Dalliance

A Study In Parenthood

       Things at Baker Street were strange to say the least. The arrival of Dalliance was one that was accepted but also awkward, but so was she.
      Dalliance Holmes stood tall at 5' 10" her hair short and black. Her eyes dark pools of chocolate and honey. She was scrawny and obviously underweight seeing as Rosie's clothes hung loosely off of her even though Rosie had no fat on her bones. She was shaped like her mother but had features of both of her parents. She laughed often as her an Rosie got along very well and were soon as close as sisters. She was not accustomed to her hight seeing as she frequently tripped or stumbled around the flat.
         I hadn't had a real conversation with my friends new found daughter until she approached me during my morning tea one day.
          "Dr. Watson," she asked awkwardly.
           "Call me John," I laughed, "and how can I help you?"
           "I was wondering, why does father seem so.... awkward around me?"
            "He's not exactly sure what to do with you Dalliance. I know he loves you but he's not good at showing it. Everyone in this house cares about you but I don't know if he's sure about you being- real." I finished carefully choosing my words.
            "Oh," she seemed disappointed.
             "Dalliance- look at me. He's your father, you just have to prove to you that you are real."
               I woke up the next morning to the smell of biscuits and tea. I stumbled downstairs to see Rosie and Dalliance laughing in the kitchen. Rosie ran over to me and pushed me into my chair.
             "Oddly functional family breakfast," she sang running back to the kitchen.
               With this my companion emerged from his room in his purple shit and classic suit jacket and pants. I studied my friend who, like myself, had changed over the years. His hair was graying and his eyes were tired but besides that he was still young at heart. He could still run through the streets of London without batting an eye or taking a break for breath. I was convinced that Sherlock Holmes would always be Sherlock Holmes.
             He walked into the kitchen kissing both Rosie and Dalliance on the forehead before taking his seat across from me.
             "I believe you are correct Rosie. This is an odd family." There was a smirk in him that had also come with age. He knew how to have fun now, he picked up some from of sarcasm and soon learned how to take a joke.
              The girls carried he tea and biscuits into the living room setting them down on the table beside me. They served tea giggling the entire time while Sherlock and I laughed to ourselves. The girls sat in the floor sipping their tea before Sherlock asked a question.
             "Who are you?" He questioned Dalliance.
              An uncomfortable silence settled over us. She set the tea down and took a deep breath. "My birthday is September 14, 2017. I was born in Saint Bart's to Irene Adler. She raised me until she died when I was 6," she was choosing every world with care, "I've been on the streets since. She told me you were my father when I was young- she never gave me a name only that he was a genius, a madman, and a consultant. I could only find one match- Sherlock Holmes. I didn't want to just show up one day so I made friends with Rosie when we were young so someone here would know me when I came back. I knew that things were starting to settle down in London and the streets got colder and colder as time went on, so I came here."
          I studied Sherlock's face which told me she was telling he truth.
          Rosamund broke the silence that had settled over us. "Well you are here now and you're here to stay." My Rosie was right- this was an odd family but it was all we had. The four of us only had each other.
          Over the course of the week Rosie and Dalliance spent two hundred pounds on clothes and things for Dalliance's room. None of this was Dalliance's idea but instead Rosie who convinced Sherlock to give her my card.
          Sherlock was slowly opening his emotions towards her. Slowly proving that he knew what he was doing as a father. His patience greatly improved and constantly answered questions that she asked about our work here at 221B. 
               All was well until one day Rosie and Dalliance came into the room upstairs, they promptly sat us down and being with their well rehearsed speech.
             "Father, Sherlock," she said respectively nodding to us, "Dalliance and I have come to a conclusion."
             "You're old," Dalliance said, unforgiving and cold- in that moment it felt like I was looking at an image of my friend when I first him. She was right after all. Sherlock and I were well into our 50's hair. Our hair grey and age showing by the dark bags under our eyes.
               "So....we've decided it's time to make way for the next generation." Rosie said as her and Dalliance struck a pose resembling that of Charlie's Angels. All of which brought a smile to my friends face.
                 "They are right John. We are old."