I am not lonely [Mystrade] - BOOK 2

CHAPTER 206 : Playing in the sun

Having reach the respectable age of fifty, Mycroft now felt like if it was to late to care about what people may think of him. Whatever the others could say behind his back he had started to understand that the majority of his life was now behind him and was eager to live what was left to be lived at its fullest. Even if he would still be the contained and sometime cold Holmes he always had been, his mindset had shifted a great deal since he had met Greg and became a father. 

That's how, in this first weekend of spring, he was crawling on his knees in the back garden of his house, Aelane on his back, running after his son. He had given up on his usual three-pieces suits and was sporting on of husband's pair of jeans with a simple grey t-shirt, making him looked pretty much like any father on a Saturday afternoon if we excepted the fact that the scene was happening in the garden of one of the largest house from the poshest street of London.

Gregory, on the other hand, was sunbathing in a deck chair on the terrace a few meters away. He had had an exhausting week at the yard and was in need of relaxation. Despite being located in central London, the Holmes Mansion was just like a safe haven. The sound of the cars on the main roads were nearly hearable and the neighbours weren't exactly what you could call noisy. The heat of the sun on his face and the birdsong in the background were all he needed to feel even a tiny bit on holidays.

The detective was starting to fall asleep in his chair when he heard the phone rigging inside.Grunting, he raised up on his feet and got inside. He had trouble getting to the phone in the living room, his eyes not being used to the darkness of the place anymore and he picked up the phone on its last ring.

"Hello ?" he answered, no recognising the number displayed.

"Am I speaking to Mycroft Holmes ?" a female voice asked back.

"No, but I can fetch him if you want." the inspector proposed.

"I would like that yes." the voice accepted without showing any emotion.

Greg quickly jogged outside to his partner and knocked on his shoulder.

"Someone for you on the phone dear." he explained with a smile.

"Who ?" the politician questioned as he put his daughter down from his back and raised up to his feet.

"God, I completely forgotten to ask ..." the policeman chuckled with an apologetic smile.

"I'll ask Michael to bring us some ice cream when I'm over with the phone." the official winked before disappearing in the house.

The phone receiver had been left unattended on a coffee table by Greg and little huffed sounds could be heard when the elder Holmes approached it.

"Mycroft Holmes speaking." the man introduced himself as he picked up the call.

"Good afternoon Mycroft." the female voice created him slowly.

"Why are you calling ?" the official retorted harshly, immediately recognising his mother's voice.

The two of them hadn't spoken to each other since they had last met in a park nearly four years ago. The politician, who was used to send cards for christmas and flowers for birthdays had kept completely silent for all these years and had no wishes to make a change to this new routine of his. He was happy and didn't needed his relatives back n the equation.

"I wanted to know how you were doing." the old lady explained in a polite voice.

"Don't play fool with me would you ?" the official replied, on the verge of putting the phone down.

"I know you probably aren't really happy about what we said to each other last time we met but don't you think we should give it another chance ?" the woman admitted.