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A good cigar should never go to waste – they were words Gomez learned from his own father as they drew in breaths together on the front porch of their manor not long before he’d started at Nevermore. Looking out at the school peeking from between the branches of trees in the distance, Gomez smiled before exhaling a long trail of smoke, watching it drift away on a gentle breeze. He’d forgotten that this place could be so peaceful, albeit sometimes too bright for his taste, and he stood at the gate of the Rotwood cottage, shoulder leaned into the old stone, enjoying the mix of earthy smoke and old moss.
“I don’t understand why you think we can find everything for classes out here in the woods, you realize we can just go on Amazon or something and order these supplies?”
“It’s Experimental Chemistry with a focus this term on botanical components of poisons and cures – of course the best place to locate what we need is the old cemetery and surrounding woods and you don’t have to pay an additional $5.99 shipping and handling cost, nor wait three to five business days to attempt to prove our hypothesis.”
The first voice, Gomez was sure, was the colorful wolf he had heard too much about; the second voice was his daughter and, he smirked – she was pissed. He straightened, taking several careful steps into the trees to search out the duo as they walked through the tombstones, easily spotted by the bright head of blonde hair streaked in pink, blue, and purple. Wednesday had told them how she grated her nerves; how she made her blood boil; how she stood entirely too close all of the time.
“Ok, fine, Wednesday, but can we agree that we aren’t going to find cinnamon on Sir Wallace MacAbbey’s grave?” It was a whine and came with a shift of her entire body in annoyance.
He could see Wednesday turn, waited to see the brimstone rise in her eyes and yet… he frowned, they softened. Taking a slow breath, Wednesday nodded and gestured back at the school to tell her gently, “I’m well aware of which of these ingredients can be found in the pantry of the commissary as am I cognizant of which will have to be pilfered from the conservatory, though you realize we will have to sneak in after dark.”
“Finally,” Enid gasped sarcastically, “A totally normal B&E.”
“You know you don’t have to accompany me to gather the fungi and leaf clippings,” Wednesday retorted with a roll of her eyes, voice carrying a bark but, Gomez observed, very little bite.
Enid shrugged, a laugh lightly escaping her before she gave Wednesday a playful shove Wednesday – Gomez stood astounded to see – did not respond to with violence of any of the usual sort. Enid stated firmly, “And have you say I didn’t do my fair share of the project? No way, besides, a little fresh air before being locked up in the Lupin cages tonight will be good for me.”
“Tonight,” Wednesday turned to repeat, eyes curiously fluttering over her companion’s features, gauging, Gomez knew, studying.
Disappointed? Gomez frowned.
“Hello,” Enid responded, lips lifting in a small smile. “I told you yesterday. I can take the assignment in with me, but Capri says she can’t keep making exceptions and taking chances, not with everything…” she trailed, gaze shifting to the ground.
Nodding slowly, Wednesday glanced at her watch and then told her softly, “You should head back then, ready your things. I can meet you in an hour, walk you down to the cages before nightfall. We can brainstorm for a bit before it gets too late.”
The other girl remained for a moment, something like worry in her face as she sighed and nodded, hand held out, “I’ll take those, leave them on your desk. Less for you to lug around down here.”
“Don’t worry, Enid,” Wednesday retorted in a teasing tone, handing her two Ziplock bags with leafy contents, “I’m quite capable of retrieving my hunting knife if necessary, even with my hands full.”
“Oh, I know,” Enid called cheerfully, turning back towards the school. “Still, helping. It counts!”
Gomez watched her go, steps bouncing quickly through the cemetery and back towards the path that led to the school. He shifted his gaze to Wednesday, seeing her stare after Enid until the other girl disappeared from sight and only then did he see her stiffen and shift slowly towards him, meeting his eyes and clenching her jaw.
“You can come out now,” Wednesday ordered.
Walking through the woods, he approached her casually, cigar still held in his hand, a trail of smoke dancing up into the sky from its end. He smiled at Wednesday and then looked towards the school and back, “She must know witchcraft to speak to you that way and still have her tongue.”
Nodding, Wednesday turned back to the graves. “Make yourself useful, I still need at least 20 grams of mugwort, a few bits of turkey tail would be useful, and bones if we can find them.”
“They don’t have this in the school?” Gomez questioned, taking the Ziplock bag she handed back at him.
“Why were you spying on me?” Wednesday asked sharply.
Sighing, Gomez told her plainly, “I wasn’t spying on you.”
“Eavesdropping then,” Wednesday corrected.
“Curiosity,” Gomez breathed honestly. “You’ve spoken so much of this roommate of yours, your mother and I owe her a debt of gratitude, you know.”
Turning, Wednesday asked, “For what?”
Gesturing at her with both arms, Gomez shot, “Saving your life.”
Twisting away, she continued into the woods beyond the graves, eyes wandering as Gomez trailed behind her, footsteps heavy in the wet foliage as Wednesday growled lightly, to his amusement. Chuckling, he took a long drag of the cigar and exhaled into the sky as she turned to stare daggers into him. “What is so funny?” She asked him pointedly.
“I think maybe I understand,” he began, thumb swinging up and behind him. “She’s your little ray of sunshine. You couldn’t possibly think to put that out with your normal one-two punch of a clever retort and vicious insult.”
Face scrunching in disgust, Wednesday spat, “Don’t call her that.”
Eyebrows rising, Gomez asked, “Your little ray of sunshine?”
“Oh my God, father,” Wednesday muttered under her breath, “Go back to the cottage, mother is probably wondering where you’ve run off to.”
“Now I’m intrigued!” Gomez hissed. “My little storm cloud found her little ray of sunshine.”
“STOP!” Wednesday shouted. He watched the deep crimson seeping up from her neck, coloring her face in a way he seldom saw as she moved closer to him, like a snake winding up for a strike. “It’s bad enough that you and mother have inserted yourselves into Nevermore, you do not get to also inject your venom on my relationships here.”
“You have other little rays of sunshine?” Gomez asked curiously.
Fists balling, Wednesday spat, “No.”
“So, she’s the only one?” His mouth fell open before he brought the cigar up to take another puff.
Wednesday spoke through clenched teeth, “She’s not my little ray of sunshine.”
Raising his hands, Gomez offered, “You know your mother and I are open to any sort of relationships you and your brother wish to pursue, except non-consensually abusive or incestuous because we have to draw the line somewhere.”
“That’s not the sort of relationship we have,” Wednesday informed him bluntly, avoiding his eyes. Gomez watched the red of rage shift slightly to the red of embarrassment and he released a small humph she quickly glanced back at before nodding her head towards the cottage, “Go, I’ll finish this on my own.”
Gomez watched her kick the leaves nervously and he took a step away from her before turning back, prompting, “Can I ask you two questions?”
Eyes rolling heavily, Wednesday nodded.
“Would you die for her?” He gestured with his cigar, continuing with a smile, “Would you kill for her?”
He observed as the questions registered slowly in her ever-busy mind. Gomez watched in fascination as the scowl on her face eased and her lips momentarily lifted at their edges before falling back into an even line. Wednesday looked to him, taking another long breath of his cigar before mimicking a howl as he released the smoke into the air.
When she finally spoke, it was to quietly request, “Don’t tell mother.”
“Of course, mi cobrita.” Gomez smile, watching his daughter fidget nervously for a moment before she twisted on the spot and rushed further into the woods, Ziplock bags held tightly in her hands, a million thoughts about her roommate – he absolutely knew – racing through her head. Gomez brought the cigar to his lips again as he began walking back to the cottage, blowing out the smoke to whisper, “What bliss.”