Antonia
I hear a faint knock on the door from underneath by duvet but it seems a lot louder. The rustling sound as I emerge from the covers feels like a thunderstorm and my head must be far too big and heavy for my body as I have to try not to fall plummeting back down onto the mattress and fail as miserable as this headache. I reply with a hoarse "yes?" and then the door handle clicks like a gun shot.
"Hi Dad." I say, like I was expecting anyone else.
"Hi. I think I have some explaining to do."
"Okay."
"Do you want to come to the living room to talk?"
"Not particularly."
"I made you coffee."
"Already got some."
"Don't be difficult."
"Don't sleep with my psychology teacher then." I sigh and roll over. "I'm sorry. That was harsh."
Slowly but surely I stand up and start walking towards the door, following Dad back into the living room. My footsteps are weighted, heavy. I kind of want to just curl up forever. Even if I didn't have this to cope with on top of it.
"An, I'm sorry." He murmurs, once he's sitting opposite me. He means it. It sort of hurts me. "I really am, you don't deserve this at all."
I swallow the urge to tell him that I do and slowly nod staring at my feet. "So you guys are like, what, dating now?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"It only happened... we, the whole thing only happened yesterday."
"That was quick."
"I know."
"No, too quick. You never told me you were-"
"-I know."
"You always denied it. You could've told me, I wouldn't have cared."
"It wasn't really-"
"-did you even love mum?"
I can't take it back now. I watch his mouth open, like the response is obvious and then close it like he just can't say it, or anything. He looks down and swallows. I can't stop, I don't know what's wrong with me.
"Well did you? Have you not had a girlfriend for the past fifteen years because you were secretly waiting for a man smart enough to come along and bring you out of the closet?"
He must be so ashamed to have raised such a bitch of a daughter.
"It's not like that at all An. Not at all. Please, let me explain it to you."
"I'm all ears. Or can't you explain it? Was I right?" I hiss like I'm trying to hurt him in every way I can. My voice cracks. I crack. Only a little, enough to cause lines to splinter through my speech but enough to patch it back together so it's barely noticeable. "Was I?" My eyes prickle with tears and I don't know why.
"No... I did love your mother. Very much, in fact. And I love you. You're my daughter. I always will, even when you're-"
"-a grade A bitch." I smirk but it's not funny.
He continues like he didn't hear it. "And I'm not sure, about labels and everything. I just really like Sherlock, alright? I just do, I'm not sure when it started and how but I do. Am I allowed to do that? I'm sorry An, it's just it feels right, you know, and nothing's felt this right since- I don't even know when, and-"
"-you deserve to be happy Dad. You need to stop denying yourself things."
"I shouldn't be anyone's priority."
"If that's true what the hell does that make me? You really do feel sorry for yourself sometimes. Even if I was bothered you shouldn't care. I'm old enough to move out you know, if I had a problem, which I don't."
"You don't? I thought you-"
"-I'm a horrible person. I guess you could call it a test, I just needed answers. Quickly. Everything's slow today."
"Probably the drink."
"Probably."
"I think Sherlock's rubbing off on you. That's the sort of thing he'd do, I'm worried what's going to happen when you see him more now."
"So I will be seeing him more?"
"Almost definitely. Now go back to bed, you budding drunk-still-living-with-parent-professional-studen t."
Sherlock
On Monday morning, as soon as my break started I made sure to rush over to the morgue. It wasn't the sort of thing I could tell Molly over the phone and besides, I can't make so many deductions from just her voice. Just thinking about it made me feel strange again. For the first time in a long while, I was happy. I had something to be happy for. Now I'm nearly there I've realised how wrong I am. Still, the thought of John made me smile again.
"Molly!" I held out my arms for a hug when I saw her. I don't know why.
She carefully places back whatever she's doing and runs over to me, accepting the offer. I rarely give hugs and she knows she has to seize the moment. "You're chirpy."
"I am." I relax my arms and Molly stands in front of me. "I'm really happy Molly!"
"Calm down." She giggles. "You remind me of Tigger when you're like this."
"Tigger?"
"Doesn't matter, anyway, what's the news? I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this, I feel like something's wrong."
"Why would anything be wrong?"
"Well your good is different from my good. Your good is blood and guts and pretty men and test tubes and dead bodies. My good is cats and TV and pretty men and... test tubes... and dead bodies, obviously, working in a morgue you-"
"-Molly please stop talking you'll ruin my mood."
"Sorry."
"John."
"What about him? Oh you didn't kiss him did you!?"
"Along with various other things, yes."
"Oh my- oh my God, Sherlock! I thought you said he had a kid! That's really weird!"
"You've always been supportive of it though!"
"No but I didn't think you'd actually- really what?"
"But Molly-"
"-he's widowed! You can't take a random widower, with a daughter and... you know!"
"No I don't know."
"Oh don't do this again."
"Say sex Molly."
"Why?"
"Say it. Without giggling."
"This is ridiculous."
"Molly how old are you?"
"It doesn't matter, just because-"
"Sex. Molly. Sex. Oh you're fun to embarrass, you can tell which one of us has been single for longer."
"Last time I checked it was you, anyway it's different you sleep around!"
"I'm past that, I was past that a long time ago."
"A long time for you is five minutes Sherlock. I know what you're like. Unless you do actually really like John, I mean it makes sense, you were never like this with-"
Her mouth opens a little and I raise my eyebrows – you can always see these things literally dawning upon her.
"-oh."
"Yes, oh, Molly."
"So he's your boyfriend now?"
"Yes!"
"I'm really happy for you! When are you taking him on a proper date- you are, aren't you?"
"Yes, of course I am. I think I'll take him out-" I take my phone out of my pocket and begin to type. Molly rolls her eyes, I can feel her doing it.
"Oh I hate it when you do that, when you get your phone out in the middle of a sentence and act like I'm not there, it's really rude. You know my friend used to-"
"-you don't have any friends Molly."
"That's really rude too."
I grin and look up from my screen. "You've just got me!"
"Considering how hard you are to please I suppose it's a compliment."
"Not really." I carry on typing. "I was just really lonely."
"Are you quite done?"
"Nearly. Just waiting for a reply, do you want to see a picture of him?"
"Go on then." She melts back into a smile, it's too easy. Sometimes her being such a pushover is great. Sometimes it just makes me sad. She's grown on me. People take advantage of her. I turn my phone screen around. "Aww, he's nice. That's a sweet photo. Who's the pretty girl next to him?"
"His daughter, I stole it from her Facebook."
"I didn't know you had Facebook."
"I don't, used yours. You need to change your password. Anyway, that's John and Antonia for you."
"They seem nice. What's she like? You haven't really told me about her."
"I like her. She's very bright. I saw some Disney DVDs stacked in the back of her room, too. Hidden but accessible, guilty pleasure surely, you'll get along well when you meet her."
"When I meet her?"
"Yes you're babysitting her for me. On..." I read the reply that just came through. "Thursday. Thursday evening."
"Excuse me?"
"What, you're not doing anything. She's eighteen, you'll be able to talk."
"If she's eighteen why does she need babysitting?"
"John's very paranoid, and he's likely to accept the date if I have everything arranged. And I have."
"What if I don't want to?"
"Well I've already arranged it."
"What if I don't want to?"
"But you do."
"Okay, let's say I did have plans."
"Let's be realistic here."
"If I didn't want to do it, then what would you do?"
"It would be very out of character."
"What if one day I just never did a favour for you, ever again?"
"You'd be able to cherish the look of surprise on my face." I widen my eyes and my mouth as much as I can before returning back to normal. "Shut up Molly you're babysitting. In all seriousness, I did take your interest into consideration."
"How?"
"Well you'll definitely get along. I thought you'd like another friend."
"You want us to be friends?"
"For your own benefit. You always wanted a little sister."
"Sherlock I'm thirty one."
"Does that really matter? I'll pay for your cab, we can go together."
Antonia
"Dad I really don't need babysitting." I groan, checking the curtains for the tenth time.
"It's not babysitting. You're being introduced to a new friend, see it that way." As I turn around to look at him he does a little spin. "How do I look?"
"Fabulous. Sure you don't need a babysitter for that shirt Dad, that colour looks like it has a mind of its own."
"Really? I think it's quite mature, actually."
"Well then I'm sure it wouldn't need a babysitter if it was mature then. Wear that purple shirt."
"How do you know about the purple shirt?"
"It was my turn to do the washing. It looked sort of fancy. Nice fabric. Wear that."
"It's Sherlock's."
"Jesus you guys move fast. Wear it anyway. It'd be hot."
"Antonia."
"What?"
There's a knock on the door and we both look at each other. I run to get it.
"An, quick, should I change my shirt?"
"You look fine, really. I was joking."
"No I think I'll go and change it, you keep them occupied."
"Dad!"
He starts unbuttoning his shirt. "I'll be really quick!"
"I'm getting the door."
"No, wait two seconds."
"He's going to knock again."
"I'm sure he can wait."
"He just knocked again."
"I'm sure he can wait!"
"No I'm going to have to get it now."
"An, don't you-"
"Howdy!" I say, swinging the door open. Just in time for them to see Dad running shirtless back to his room. "Nice evening isn't it? He'll be here in a minute, he's just powdering his face. How are you?"
I'm so sorry this chapter was mostly dialogue the next one has loads of descriptive shit to make up, hopefully. If I can pull myself together enough to write it! I'm having a few problems writing right now, my work definitely isn't up to standard and I'm genuinely really sorry. I'll update soonish since I've already started the next chapter. Seriously if this doesn't put you off completely you should totally stick around for the next chapter because Sherlock and John's first proper date and how Antonia and Molly get along will probably be hilarious. I hope so anyway. Sorry again. Reviews would cheer me up a lot!