Tiny Memories

They were having dinner at the time. Instead of stowing away at the table where Sherlock first had a good glance at Ezra properly, they were plopped down on some pillows in the sitting room at the coffee table.

Mac and cheese was on the menu. This amused Molly. For one Sherlock Holmes looked like a little boy as he delightfully scooped up spoonful after spoonful of the golden pasta and shoveled it in his mouth. It was a great contrast to the younger boy who was sitting beside him and eating slower; savoring the taste in his own way.

Sherlock turned to Molly after spying her smiling face gawking at him. He gave her a "What?" kind of face before it clicked into his head that he might be a sight to her. "The last time I made or ate Mac and cheese was when I was still living with my parents. It was the dish that dad and I used to make."

He paused a moment to wipe his mouth from any sauce that might have gathered there while he was eating. "I didn't always not like to be around them. When I was younger than six, let's say I had more opportunities to be around them."

Molly swallowed slowly. It was telling when he told her something about his days as a boy. The fact that he had cooked a dish that reminded him of his father made her overwhelmed with feelings. Sherlock always struggled to connect with people but it seemed now being around Ezra was giving him more chance to reevaluate what he couldn't have and make new things happen. For him and for his son.

"Is it bittersweet now?" Molly asked quietly as she took a sip of her water and passed a glance at Ezra who was watching them both cautiously. She had a feeling there was something he wanted to say or ask.

"Not as much as you would think. I am scarred, Molly but I'm not regretful for the good moments I had with them. They want to meet him, by the way."

Molly drew in a deep breath. It was so strange to be in this situation with him. Never in a million years had she thought of the idea of meeting Sherlock's parents while also having the byline of a child being involved. Not even a child she had given birth to. She imagined they would ask a lot of questions.

Instead of discussing that stuff now, Molly decided to put it to the side and enjoy the moment. It worried her thinking about putting Ezra in a room with so many people who had shaped and formed his dad. She didn't think they would try to hurt him but there was still so much that she was coming to terms with as his guardian and mother.

"Are you enjoying your Mac and cheese, dear?" She said as she reached over and brushed Ezra's curls out of his face. He smiled at her with an enthusiastic nod. "I want more ." He told her as he pushed his bowl towards her side or the table.

Molly giggled before rising and making to grab Sherlock's empty bowl as well. She lumped their two dishes into one while carrying Ezra's tiny one in her hand as she strode off into the kitchen. Sherlock probably wouldn't be wanting anymore. He ate a large helping and more than likely would let Ezra eat more of it since he enjoyed it so much.

Molly decided to make herself some more too while she was serving more for him. She soon heard the sound of Sherlock's voice mumbling as he spoke with Ezra but she tried not to pry into what. She felt better knowing that they had private time too away from her and she would give them it at any time.

...

At the table, Ezra had called out to Sherlock who had started to fiddle with the miniature train set that he had got him a few weeks after they had come back to London. "Lock?"

"Yes?" Sherlock lifted his eyes up as Ezra moved the other train set closer to him and began to guide it closer to him. He could make it collide if he wanted to. He stopped a few meters short of doing so as he asked his question. He always had one, Sherlock smiled.

"How'd you and Moll meet? She talked bout you lots when you were gone."

Sherlock schooled his expression as he started to think back to the exact day when he had been introduced to his Moll. "Well, about eight years ago when I had just started working professionally here I got to know your Uncle Graham."

Ezra let out a giggle at Sherlock's blunder. "Silly Lock. It's Greg. Uncle Greg hates when you mess up names."

Sherlock snorted. "Uncle Greg then. He knew about my gift, how I could see things that others missed and one day I needed to see one of the people Moll was observing at work. She's told you about her job in bits. I'll leave the yucky stuff for when you're a little older but I had to try to be nice in order for her to show me the person. She had on a lovely violet blouse and I told her so. I gave her my name after she let me see it only because Uncle Greg said it was okay. She was very cautious at first to talk to me but I could tell something about her." He stopped briefly only for Ezra to rev up his need to continue with a few gentle tugs on his dressing gown.

"What did you know?"

"I could trust her. It helped me a lot later when no one else believed in me."

Ezra looked to ask another question but when he caught sight of Molly hanging back with his bowl of Mac and cheese his attention switched over. He reached out for it just as she strode over with a look on her face. It wasn't a bad look, the boy noticed it was just a little funny.

Ezra focused on his food as Molly crouched down next to Sherlock on his other side. "I was cautious, huh?" She whispered to him quietly so that Ezra couldn't hear.

"It's better than the version where you stumble because I startled you with my nice face. That's what you said or something like that." He smirked.

Molly poked him in the chest. "Are you sure that's not something your head made up, Mister Holmes?"

"Quite." He mumbled as he pecked her on the cheek.

...

Another one for you guys! I find that Ezra makes me happy when I feel stressed and a bit unhappy. Gotta love that little guy. He's such a sweetie.

I have a lot of ideas now for him and more little ficlets but the meetings between him and Mycroft, and the Holmes parents are probably going to get long when I get to that part. I'm just gonna stick with the lightheartedly stuff for the mo. I do have this one that I might write next that involves a frustrated Sherlock. We'll see how that comes out.

Anyways let me know what you think, please?

much love,

day