Chapter 2: Sweet Surrender

“I have not come this far only to have our marriage fall apart!” Cornelia Goth convinced herself as she wallowed in the current state of her marriage. It wasn’t that Gunther was a bad man, in fact, it was quite the contrary: He was a generous, selfless, hardworking man who gave all his time to others. “Except, the ‘other’s’ does not include Mortimer, or I!” thought Cornelia.

While Cornelia Goth cooked in the kitchen, humming an old family tune aloud, Gunther worked in the dining room, typing up a multi-faceted presentation on his laptop. He could hear Cornelia’s sweet voice drifting over the vapors of the delicious meal she was cooking. He did not realize that her song was not a happy one: It was a Swan Song.

Gunther works on a multi-media presentation for work.

Cornelia felt sometimes that maybe she was a little selfish. After all, she shared the same ideals as Gunther, and she knew what she had signed up for in this marriage, so why did she always want more? Would she never be satisfied? If Gunther quit his job, and never helped others again, and they lived alone in their big, beautiful house, ignoring the world beyond, would she be satisfied? No, she wouldn’t.

Still, she had to get Mortimers attention, because all the hints and the conversations she had had with him had gotten them nowhere!

She had to visit her sister, Agnes Crumplebottom that day. Agnes was no picnic, having been in a depressive state the last six months after her husbands sudden death. Cornelia knew this was only natural, and she supported her sister whole-heartedly, but it was hard to be around Agnes right now because it was so one sided. She has to listen to Agnes, and help Agnes, but she couldn’t burden Agnes with her own problems with Gunther…

“There I go, being selfish again! Oh, pity me!” Cornelia reprimanded herself as she drove over to Agnes’ house.

And, just as she had thought, Agnes was in quite a sorry state. Cornelia visited for about an hour, but then she had to leave.

Agnes was still in quite a state!

It was while she was with Agnes that she realized something crucial: That Life is short!

She didn’t know why she had not come to that epiphany while with Agnes before. Agnes had lost her husband to a random and cruel twist of the universe, on the third day of their honeymoon. Life was short, and unexpected. Surely she, Cornelia Goth, had to stop her self-pity, and surely she had to come to terms with her marriage with Gunther at some point, and meet him half way…

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Cornelia spent the hour after Mortimer went to bed, and before Gunther got home from work, prepping herself for a big night. She wanted to look stunning, ravishing, even. She had realized that, while Gunther was committed to his work, and public service, as he should be, maybe he would come home a little earlier in the evenings if she could give him an experience he would not forget!

Cornelia awaits Gunther in their room.

Cornelia, ready and waiting, sat herself in the sitting area of the bedroom she shared with Gunther. She purposely angled herself so that the moonlight would hit her skin. She hoped this would remind him of their romantic cemetary wedding.

Gunther finishes up a phonecall!

Meanwhile, downstairs, with no knowledge of his wife’s impending suprise, Gunther chatted for at least an hour on the phone with his friend, while Cornelia, slightly irritated, waited up. Stubborn, she refused to come downstairs and ruin her well-orchestrated suprise, so she waited and waited until Gunther came up.

In Gunther’s defense, Cornelia was almost always asleep after he came home. In fact, their romantic relationship had taken somewhat of a nosedive because of it. He hated waking her up to romance her…it made him feel a little piggish, and he, a Goth gentleman, felt himself above all that!

Cornelia awaits her husband, Gunther.

Well, Gunther did finally climb the elegant staircase, and when he entered his room, the first thing he noticed was that the bed was empty. Without bothering to look around, he began to panic, thinking that Cornelia had left him!

But then, his terror subsided when he saw the most beautiful creature in the world to him, his wife, looking absolutely stunning, by the big window.

"Cornelia, you are Breathtaking!"

“Cornelia, you are breathtaking!” Gunther gushed as he approached his wife. “You are even more beautiful than when I left you this morning.”

That Gunther, always the charmer!

“It’s the leaving part I don’t like about us” Cornelia said, coyly. “But I finally realized, I would rather have you be who you are, than change you, even if that means I don’t get to see you as much.”

Gunther was moved by his wife’s words. He did not like leaving her everyday, either, but his work was important to him, and he knew she believed in it as well.

“I am pleased you feel that way now. I know I have not been as attentive to you, or Mortimer, for that matter, since I became the CEO, but…” Gunther said, but was gently interrupted:

“But nothing. We will just have to make time…at night!” Cornelia purred.

The Beautiful Couple

Gunther was no fool,he knew what Cornelia was doing, but he was not above being seduced by his own wife!  She was the only woman for him, and he was taken aback by how beautiful she was tonight.

“You are glowing, Cornelia.” Gunther said slyly.

“I am glowing like I did on our wedding night? Do you remember?” Cornelia said, embracing him.

Cornelia embraces Gunther

“I do remember how you looked, coming down the stoney path in the moonlight, your dress, your veil, all out guests holding candles…”

“Well, that was our first beginning, Gunther, and I want tonight to be another beginning. The second day of the rest of our lives! Do you understand?”

“I understand you perfectly, darling!” Gunther said, and then he leaned in to give Cornelia a kiss so tender and so sweet that she knew he did understand exactly what she meant.

A sweet and tender kiss!

They agreed that this would be the first of many night time kisses. They dubbed it their “Romantic Rondevouz” and they were certain that meeting each other half-way would make all the difference in the world for their relationship. Gunther planned to up the romance, and bring Cornelia flowers or chocolates on his way home from work.

The first of many "Romantic Rondevouz"

A Fantastic Finale!

Cornelia and Gunther were finally back on track. Their bond was simply to precious to throw away!

Cornelia and Gunther’s son, Mortimer had a little love life of his own. Well, it was more of a crush, really, but some crushes are a pretty big deal, when you are a kid, and Mortimer was beginning to think that his best friend, Bella, was a crush he would never get over…

The Object of Mortimer's Affection

To Be Continued…