Chapter 2: The Mommy Observation Aftermath
Sheldon needed to talk to Amy. Howard had helped, in his own awkward way, and talking to his mother had helped. However, Sheldon was still confused. He needed to discuss the situation rationally with his intellectual equal. And Amy was his only intellectual equal.
But they'd agreed to suspend their nightly texts given the time difference. This had been logical, of course, as it was his idea. So he tried to push his need aside as he readied for bed. It felt good to complete his nightly ritual in order. But as he settled between the sheets in his hotel room, his mind turned to Amy again.
That, in itself, was not unusual. He often thought of Amy as he drifted off to sleep, especially after - no, he would not allow himself to experience that moment again tonight. He was ashamed of how often he found himself thinking about it lately. It was just that he was so used to talking to her before bed, she was always the last person he spoke to now instead of Leonard. Sometimes it was text, sometimes it was a call, but it always happened.
Amy had changed him. He'd been angry last week when Penny said that, but, upon reflection, he had to admit she was right. Not that he'd ever tell her that. Just listen to me. "Upon reflection." I sound like a beatnik poet. Next thing I know I'll be growing my hair out.
He tried to readjust. He mentally listed all the elements of the periodic table in order. He replayed the last episode of Doctor Who in his mind. He tried to imagine Beta Spock and Beta Uhura playing Counterfactuals. It's no use.
Finally with a sigh, he sat up, turned on the bedside light, and grabbed his phone. It was only 9:58 in Glendale. Amy went to bed at 10:00. Just one text, a short one, and she'll get it before bedtime. Yes, this could work.
[Good night, Amy.] Send.
Good. It was done. It wasn't enough, of course, but it seemed to help a little.
His phone chirped almost immediately. [Good night, Sheldon. Can you not sleep? It is past your usual bedtime there.]
Blast. Per usual, Amy knew too much about him. He thought briefly about lying, but not seriously as his mother always told him not to lie.
[No, I cannot.]
[Do you want to talk? We could FaceTime.]
His stomach fluttered. Yes. [I'm in my pajamas.]
[So am I.]
Her lips felt different than he expected and why was he kissing her he had not planned to do that it but it felt better than he ever thought it would and he wanted to be closer to her maybe just one step closer - He forced himself to stop the memory. What on earth was happening to his mind lately? This was probably a bad idea. [Okay.]
In just a couple of seconds, Amy's face floated in front of him. She was wearing a pink nightgown. Where was she sitting? It's her bed! She's sitting in her bed! No, this definitely wasn't a good idea.
"Hello, Sheldon."
"Hello, Amy." Was she not wearing a barrette in her hair?
"How was your visit to see your mother? Was she surprised?"
He was startled and relieved at the same time. He was startled because he hadn't expected her to ask that right way (although, it was logical that she should do so, he realized), but he was relieved that she had brought it up, saving him the trouble.
He told her everything. What he had seen, what his mother had said, what Howard had said. As always, Amy listened silently to his stories. He valued that in her, that she knew when he just needed to tell her something and she just needed to listen. " . . . then we left and drove back to the hotel."
"Wow, that is surprising, Sheldon. I would have been overwhelmed, embarrassed and angry, too."
There, she'd done it. She had said just the right thing. Yes, he had been overwhelmed and embarrassed, not just angry. That is what he had felt, even though he didn't understand those where his emotions at the time.
"Amy, you always know just how to verbalize the intangible." Sheldon wanted to tell her how genuinely he appreciated this facet of their relationship even if it was hippy trippy. I may already need a haircut. Did she just blush? No, it must have been a trick of lighting.
"Thank you." She gave a little sigh, "I know you may not want to hear this, but Howard was probably right."
He didn't know what to say. Was Amy right about this, too? Maybe. He wasn't sure yet. But he felt better now. Even if Amy wasn't right, she understood him.
"I'll think about it." It was all he could agree to do now. But she had given him the peace to do so. "Amy?"
"Yes, Sheldon?"
"Do you think Beta Spock and Beta Uhura would play Counterfactuals?"
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