Time with my father

Water time

It was a hot day in England. Sigyn was in her room sketching. She had her balcony door open and was sitting in a chair next to it. She would get the occasional breeze. Her long auburn hair was in a high tight bun. She had on a pair of denim shorts and a thin top. She was sketching the scenery just outside. She'd always loved to draw. She had ribbons from grade school. Her father always said 'there is no future in finger painting'.
She was finishing a tree when a knock at her door drew her from her thoughts. She waited a second for another knock. It would be her father with two knocks, other wise it was Greg. No second knock.
"Come in," she went back to her sketch.
Greg opened her door and just leaned against the frame with his arms crossed. He was watching her. She was used to people staring, but watching felt weird.
"Do you have a reason for entering my room?"
"You remind me of your father."
"Excuse me?"
"The way you were so focused on the paper. You were lost in thought. In your own little world. Your father gets like that when he's doing important paper work."
"Is that it?"
"No, it's hot today." Sigyn stoped sketching and looked up at Greg.
"Brilliant observation. Please close the door on your way out." She continued sketching the tree. Greg just stood there. Not moving a muscle.
"If you insisted on being in my room at least come closer. I'm getting upset with that tree." She flipped to the next page in her sketch book and looked at Greg. Greg crossed the room and sat in the chair opposite her.
"You draw?"
"No I sketch. Don't move." She started sketching Greg. She started with his head and face. She moved onto his chest. Making sure to get the details of his band tee.
"So what's the difference between drawing and sketching?" Sigyn was just finishing the final "C" in AC/DC.
"I do not create originals. I copy what I see in the world around me. Don't move!" She started on his shorts. Pockets still gave her a hard time. She finally got frustrated and moved onto his legs. She let Greg's body end there. She sketched the chair and drapes behind him before she finally put her pencil down.
"Let me see." Greg stood from the chair he was sitting in and walked to behind Sigyn.
"You did this in half an hour?"
"You sat there while I did it,"
"I'm impressed. Why do the feet and hands just stop?"
"I'm not good at them."
"Wish I had that type of talent."
"Is there a specific reason you knocked on my door?"
"Right. It's hot, there is a nice lake out there and I am inviting your uncles and cousin over. Would you care to join us?"
"Thanks no."
"Come on. You could sit under a tree and sketch. Just get out of this hot house."
"Ok, I'll come." Greg smiled and left her room. Closing the door behind him.
Sigyn sat in her chair for a few minutes, thinking. She was starting to feel something. Was it for Greg? She wasn't sure what it was, but she was sure what it wasn't. Romantic. She wasn't feeling romantic towards the older man. She stood from her chair and got a swimming suit and cover from her dresser. She entered her bathroom and changed. There was a knock at her door when she left the bathroom. She waited and heard nothing.
"Come in." Greg opened the door and poked just his head in.
"Is ten minutes enough time for you to get ready?"
"Yes, thank you."
"I like that cover. It looks good on you." She smiled and he returned one. He closed the door and she gathered her sketching bag. Before she left her room, she slipped on her sandals. She walked down the hall and grabbed a towel from the closet.
Greg was standing by the back door. He had on a pair of blue and green board shorts, a blue tank top, sunglasses that made him look like a television cop, and a towel wrapped around him neck.
She finished walking down the stairs when she came to and abrupt stop. Her father was standing just outside the door. He had on a pair of black swimming trunks, a black t-shirt and black boat shoes. She'd never seen him out of his three point suit.
"Father?" She hid her bag behind her back.
"Sigyn."
"I didn't know you were coming,"
"It is my lake. I don't need anyone's permission to use it." Greg rolled his eyes.
"Do you two have to be such Holmes'?" She usually didn't like jokes about her name, but that was funny. She gave a small laugh. Her father just shook his head. Greg made a waving motion. A signal for Sigyn to follow the men. She thought about running back upstairs to drop off her sketch bag.
"Come on Sigyn. Your uncles are already here." Greg made another motion for her to follow. She decided to bring her bag. She followed her father and Greg down to the lake. She watched as Greg held her father's hand and kissed it occasionally. She felt happy. She was happy that her father found someone that made him happy. She noticed a change in him. He acted differently when Greg was around.
"Hey Sigyn. Come up here." She quickened her pace and caught up to them. She walked on Greg's right side. He gave her a smile and she returned it.
John, Sherlock and Rosie were at the lake by the time they got there. Rosie was chasing a butterfly, John was watching Rosie and Sherlock was sitting under a tree. Each of them had on a swimming suit. Rosie had on a pink one piece with flowers all over it, her hair was braided away from her face and a little pair of goggles on her forehead. Sherlock had on a pair of purple board shorts that had bumblebees all over it and a purple shirt. John had on a red pair of swimming shorts that had a white cross just above the left knee and was topless. None of them has shoes on.
"Sigy, we swim?"
"Of course Rosie. Let me put my stuff down and get you a tube."
Off to the side sat a wooden shack. It held water toys and floatation devices.
"Father, may I have the key please?" Mycroft reached into his pocket and produced a key ring with a single key on it. He handed it to his daughter. She placed her bag next to her uncles with a greeting and walked over to the shack. She opened the door and grabbed a flattened inner tube along with a pump. She filled the tube with air and put the pump back. She grabbed a child's life jacket before she closed the door.
She walked over to her bag and proceeded to remove her cover. She decided on her rainbow two piece suit.
"Sigyn Holmes! What in the world do you have on?"
"My favorite suit." He father was at a loss of words. She never wore something like a two piece in front of him before. She thought she looked good in it and didn't care what her father thought.
"I think she looks good."
"Stay out of this Sherlock!"
"Myc calm down. She's almost 16, she has a body to wear it, and it looks good on her."
"It seems my mind had been changed for me." She smiled at Greg. Sigyn grabbed the life jacket.
"Rosie, come here. You need to put this on." Rosie ran over to Sigyn.
"Why?"
"So you don't drown. When you wear this you float."
"Oh." Sigyn helped Rosie put on the life jacket. Sigyn grabbed the inner tube and walked with Rosie to the dock.
Sigyn sat on the edge of the dock and jumped in. She fully went under the water. When she popped back up she was laughing along with Rosie.
"Hand me the tube." Rosie handed Sigyn the inner tube and stood on the edge of the dock. Sigyn held on to Rosie's hands.
"Ok, jump to me! 1. 2. 3!" Rosie jumped off the dock and right into Sigyn arms. They slashed and played in the water together.
Rosie was sitting in the inner tube when Sigyn caught sight of something under the water. She quickly looked to the shore and noticed John was missing.
"Rosie, I think something's in the lake with us."
"What it?"
"It might be a lake monster."
"Oh no! What we do?"
"When we see the monster we need to splash it. Keep an eye out."
"I see it!" Rosie pointed to a log floating near the shore.
"That might be it. Let's stay over here." Just then John popped up out of the water and scared Rosie.
"Splash Rosie, splash." Rosie and Sigyn splashed John to the point of drowning.
"Look Rosie, it's not a lake monster." Rosie stopped splashing and opened her eyes and laughed so hard she almost fell off her tube.
"Daddy! I think you monster."
"A monster? Do I look like a monster to you?"
"Little"
"Oh really?" John lifted Rosie out of the tube and started tickling her. Sigyn motioned to the shore and pointed to herself. John nodded his head and continued to tease his daughter.
Sigyn got out of the water and set her towel on the grass next to her uncle in the sun. She loved the sun. For some reason she didn't burn like her father and uncle. Must be her mom's side that she gets that from. She shrugged off the thought and laid back on the towel. She closed her eyes and just listened to the sounds around her.
"So Sigyn?"
"Yes uncle Sherlock?" She turned her head in his direction but didn't open her eyes.
"How would you like to be my best person?"
"Excuse me?"
"In my wedding to John. Would you do me the honor of being my best person?" She opened her eyes and studied his face. He was serious.
"Of course! I would be happy to!"
"Great."
Wow, a weeding. Her uncles were getting married. She sat up and grabbed her sketch bag. He father and Greg sat under a different tree, away from them. Greg was sitting against the tree. Her father was sitting between his legs leaning against him. She started sketching them. She just finished Greg's legs when a thought came to her.
"Uncle Sherlock?"
"Yes?"
"Why didn't you ask my father to be your best man?"
"I thought about it, but I realized I'm closer to you than I'll ever be to him." She looked at her uncle and try to think of words that would express how honored and loved he made her feel.
"I hope I live up to your expectations."
"You always seem to exceed them" she turned back to finish her sketch of her father and Greg only to find her father on his back. He was obviously deep in thought.
"Hey Sig, nice sketch." She looked up to find Greg was leaning over her. He had a huge smile on his face that fell slightly when she didn't answer him.
"What's wrong?"
"You called me Sig."
"Isn't that your name?"
"Yes but it's the first time you called me that. You only ever call me Sigyn."
"Is it ok?"
"More than ok." She couldn't explain why but hearing him use her nickname made her extremely happy.