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The afternoon of Sunday 31st March 2013
“John, Sherlock, you both remember that my parents are arriving tomorrow and I NEED you both to be on your absolute best behaviour until they go home on Thursday, don’t you?”
“What, me, of course I’ll be on my best behaviour darling.”
“Hmmph, I am ALWAYS on my ‘best behaviour’, what on earth makes you think I wouldn’t be?”
“W-e-l-l! I know that they can be a bit difficult, but it’s only for three days. On Tuesday, mum is going with me and Emma, Grace and Maria to buy the dresses for the wedding. I’m sure she has ideas, and there’s a good chance that we will have some sort of disagreement, but she means well.
I know you probably think my parents are idiots Sherlock, but I just want you to be nice to them for three days. Don’t insult them, don’t tell them they are stupid, don’t tell them they’re boring. If you can manage until they go home, I promise I’ll do whatever you want next week. Whatever experiments, I’ll help, if you need errands run. I’ll even clean your flat. Whatever you like, if you will only be nice to my parents for three days. Surely you can manage that!”
“Cathy, you’re crazy, if you think he can behave that long. So what will you do for me if I behave?”
“I might even do the washing up for you. You just never know!”
Usually when Sherlock, John and Cathy ate dinner together there was an atmosphere of warm camaraderie. It hadn’t come easily or instantly, but over the past few months, Cathy and Sherlock had become firm friends, not as close as John and Sherlock, nor Cathy and John, but even when John wasn’t around, Sherlock and Cathy regularly spent time together. Cathy felt as if she had acquired another brother.
And yet, Monday dinner with Cathy’s parents was so difficult. Tom and Ellen Greenwood had always been proud of their children, but couldn’t help trying to tell them how to live their lives. Peter had always followed their ‘suggestions’, but Mike had been a great disappointment, and Cathy’s recent rebellious streak had worried them. Yes, she was engaged, and to a doctor at that, but she was living with him (that was something they could never tell their friends) and now they had this ‘friend’ who was well spoken and seeming well bred, but seemed a little odd, and not at all interested in agreeing with their views. And somehow he seemed to think that he would continue to live with John and Cathy after their wedding, which was obviously not appropriate. Obviously, Cathy and John were going to have to explain to him that he would move out by July. Ellen would explain that to Cathy when they went shopping for a wedding dress in the morning.
Cathy was tense all through the meal, worrying constantly that Sherlock would let his boredom overcome his manners. A couple of times, Cathy had quietly mentioned that she would be helping Sherlock next week with his experiments, reminding him subtly of their agreement of the previous day.
Tuesday
Cathy was trying very hard to stay calm. “Mother. I am prepared to wear white, I am not, under any circumstances, prepared to wear frills or fluff. There is absolutely no point in me trying on that dress, it is ugly!”
“But dear, every bride wants to look like a princess...”
“Mother, even a princess wouldn’t want to wear something like that. Frills are not flattering. I want something simple, I was thinking of something bias cut and flowing. Let’s look over here.”
Cathy was hoping desperately that she would be able to keep her temper in check all day.
After they found Cathy’s dress, they needed to find something for the bridesmaids. “I want blue. It’s my favourite colour, I don’t want pink, and I definitely don’t want green. The girls will all look wonderful in blue. And not a pale baby-blue, I want them in royal blue. That’s the colour I want. That’s the colour we should be looking for. NOT some pastel!”
By the end of their shopping expedition, Cathy was grateful that her parents had booked tickets for a play and were going to have dinner near the theatre. She collapsed on the couch and groaned.
“I cannot believe I survived today without screaming at her! I love her, but just sometimes it would be helpful if she remembered that I’m actually a grown up. I’m glad you two were so patient last night. Tomorrow mum and I are going shopping for something for Hannah and something for the new baby in the morning, then we are going with dad to see Caroline and Hannah. Then on Thursday they are going home. I‘m sorry for saying this, but it’s a relief.”
“See, I told you I could behave. And you didn’t believe me!”
“Yes Sherlock, you behaved beautifully, I was proud of you. You definitely have a lab assistant all next week.”