Morticia Belladonna Addams was known to the world by various names. To her children, she was Mother. To all but her closest friends, she preferred to be Mrs Addams, relishing the reinforcing of that link to her husband and family. To Lurch, that deep rumble with which he greeted her was known to all as a respectful endearment all its own. To her own dear Mama, she was Tisha. And to her beloved Gomez...
Cara mia
"You look radiant tonight, cara mia. Look at you, bathed in moonlight, surrounded by death and decay. You have never looked more at home."
Despite being a red-blooded Spaniard, the most common endearment Gomez reached for when addressing his darling one was in fact Italian. His dearest one. Spanish, English and Italian phrases often fell in a muddle from his lips, so eager to voice his feelings and quick to respond was he. It certainly didn't hurt that a loving 'cara mia' from Gomez was bound to elicit an equally tender 'mon sauvage' from Morticia. Everything about his wife drove Gomez wild, it is true, but once she spoke French, he was a man possessed, a fact Morticia herself was well aware of. No matter what language they spoken, however, their intent and meaning towards each other was just the same. Devotion, plain and simple.
Mi preciosa
"Is everything alright, mi preciosa?"
Morticia was indeed precious to Gomez, that could not be denied. He had come to realise very early on, however, that despite being the most treasured part of his life, Morticia was not as vulnerable as that nickname might suggest. It is true, he had once rushed to her rescue, diving through the glass window and valiantly battling that cad Tully after he had tied up his beloved wife on their own wheel of pain. But she had saved him numerous times over, in many ways. Morticia was strong, quietly confident, and she could be terrifyingly fierce if any harm were to be bestowed upon those she loved. Precious, yes indeed. But vulnerable? Only in the dead of night, wrapped in her husband's arms. There, she felt safe enough to let down every guard and defence, and give herself entirely over to Gomez.
Tish
"What do you think, Tish? Should we consider it?"
Tish was Gomez's partner, his equal. He valued her opinion, wanted her wise counsel in all matters, and took pains to ensure that her wishes regarding the running of their marital home, the raising of their children, and his business affairs were listened to and honoured. It was a beloved familiar name when spoken by her husband, but Morticia hated anyone bar Gomez using it – even her own Mother added an 'a' to the end when addressing her daughter. On those odd occasions in front of unfamiliar folk, when the more romantic or suggestive names Gomez had for his wife would just not do, Tish was his favoured means of address. It meant an easy intimacy and fondness between devoted husband and adoring wife.
Darling
"My darling, it's you I'm worried about. All this stress..."
'Darling' was usually a sentiment bestowed by Morticia upon Gomez himself, freely interspersed throughout her everyday addressing of her husband. For Gomez however, the word was used to convey his concern and worry for his Morticia's health and happiness. A tender sobriquet often accompanied by a kiss on the hand or a caress of her face. In those moments, Morticia knew she could let down her guard, spill her soul to her beloved, safe in the knowledge that he would crawl over coals to make everything right once again.
Eres divina
''Te deseo, te quiero tanto, eres divina!''
An evocation of pure desire and passion for his dark lover. Gomez's lustful tone, the break in his voice as he told his wife she was heaven itself, spoke volumes, more so than the Spanish words themselves. No language that Gomez could speak could do justice to his sweetheart, but the way in which he uttered those words, often accompanied by physical demonstrations of his verbal worship, left Morticia in no doubt whatsoever as to the depth of his love and want for her. In true Addams style, it was not just behind closed doors that Gomez chose to remind Morticia of her divinity. All present at the local charity auction the community had organised several years ago recalled the moment Mr and Mrs Addams had forgone all social propriety, culminating in Morticia's cries of ecstasy echoing through the crowded room, much to the amusement of many of those present. She was hot, heavenly and divine, he could not resist making her his, regardless of their location. It was as simple as that, in their world.
Mi encantadora
''Do you recall the night we met? You were so beautiful, pale and mysterious. You bewitched me. I proposed that very night. I would give you anything your heart desires, mi encantadora.''
She was his enchantress, the bewitching dark soul that had owned him since the moment they met. It was not something over which Morticia herself had any control; hexes and spells were strictly forbidden from her love life, by her own demand. One thing she would never do was interfere with her man's feelings for her. No, it was something innate and natural within herself which had captivated her beloved Gomez all those years ago, and she could only thank the stars that he still found her as bewitching after all this time. Love such as theirs needed no potions, no sorcery. Just a boy, a girl and an open grave.
Morticia
"Te quiero, mi Morticia. I swear by all I hold unholy and wicked in this world, that I shall spend eternity adoring you and everything that you are. You hold my very soul along with yours. Everything that I am and all that I have is yours for always. Nothing shall part us, not even death, and so I shall simply say this; until my life is over, and forever thereafter, I shall love you, dance with you and honour you, my beautiful Morticia."
The first time he had spoken her name as 'Morticia' after having met on that fateful night, had been their wedding. Granted, it had been a mere fortnight that passed between their meeting and marrying, but they had spent each of those fourteen days and nights together, and multitudes of endearments had passed Gomez's lips in reference to his bride-to-be in that time. Not once, though, had one of them been her given name.
As the young Addams had iterated his vows on that rainy night in the graveyard, surrounded by loved ones both living and long since dead, he had drawn a tear to Morticia's eye. His words and actions had stirred her emotions, naturally, but the single moment that moved a tear to roll down her cheeks, hidden to all by her black veil, was the unadulterated passion and adoration with which he spoke her name as he promised his life and his death to her alone.
Nothing in this world conveyed more tenderness and love than on those odd occasions when Gomez uttered her full name. Not even his most florid use of language and romantic of endearments could match the thrill she got from hearing him whisper her name in the dead of night. It was her undoing, and each time, she fell in love with her beloved husband once more.
