An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Homesick
Eager to avoid her family, Enid spends winter break with the Addams family. There's a learning curve, but she's finally regaining the confidence her mother tried to crush. As she starts feeling safe in a family setting, she learns more about herself and her girlfriend than she thought possible.
based on the prompt from @farren-elwood
Tumblr Version is below the cut! Hoping to update weekly :)
Enid Sinclair hates school holidays. Despite her endless extroversion, her love of free time, her hatred for math homework, and her enjoyment of letting the day take her where it may, she hates leaving Nevermore. Leaving means facing Esther.
Facing her brothers.
Facing constant ridicule.
She knows that if she goes home for the holidays, she’ll be miserable.
So Enid hatches a plan. Three weeks before the break starts, Enid asks Wednesday for the biggest favor yet. And Wednesday, looking into her love’s glossy, tear-filled eyes, nods without a moment’s hesitation, and eases her into a kiss. Enid’s tears slide down silently, but her body shakes with relief. Wednesday’s shakes with a concealed anger.
Morticia and Gomez are quite the flatterers. Morticia especially, with her syrupy sweet voice and penchant for knowing just what someone wants to hear. She convinces Enid’s parents to let her stay with them during the winter break over the phone. Esther agrees it would be good for Enid to experience such a “different” environment, believing it could help her overcome “blockages” in her future attempts at wolfing out, whatever that means (which of course means that even though Enid wolfed out once, her mother is worried it was a fluke, and the full moon is approaching).
Enid is just happy to be staying with the Addams family instead of being forced to endure her toxic mother and brothers during the holidays. She promises her dad she’ll text and call and crams her giant pink suitcase full of cozy sweaters and patterned skirts, excited for what awaits at the Addams family mansion.
They sleep for about half of the car ride, sharing Enid’s (white, for Wednesday’s comfort) earbuds.
On the first morning she wakes up in Wednesday’s bedroom, Enid rises early and starts getting ready. First, she peels herself from her still sleeping girlfriend, and admires her with her black hair sprawled out like a dark halo.
But there’s one more person in the room she has yet to find. When Enid and Wednesday arrived last night, they were bone tired, content to throw on their pajamas and fall straight into bed. Now, Enid scans the room until she finds the little hand, she’s become such good friends with.
Thing is sleeping in an odd little bed that hangs from the ceiling, decorated to his tastes. Enid smiles at Thing, then Wednesday. She doesn’t want to wake them.
The morning is eerily quiet in the Addams family mansion. They must respect each other’s sleeping patterns, unlike her inconsiderate brothers.
Enid pads across the black wood floor, carefully lowering herself in front of Wednesday’s mirror. She squishes her face, letting out a tiny, happy squeak.
This trip would be good. She would be good.
Enid slowly unzips her suitcase, keeping her eyes on Wednesday.
She’s eager to impress, but isn’t too worried about their rejection or judgement, unlike the unpredictable and unexpected criticisms from her family. She changes into her favorite sweater, baby pink, with a large turtleneck, her white and purple tie-dye pants, and some fuzzy socks. Her stomach rumbles, so she decides to head downstairs before doing her makeup.
“Good morning Mrs. Addams!” She says brightly, but still softly, in case any sleeping family members are nearby. She’s trying to cram in every ouch of warmth she can.
Morticia wonders if she’s still nervous, having listened to Wednesday vent about Enid’s awful family on more than one occasion.
“Enid, good morning dear. How’d you sleep?” As sweet as Enid remembers. Despite it being seven thirty in the morning, Morticia is already dressed in her usual flowing black gown. makeup applied with fearsome precision.
“Really, really well. Wen’s bed is so warm.”
“Yes, she asked us to install some heating panels under her bed once we knew you were coming. Usually, it’s as cold as the morgue in there.” Morticia fiddles with some rose stems in a tinted black vase, unaware of the flood of warm and fuzzy feelings Enid is trying to conceal.
Morticia’s smiling, enjoying some sort of private thought.
“Would you like something to eat?”
Enid is looking intently at the vase, her eyes misty. “That’d be great. Thank you, Mrs. Addams.”
“Lurch is still preparing breakfast, but I’m sure he’d be happy to give you a plate.”
“Okay, cool.” She bounces on the balls of her feet, unsure of where to go to meet Lurch.
“And Enid?”
“Yes?” She must be giving her directions. The house really is a mansion, and they’re in some sort of sitting room, decorated ornately, Gothically, the opposite of Enid’s family’s home.
Morticia leaves the stems and glides toward her. She reaches for Enid’s face, gently holding her. “Welcome to the family.”
Enid looks up at Morticia, like a deer in headlights, but the fear quickly dissipates, replaced by a sniffle, and a few hot tears. She lets the weight of her head settle in Morticia’s cool hands.
“Thank you.”