During the week following Victoria's birthday, Molly prayed there wouldn't be a sudden change in the easing of Covid restrictions scheduled for the 17th of May.
Thankfully, the 17th arrived and the status change went through. Now, two families could officially meet indoors, regardless of size. It was the rule-of-six restrictions that had kept the Watson and Holmes families apart for so long. Molly had always privately thought it was silly to have to include young children in that rule-of-six.
On the 18th, Molly spent the afternoon preparing for the Watsons' arrival. She had decided to make a Sunday roast, even though it was a Tuesday. It was a day for celebration, after all.
Victoria was probably more excited than anyone else. For days she had been talking about playing with "Wosie" and showing off all her new toys and games. Undoubtedly, the evening would consist of playing several games.
Molly was about to peel the potatoes in preparation for roasting later, when Sherlock came to her and took the peeler from her hand. "I just put Christina down for a nap, and Victoria is watching Mulan. Take a break and sit down. I can at least peel the potatoes for you."
"Alright, thanks. But make sure you put the peeled potatoes in water so they don't turn brown."
He rolled his eyes at her. "You act as if I'm a novice at this."
She raised an eyebrow. "How many times have you peeled potatoes for me and just left them in the sink?"
He shot her a cheesy grin. "Well, in my defence, you usually put them directly into a saucepan to boil or in the roasting pan, so immersing them in water is unnecessary. Preparing the potatoes so far in advance is an anomaly."
Molly wagged her finger playfully at him. "I know, and that is why I don't want them to go brown. I'd prefer not to have to essentially peel off an extra layer of potato to get rid of the brown bits the way I did the last time you wanted to be helpful when I was getting things ready in advance." She pulled out a container from a cupboard and filled it partway with water as she spoke. "There you go."
Sherlock huffed, but Molly had the feeling he would indeed have just left the peeled potatoes in the sink if left to his own devices.
She popped to the loo, then went to the front room to watch a bit of the film. She loved the song "Reflection", and was glad the film had not yet progressed past that point.
As the song came on, she joined in and sang, "When will my reflection show who I am inside?" Victoria tried to sing a few of the words as well, looking at Molly for approval. She matched pitch very well, thought Molly proudly.
A few minutes later, Sherlock entered the room. "Potatoes are peeled, and I also put some bottles of water, cans of Coke, Sprite and fruit drinks for the children into the fridge for later."
"Good thinking," said Molly approvingly. She liked her drinks not only with ice, but already cold, so the ice didn't dilute them too much.
Sherlock sat beside her. "I heard you both singing. I love hearing my girls sing." He patted his knees. "Come and sit with Daddy. Our visitors will be here in about half an hour."
"Wosie's coming," said Victoria in excitement as she clambered onto her father's lap.
Molly ruffled her hair.
Talk of the upcoming arrival of the Watsons served to have Victoria lose interest in the film, for the most part, and she kept turning her head in the direction of the front door, as if she could make Rosie magically appear in the doorway.
It was twenty minutes later when the doorbell rang.
Victoria was off and running to the front door before Molly could even stand. But Sherlock was faster anyway. "I'll get the door," he said.
His long-legged stride brought him close behind Victoria, and a few moments later, she heard him opening the door and saying, "Welcome, come on in."
At the same time, Victoria sang out in a joyful voice, "Wosie!"
"Towia," came the just-as-joyful sound of Rosie's voice.
Molly smiled in amusement. A person would have thought they hadn't seen one another in months, when really it had only been a couple days. But seeing one another at church for brief moments was obviously not the same as being able to spend time together.
Sherlock ushered the Watsons into the front room, where Molly greeted them, and Sherlock took the apple crumble Kayla had told Molly she was making for dessert.
"I made room in the fridge for the dessert," said Molly to Sherlock, and he went off with John, who also had a bag with gifts, to the rear of the house.
Meanwhile, Victoria, holding Rosie's hand, took her over to the shelves on which they kept board games. She chattered excitedly as she walked, "I've got a Piwate game, Mem'wy game, and the popping game."
Kayla followed the girls to the shelf with Adam at her hip, and she said, "Popping game?"
"It's what Victoria calls Home Run, because you push the bubble and make the die pop inside it," explained Molly, walking to stand beside her friend.
"I think I recognise the one game," noted Kayla. "Isn't that," she pointed at Bubble Talk, which was at the bottom of the pile, "the game we played on your hen night?"
"Yeah. It's at the bottom because the girls are too young for it yet. Once they know how to read, though, I'm sure they will enjoy it a lot."
Kayla nodded. "It was a lot of fun, trying to come up with the perfect caption from the cards in your hand for the pictures."
Molly overheard John saying to Sherlock as they reappeared in the room, "Where's Christina?"
"Taking a nap. She'll probably be awake soon."
As Victoria tugged at Home Run, Molly took over the task while Sherlock turned off the film, which had continued to run.
"Why don't you sit at the dining table and play?" suggested Molly. She looked over at John and Sherlock. "Who wants to play as well? It's more fun with four. I can help set up the board, but I need to get the roast ready to put in the oven."
"I'll stay in here with Adam and listen for Christina if you men want to play," offered Kayla. She looked at Molly. "Is it okay if I put Adam in the playpen?"
Molly smiled. "Of course." She dropped a quick kiss to the top of Adam's head and headed for the dining table, followed dutifully by the men and the girls.
"I'll set the board up, sweetheart," said Sherlock, after she placed the game on the table.
Molly nodded her acknowledgement and set to work. She liked to use the stovetop to brown the outside of her roast so it would promote a better-tasting gravy, and soon the house was filled with the appetising smell of cooking meat.
Molly was glad to be close enough to hear what was happening in the game. With each move of the girls, either John or Sherlock would help his daughter by counting aloud.
Molly found it amusing when Sherlock grumbled that he was having trouble getting a six on the die so that he could bring out one of his pieces.
But his poor fortune was apparently resolved a short time later when he must have had two pieces on the game board, because he said loudly, "Hmmm, which piece should I move? I could move this one and send Rosamund's piece back to the beginning, or advance the other piece towards home. What do you think?"
"No, Unca Sherlock, the other one!" came Rosie's pleading voice.
"Very well, I shall move the second piece, but just this once."
Molly smiled and looked over at the table. It was fun to see the two fathers together and playing with their daughters. It was one of the best things about the girls being a little older now and able to interact with more activities.
Kayla came into the kitchen then and sniffed the air appreciatively. "Something smells really good." She looked at Molly. "I hear Christina. Would you like me to go upstairs and bring her down?"
"If you don't mind," said Molly. She was just getting ready to put the roast into the oven.
Kayla smiled. "Not at all. If she needs a nappy change, I'll take care of it and put her into the playpen with Adam. He's having a wonderful time discovering all these new toys."
She left the room again, just pausing long enough to see how the game was going and commenting, "Looks like it's a race between Rosie and Victoria to see who's going to win."
John called after her, "We're taking it easy on them," and Molly chuckled.
With the roast successfully inserted into the oven, Molly went back to the front room, where Kayla was standing at the playpen and observing the two toddlers.
Adam and Christina were engrossed in the wooden shape cube. Whereas usually it was Victoria handing pieces to Christina to put in the cube, now it was Christina handing them to Adam, and he searched diligently for the correct hole in which to put each shape.
"They're getting along like a house on fire," observed Molly, and Kayla turned her head to look at her with a grin.
"I think they are going to be the best of friends, just like Rosie and Victoria."
They watched their children quietly for a few moments before seating themselves on the sofa.
"So," began Kayla, "I noticed at church on Sunday that Matthias and Allison seem to be getting close." She eyed Molly curiously. "I know you've been friends with Allison for a while. Do you have any news to share about that? I saw you talking to them after church."
Molly's lips curved upwards. "I do have news, actually. They are officially seeing one another. And I'm so happy that now they will be able to visit one another freely."
Kayla clasped her hands together. "I am so happy for them. These days it seems so difficult to meet other Christians when you are single."
Molly nodded. "True, and I certainly wouldn't recommend going about it the way we did, in having an interest in a man who was not a Christian to begin with."
"But their hearts were open, and by the grace of God, our men are now committed Christians too."
They continued to talk whilst looking over at the playpen to check on Christina and Adam once in a while, until Sherlock and John returned with their daughters.
"Who won?" asked Molly.
"I won," said Rosie proudly.
"And Victoria was second, but only just," said Sherlock, tapping her lightly on the head. "She wants to show Rosamund the pirate game now."
It was a shame they couldn't all participate in a game activity together, thought Molly, but it would be too difficult to keep Christina and Adam entertained in just watching a game.
Sherlock put away the game and withdrew Pop up Pirate.
Soon, Molly and Kayla could hear laughter as presumably someone caused the pirate to pop out of his barrel.
Christina and Adam had transitioned to putting together a block puzzle.
Molly and Kayla chatted for another fifteen minutes. It was so good to catch up properly on events in their lives.
The timer on the oven went off, and Molly stood. It was time to add the prepared vegetables to the roasting pan and baste them with the juices from the meat. "Time to get the vegetables on." She looked at the playpen to see the toddlers still playing. Christina was now handing Adam blocks to stack into a tower.
"I'll keep an eye on them," Kayla assured her, and Molly headed back to the kitchen, where she could see the pirate game being packed up.
"The timer went off," said Sherlock, and Molly rolled her eyes.
"I'm aware of that, silly. Why do you think I came in here?"
He grinned, unabashed. "Because you missed me?"
Molly shook her head and got to work.
By the time everything was in the oven, the dining area was empty, and she went to join everyone in the front room. She saw immediately that Sherlock had turned on the television to entertain the girls with a Disney film. Another favourite song from Mulan, "Make a Man out of You," was playing. Apparently, Victoria had wanted to continue watching from the point at which they had left off earlier. With a bit of luck, the film would be over around the time dinner was ready.
Christina and Adam were also, at least for now, seated on their respective father's lap, as they also watched.
Not surprisingly, the toddlers were unable to sit still for the duration of the film, and they were deposited back into the playpen, where they happily resumed playing together.
Molly looked at her watch to keep an eye on the time, and she got up to set the table ten minutes before the roast was due to come out of the oven.
"Let me help," said Kayla, and the women left the room.
A few minutes later, Molly heard the front door opening, and she wondered why, until John appeared with the feeding chair for Adam.
The timing for the film ending was perfect, Molly reflected, as she took the roast out of the oven, and the Watson and Holmes children were placed in their various seats at the dining table, with Christina in her high chair.
Sherlock carved the roast, while Molly and Kayla prepared plates for the children.
During dinner, conversation flowed easily between the two families. Victoria and Rosie, sitting next to one another, shared their dislike of the roasted swede and parsnip, pointing to their mothers' plates and proclaiming those vegetables to be "yucky".
After dinner, Sherlock said to Molly, "John and I will take care of cleaning up," he looked at John, "won't we?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way," said John with a smile.
"Alright," agreed Molly. "I'll just put the crumble into the oven because it will take half an hour to be ready."
She did so, as hands and faces of the four children were washed, and then Molly and Kayla ushered their children back to the front room.
Ten minutes later, the men returned, with John holding the gift bag from earlier. "I think it is time for Victoria to open her presents."
'Victoria's eyes lit up. "Pwesents, for me?" She had obviously not noticed the bag earlier or understood its significance.
Kayla smiled at Victoria. "Yes, sweetie, it's your birthday presents from Uncle John and me."
John took the packages out of the gift bag and placed them on the floor in front of Victoria.
She opened the presents eagerly, to find a summer dress that Molly thought was adorable, as well as a colouring book that came with crayons, and a book entitled My First 100 Words.
"We gave the same book to Rosie," confided Kayla to Molly. "It has really been helpful for her."
"Give Uncle John and Auntie Kayla a hug and say thank you," Molly told her daughter.
Victoria went up to both godparents and hugged and thanked them as Sherlock took the wrapping paper and threw it away.
Then Victoria said, "I play vi'lin for Wosie now?"
Sherlock fetched Victoria's violin and helped her to play "Twinkle,Twinkle, Little Star," as they practised regularly. Although Victoria still needed help with the bowing, she was finding the places for her left hand to emit the correct notes very well.
Of course, John and Kayla were impressed and clapped, while Rosie merely asked, "Can I have a turn?"
Sherlock followed the same practice of kneeling behind Rosie and helping her support the instrument and bow so she too could make some sounds. He showed her also how to play the same tune, but it took longer, as he had to position her fingers carefully on the strings.
She beamed with pleasure afterwards as everyone, save Adam and Christina, who were rolling a ball along the floor towards one another, clapped.
"Would you like to hear Uncle Sherlock play now?" asked Molly of Rosie, and she nodded.
Sherlock dutifully produced his own violin after putting away the child's violin with Victoria.
When he began to play, he entertained everyone with a classical piece, followed by some nursery rhyme tunes, and he concluded with the piece he had performed for his and Molly's wedding.
Kayla smiled when she heard it and whispered to Molly, who was next to her, "That was the piece he composed and played for your wedding reception, wasn't it?"
Molly nodded and offered a smile of her own. "It is."
Sherlock was putting his violin away when the kitchen oven timer began to sound, and it was time to go back to the dining room for dessert.
Molly put the dessert into bowls for everyone and added ice cream, which would help it to cool.
Once the dessert was served, Molly fed Christina hers, as Kayla did the same with Adam. Sherlock was ready to assist with Victoria, but she said, "I can do it," when he reached for the spoon, and she did manage quite well, only spilling a little in front of her on the table.
Eating the delicious apple crumble reminded Molly that she had not attempted to make one in quite some time. Now that she was only working two days a week, she'd have to make an effort to make dessert at least once a week. When Martha had been living with them for several months, she had spoiled them with desserts at least twice a week.
"This was delicious, Kayla," she told her friend, when she finally got to eat her own.
"Thanks. You know, I never thought to have it with ice cream before," Kayla said. I usually make custard, but it's always so hot. The ice cream is a wonderful idea to cool it down. Makes it much easier for the children to eat."
After the dessert, Victoria wanted to play Snakes and Ladders. This time, Molly and Kayla played with the girls while the men looked after Christina and Adam.
Victoria was doing really well, and she was close to winning, when an unfortunate roll landed her on a snake that sent her far below everyone else, and her lips began to tremble as tears gathered in her eyes.
This was a game that really just depended on luck, so there was no way to help Victoria gain her lost ground, and Molly ended up winning.
Victoria pushed at the board and declared, "Don't like this game," as a frustrated tear plopped onto the table.
Molly stroked her hair. "It's just a game of luck, sweet pea. Sometimes you'll win, sometimes you'll lose. The main thing is to have fun."
Rosie reached over to hug Victoria. "It's alwight, Towia. Wemember, you won the piwate game thwee times."
Molly smiled indulgently at her goddaughter with her own lisp that was just like Victoria's. It was so sweet of her to want to comfort her friend.
Apparently, it worked, because Victoria brightened and said, "Play again?"
Molly bit her lip anxiously as Victoria once again led everyone on the board, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief when Victoria passed that final snake and won the game. Poor Rosie had experienced several poor rolls with landing on snakes, but she retained a sunny disposition, despite her misfortune.
As they packed up the game, Molly leaned in close to Kayla. "Rosie's a really good sport, isn't she?"
Kayla gave a little chuckle. "She didn't use to be, believe me, but over the past year, she has learned to accept that we can't always win. It's so much fun for her to be able to play games with a friend rather than just John and me, though."
Molly grinned. "Maybe we'll have to do a game night once a month and alternate residences for it."
"Sounds good to me."
They returned to the front room to find Sherlock changing Christina on the changing table, and John doing the same with Adam on the floor.
Seeing this, Victoria suddenly also needed to use the loo, and Molly took her. When they emerged from the toilet, Rosie was outside, waiting her turn.
"Your mummy doesn't have to take you to the toilet?" asked Molly.
Rosie shook her head. "I'm a big girl now. I can go by myself."
Well, thought Molly as she went back to the front room with Victoria, that gives me an idea of when Victoria will be old enough to use the toilet by herself.
Half an hour later, it was evident the children were getting sleepy, and the Watsons announced their intention to leave.
"Don't forget to take home the leftover crumble," said Molly. "Let me get your dish and the container with the leftovers."
"Keep the leftovers," said Kayla, and Molly nodded her acceptance.
Molly returned to the kitchen to get the casserole dish, which one of the men had washed and placed on the counter. John also retrieved Adam's feeding chair.
A few minutes later, goodbyes were exchanged, and the Holmes family watched from the door as the Watsons headed for their car, which was a little way up the street.
When Sherlock closed the door, Victoria said, with a big yawn, "I'm sleepy." Christina, because of her nap earlier, was not yet looking sleepy.
It was fortunate the girls had had their bath the night before, so Molly helped Victoria into her pyjamas and made sure she was comfy with Baby Rose, as usual. No bedtime story was necessary, as Victoria merely murmured, "Goodnight Mummy," after Molly kissed her.
Sherlock had also entered the room with Christina, now dressed in her sleepsuit, and he bent down so Victoria could kiss her sister, before offering his own kiss goodnight. "Night Daddy and Chwisty."
Molly and Sherlock returned downstairs, where they read a storybook to Christina. Her own eyes grew heavy after half an hour had passed, and Molly was able to settle her into her cot as well for sleep.
A little while later, Molly said, "Go ahead and take your shower, Sherlock. I'm just going to make sure things downstairs have been put away properly."
"At least you don't have to worry about the dishwasher, I turned it on after John and I cleaned up the dessert dishes."
Molly took his hand and squeezed it. "Thanks for that. I appreciate all you did to help. Did you enjoy spending time with John?"
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, giving her the usual little thrill as he did so. It was a romantic gesture that she thoroughly enjoyed each time. "I did. We reminisced about past cases and speculated about what might be ahead." He released her hand to give her bum a little love tap. "Now go on and do what you have to do while I take my shower. It has been a long day, and I'm ready for bed."
She looked at him through lowered lashes. "Should I say goodnight now, then?"
He snorted. "I didn't say I want to sleep when I go to bed."
She smirked. "Oh, my mistake."
After she went downstairs and made sure the games and toys had been put away properly, she returned to the bedroom and grabbed her dressing gown.
She went into the bathroom. The water for the shower was no longer running, and Sherlock was standing in front of the mirror, shaving.
She watched for a few moments, then turned on the taps again for her own shower and discarded her dressing gown to step into the tub.
When Molly climbed into bed beside Sherlock ten minutes later, he pulled her close and said, "I've been thinking, today is the eighteenth of May. In two days it will be four years since I told you I loved you for the first time."
She placed her arms around his neck. "Wow, I don't know how it can already be four years. Time is such a funny thing, it seems to pass so slowly, and yet, at the same time, so quickly."
"Quite the paradox." His hand skimmed along the line of her body. "You know the saying, 'April showers bring May flowers'?"
"Of course I do," she responded, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.
"Well, I have to say it is rather appropriate to express how things have gone for us during that time this year. We had a rough start to April, but May so far has been a definite improvement." His hand reached up to cup her face, and he gave her a tender kiss.
When his lips moved away from hers, Molly said, "You could say the same thing about those months four years ago too. April was when you were going through all that horrible stuff with Culverton Smith, but then May came, and on the twentieth, you told me you loved me, and you proposed to me only three days later."
"Best decision I ever made," said Sherlock, claiming her lips again with his own. And as his kisses became more passionate, his hands began to caress her body, even as hers did the same.
Oh yes, no matter what hardships they had endured or would still endure, Molly knew that after the rain would always come the sunshine. She wouldn't trade her life with Sherlock for anything else. She had riches beyond measure, and she felt the blessing of God upon them as she always did when they joined together in an affirmation of their abiding love and commitment.
Yes, God was truly good - all the time.
Author's note: Thank you to my readers for following along on this story, and a special thanks to those of you who kindly took the time to leave feedback. It is always appreciated, as are follows and favourites. Please consider hitting those buttons if you want to support my work.
I hope you enjoyed the conclusion. It felt fitting to end with the Holmes and Watson families together, and Sherlock and John looking forward to solving crimes together again.
Did you enjoy seeing the interaction of the children, especially Rosie and Victoria? I love the idea of them growing up together to be best friends, and for Adam and Christina to also share a bond of friendship - where might that lead hmmm?
Do you want to see how the Journey continues? I must admit, I'm amazed that I've written four years worth of material for Sherlock and Molly and that I still have ideas for them. What is it about this couple that continues to inspire me, I wonder?
I would be most gratified to hear from my readers, even if it is just one time to express your thoughts on this story overall.
Until next time...
