I Am Sher-locked

20. The Ghost of Christmas Past

The day was wonderful, the sun was shining high in the sky and the wind smelled of roses. Irene and Sherlock's mother were sitting at a table in the most beautiful and vintage cafe in London. Now you will surely wonder how we got to this point. Let me explain and you will understand.

The day that Sherlock and Irene made love in the car did not end ingloriously. Irene, calmer and more confident about her choices than ever, agreed to talk to Sherlock's parents. She expressed with absolute sincerity how much she was stressed by the whole process of preparing the wedding and how much all this was foreign to her. Sherlock's mother showed complete understanding and she and her husband decided to stay in a hotel so as not to disturb the couple.

This made Irene see Sherlock's parents differently. Day by day she came closer and closer to his parents because she inevitably spent more time with them than with Sherlock, cause of his job. Violet, Sherlock's mother, stood by Irene like a real mother and that made Irene feel really good and comfortable. Scott, Sherlock's father, was more lenient and did not get involved in women's affairs. He found it terribly stressful.

However, the days passed quickly and his parents showed no intention of leaving. For the first time, this did not bother Sherlock because he did not have them at home. 

But let's go back to our story because there is still a lot to be told.

Irene took a sip of her coffee, flipping through a magazine. "I really don't want to wear a wedding dress...", she sighed. "It's not my style."

"Oh, you should see my wedding dress", Violet smiled dreamily, her eyes wrinked even more. "It was magical."

"Puffy and huge?", Irene put down the magazine and chuckled. 

"Well, yes, but don't forget that I got married 32 years ago", Violet shrugged and chuckled. "As for your wedding dress, you must choose whatever you want. It's your wedding after all."

Wow. Huge improvement. Violet had finally understood that Irene didn't like being pushed.

Irene smiled and nodded softly. "Thank you for being here for me anyways..."

"You will become my boy's wife", Violet gently placed her hand on top of Irene's and looked at her sincerely. "I want you to become like a daughter to me."

That took aback Irene who stared at the older woman but she felt warm inside. "This means a lot, Violet..."

"Excuse me for interrupting", a male voice sounded from somewhere near and the women turned to the direction of the voice. It was John and he was smiling warmly at them. "This is a nice picture actually", he said pointing at their joined hands. The women chuckled softly and let go. 

"Where's Sherlock?", Irene questioned with anticipation. 

"He's coming but... I beg of you, don't irritate him", John sighed, looking both at the women. "Mycroft and Lestrade did a pretty good job already."

"Is it work related?", Irene slightly frowned.

"Yes. So bear with him please", John checked at his watch and looked around. "Oh, there he is."

Irene's heart skipped a beat when Sherlock appeared and for a few seconds she just observed him. His expression indicated irritation and indignation but his gaze softened upon seeing her. He placed a hand on the backrest of Irene's chair and leaned down to her level softly kissing her lips. Oh, that was a first. Public display of love was definitely not his thing, especially when his mother was present. 

"Is everything alright, my darling?", she raised her hand, cupping his cheek. 

"Im dealing with idiots", Sherlock almost hissed, pulling away. He straightened and threw a glare towards John. "How can someone lost a corpse??"