Chapter Two- Getting Ready.
I woke early that morning, butterflies in my stomach. I lay back in my pillows and sighed. I was getting married. I seemed so grown up facing this next chapter in my life. The orphan of 11 years was getting married. Sherlock had agreed to give me away and Molly, Emily, Amber and Sally were my bridesmaids- Sally being maid of honour. Johnny was Daniel's best man and Hamish was a page boy. All of our family and friends were coming from all over to witness our marriage.
There was a knock on my door which gave me a fright.
"Abi?" came Molly's voice through the door. "I've brought you something to eat."
I got out of bed, pulled on my dressing gown and went to the door. Molly was stood there with a tray ladened with bacon and eggs and toast plus a glass of orange juice.
"Wow. Thanks, Mum." I said. I took the tray into my room.
"Sherlock says that the attic is almost done. You'll be able to move in after the honeymoon." She explained.
"Thanks." I said. "You won't mind?"
"Mind what?"
"Having us live here."
"Abigail, why would we ever mind?"
I didn't say anything.
"Abi." Molly looked at me. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
I couldn't meet her eyes as I said, "No, there's nothing. I just thought it would be odd… for everyone."
Molly laughed. "It will be for a while. It was with Mary and John for a while. But we'll all get used to it." She paused and then looked at me. "Abi, we wouldn't want you anywhere else. This is your home and it will be for as long as you want."
I smiled at her, tears pooling in my eyes. "Thanks Mol." I sniffed, hugging her over the tray.
Molly sniffed too. "Come on, eat up, you'll need your strength."
I ate my breakfast (or as much as my pregnancy hormones would let me) and took the tray into the kitchen. To my amazement, the living room had been transformed. The two plush arm chairs that usually sat by the fireplace had gone and were replaced with a vanity table and mirror. The curtains were flung open and all of the dresses hung along the curtain rail. The bouquets were in vases on the mantelpiece and were filling the room with a heavenly scent.
"Here comes the bride!" cheered Sally as I walked in the room. Everyone cheered and I began to laugh.
"Let me take that." Said Mary, getting up. I let her take the tray.
"Thanks Mary." She smiled knowingly at me. I wonder if she knew.
The rest of the morning past quickly. Mary and Molly did my make-up whilst Sally did my hair. She straightened it and then twisted it into an elegant knot, braiding one part around it. She then twisted little gems and flowers into the braid. She then attached the tiara that had my veil on it, just to make sure it fitted ok. Which it did.
Then it was time for a cup of tea.
Amber came out of her bath and sat on my knee whilst I blow-dried her hair and made it all up. We even pretended to do her make-up to make her feel like one of the big girls. Sally, Emily and I had fun painting each other's nails and going through old photos from when we were all together in London and recent photos from when we found each other again. My face was aching from laughing when Mary said,
"Abi, it's time."
They helped me into my dress. First was the corset. I made sure it wasn't pulled to tight, for my health and the health of my unborn baby. Then I put on some white/cream tights. They weren't too thick but they would stop my feet from blistering. Then I stepped into my dress. It was the traditional white dress, with a net top so that it wasn't strapless. There was a silk band round the middle and the skirt floated out at the end. Sally stood on a stool and fixed my veil in place. I also had a bouquet of white roses with purple hyacinths in. (Hyacinths were Daniel's favourite flowers).
At that moment, Sherlock came back. He stopped in the doorway for a minute and just looked at me. It was the look that a father has when he sees that his daughter is all grown up. Even though we weren't biologically related, Sherlock was my father, he had been since I was 12.
"Look at you." He said, and it is still the only time I have seen him cry.
"Thanks, Dad." I said, holding back my own tears. "Thanks for everything."
Sherlock didn't reply. I don't think he could have even if he wanted to. Sally walked in front of me. She was in her bridesmaids dresses. They all had the same. They were knee-length and lilac in colour, the skirt bloomed out a bit at the bottom. The top was an intricate weaving of white lace flowers. There was a ribbon around the middle. Amber had a plain lilac dress with a bow at the back.
"Abi, Sherlock has something he wants to give you."
Sherlock coughed and gathered himself together. "I know at wedding's there is a tradition, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." He paused. "I have two things for you. The first is something new." Sherlock handed me a box. I opened it and gasped. Inside was a beautiful butterfly necklace and the wings were filled with blue and sapphire gems.
"Oh my days…. Sherlock." I said quietly, "It's beautiful." And Sally put it on for me.
"The next is something old, borrowed and blue." He handed me another box, smaller this time. "Before you open this one, I didn't find them, Lestrade did. He felt like he owed you one and as it was your wedding day, he tracked them down."
I looked curiously at him. Why did Lestrade 'owe' me? What had he done? I opened the box lid. Inside were two small, stud earrings, blue sapphires. My hands were shaking.
"Abi?" asked Sally. "What is it?"
"They were my mothers." I whispered, "My mother's earrings." There were gasps in the room.
"She wore them when she married my dad." I was crying now.
"Which is why you should wear them today." Said Mary, "She would want you too."
I nodded and Sally helped me put them in, my hands still shaking. I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. I hardly recognised myself. The pale, shy, timid 12 year old that once stood here, in awe of her surroundings was no more and now a confident, beautiful, trainee midwife aged 19 was stood in her place, about to marry the man of her dreams.
Sherlock took my arm and led me out of the flat, out of the door into the brilliant July sunshine. People were lining the streets and cheering as we got into the wedding car that was to take us to the church. I smiled and waved as the car pulled away with Sherlock, Sally and myself in one car and Molly, Mary, Emily and Amber in the other.
20 minutes later and we reached the church. It was the same church that John and Mary were married in; a beautiful old building with ivy climbing the walls outside. Johnny was waiting outside and upon seeing us arrive, he went inside.