. Gomez took a step closer to her, swearing that when he did her body swayed towards him before settling back on her feet.
"Forgive me, Mrs. Addams. Everything I say seems to be wrong."
Sapphire eyes rose to meet his gaze, their familiar sparkle capturing Gomez's heart with a peirce as deadly as an arrow. Neither said another word, as their eyes swam in the shades of color before them. Gomez couldn't help but lean into her, trying to breathe as much of her perfume as possible. Aching, his lips begged to be mated with hers. The need to feel her plump pout against him was insatiable, his body betraying his anxious mind as he leaned down to capture her ruby lips.
"Mother! Mother!" Thorn's loud voice tore Gomez from the gravitational pull that beckoned him to Morticia. The little girl appeared at the end of the hall, and once her eyes locked on Morticia she ran full force for her mother's legs. Pulling on Morticia's long black dress, Thorn continued to beg for her attention despite having it all.
"What is it, Thorn darling?"
"Come see what Ivan and I taught Socrates." Thorn grabbed Morticia's hand and tried to pull her towards the stairs. Morticia winced in pain and pulled her hand out of her daughter's strong little grasp. With a quick glance at a visibly concerned Gomez, Morticia offered Thorn her other hand and started to follow her to watch what trick they taught the octopus. Stopping at the top of the stairs, Thorn turned and motioned for Gomez to follow.
