Irene looked down at the morning paper in shock, this couldn't be possible, how could Sherlock her Sherlock be dead. Suicide? No this can't be, he wouldn't couldn't could he? She slipped down the wall next to her front door clinging to the fragile paper within her hands, this wasn't possible, he couldn't have left her. The tears started to flow down her cheeks, this wasn't happening the man she loved the only man she had ever loved was dead. Irene quickly scrambled to her feet leaving the now crumbled paper on the floor by her feet, she moved to her phone tears still flowing down her face she quickly typed: You're not dead! – IA, she scrolled through the list of contacts on her phone till she reached Sherlock's name and pressed send. She collapsed onto the dark leather chair behind her bringing her legs up to her chest still clinging to her phone willing it to vibrate indicating a message or ring, he had to ring her. A few moments later her phone buzzed in her hand, jumping Irene quickly unlocked her phone opening the message feeling her whole body fall as the message wasn't what she was hoping to receive, a client wanting to know if she was free. Irene's whole body started to shake with the sobs trying to break free of her small body; her chest began to fill with pain as her heart felt like it was shattering. Irene quickly unlocked her phone again typing in a new message to the same number as before: Please, Tell me you're not dead – IA, as she closed her phone again she let the sobs break free, crying out the pain she felt within.
An hour after her last text to Sherlock she heard three sharp knocks on her door, Irene continued to sob on the floor of her living room having slid there with the strength of her crying. The knocks became sharper each time she didn't answer the door, Irene's phone began to vibrate next to her indicating that she had received a text but due to the earlier disappointment Irene decided to ignore the phone and the knocking picking herself up of the cold wooden floor and moving her warn out, broken body to her bedroom. Curling up on her side under the virginal white bedding her tired, reddened eyes began to close of exhaustion took hold, leaving Irene unable to hear as her doors lock clicked and the door opened letting in a tall, shadowed male walked into her home.