Stay With Me

Chapter 10

I feel I have too much left to say to you my dearest wife, and I shall end up writing you a novel if I don't edit my reminisces! I am afraid that you may one day forget our shared history, long after I am gone. I have now been writing this note to you for a full hour, and as I write I can hear our two dear offspring fighting with my best fencing swords in the library. Those rascals! I should have known that locking weapons away would not keep our scallywags from finding them. I shall continue this epistle tomorrow, my darling.

Morticia raised a weak smile as she noticed the slight smudge of ink across the bottom of the page, clearly indicating where Gomez had been surprised in his writings by their duelling children. She was almost relieved that he had taken a break in his musings to her, and she could fully understand why. She was emotionally drained, quite beyond tears, upon reading his loving words. Gomez, being by far the more traditionally emotive of the pair, would have naturally found it a terribly upsetting experience to put pen to paper in this way; he had said as much at the start of his letter. Morticia carefully laid the papers back on her husband's messy desk and stood somewhat shakily. A glance out of the window caused a double take, as she realised the sun had set as she had read, and the gentle lamp light of the mahogany and leather office was complimented by the silver light of the moon streaming in through the window. Morticia heard the sound of thundering footsteps approaching, and hurried to arrange her appearance akin to that of someone who had not just spent the morning grieving for her yet-living lover.

"Mother!" Wednesday cried as she and Pugsley tumbled into the study.

"Children! What is it?" Morticia asked gently, as she greeted them both with a kiss.

"We had career day today at school..." Wednesday began, before being interrupted by her brother.

"And the funeral director was there, he said... he said that we..." Pugsley was somewhat breathless, with excitement or from the exertion of having rushed through the house, Morticia couldn't tell. She smiled expectantly at her daughter, who took over once again.

"He said Pugsley and I could go learn from him this evening, Mother. Embalming and everything. Can we?"

"Well..." Morticia began hesitantly. She was pleased that her children were showing such an interest in their potential future careers already, but she really ought to run this past Gomez first.

"Father says we may, if you agree," Pugsley pleaded, tugging on his mother's skirts.

"Very well then. Off you go," Morticia agreed with an indulgent air, before adding an addendum as they raced off to summon Lurch to accompany them.

"Home by midnight!"

***

"They found you then?" Gomez grinned at his wife as she finally tracked him down. He had retired to bed mid-evening, his fatigue growing more acute, and had left her a short note with Thing, assuming that Morticia had been attending to sundry matters away from the home. It had simply read 'Our room. Missing you.' The dark maiden crossed the room to sit along side him, leaning against their headboard and entwining her fingers with his as her eyes adjusted to the gloom. Victorian lamps covered with dark red chiffons, candles around the foot of their bed, and the dying embers in the fire were the only lights Gomez would permit in their bedroom of late, his eyes growing ever more sensitive to bright lights. Morticia sympathised. She hated any form of sunshine or white light, and would quite happily become fully nocturnal if the practicalities of family life would allow it.

"Lurch has gone with them," she replied, absently stroking her thumb back and forth across Gomez's wrist. "I've told them that midnight is curfew."

"Fully sensible, cara mia. Tomorrow is a school day after all," Gomez agreed, stifling a yawn.

"You are tired, darling?" Morticia punctuated her enquiry with a kiss at his temple. Gomez shook his head, although his weary manner suggested otherwise.

"I shall be fine. Will you join me now?"

Morticia nodded, one final squeeze of his hand before she retired to their en suite to prepare for bed. On her return, she was bought to a halt a few feet from their bed, as she took in the sight of her beloved, sleeping soundly before her. A sight that, up until their whole world had been turned upside down, would have elicited an indulgent smile from her lips as she climbed into bed beside her husband and silently cursed him for falling asleep before she could tire him out in her preferred manner. But now, her mind would immediately jump to the worst conclusion possible. What if it was another step closer to the end? She shook her head, trying to banish such thoughts. She knew deep down that the most logical explanation for Gomez's fatigue was a combination of the emotional toll of writing that letter, coupled with teaching Wednesday and Pugsley to duel. Morticia slid into bed, resting her head against Gomez's chest as she always did. It was how they had slept, ever since their first night together, and Morticia found it almost impossible to fall asleep without the steady beating of her darling's heart, the most beautiful music by which to drift into slumber.

As the final embers beneath the mantelpiece spluttered and faded into nothingness, Morticia was surprised to hear Gomez's low voice addressing her, breaking her reverie.

"What is it, Tish?" he asked, seemingly apropos of nothing. He had been woken by the uneasy feeling that something wasn't as it should be, and having ascertained that his wife was indeed in her usual place cradled against his chest, figured that it was not her absence from their marital bed, but some intangible sorrow deep within that he was sensing.

"Nothing, darling," she murmured quietly, turning her head to hide her face against his shoulder.

"Talk to me, preciosa," Gomez gently encouraged. He stroked her hair tenderly, and this simple act spurred Morticia to spill her soul, safe in the comforting darkness of Gomez's embrace.

"I found the letter, mon cher," she confessed, finding solace in Gomez's continued stroking of her hair and quiet reassurance.

"I'm sorry," Gomez said at length, placing a kiss atop her mess of black hair.

"Whatever are you sorry for?" Morticia raised her head, matching his gaze for the first time that day.

"I hadn't intended you to read that yet, cara mia. Not until I am gone. I... didn't want to upset you any more."

"Gomez, mon amour, I am pleased I found it. You remember so much about our life together. I confess I was desperately upset as I read, but only because it reminded me of what I am losing. To see our story through your eyes..."

The wavering of Morticia's voice spoke volumes, far more than her words could convey, and Gomez turned to pull her close in his embrace.

"My life did not begin until I met you, Tish. I do not care how many years I was destined to have in this lifetime, only that I spent every moment I could with you."

Quite beyond words at this moment, Morticia resolved to demonstrate the depth of her feelings in the manner she knew best. A sweetheart's kiss, full of sorrow and love, bestowed upon her reason for living.

That night neither of them slept. Wrapped in each other's arms, Gomez and Morticia shared their memories of their lifetime together, reminiscing until that dreaded sun rose once again.