7

Knock. Knock. Knock. Rene.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Rene.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Rene.

"It's open, Sheldon."

Sheldon walked into an apartment that was very different from the one that he and Nora were in. It was more open, almost loft-like, and it was quite modern with floor-to-ceiling windows on the end that overlooked the yards and gardens in back and on the street end it had standard windows and the corner was a roundish area with a spire and windows all around. In it was an overstuffed armchair with a reading lamp.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Sheldon, I'm sorry for before. You surprised me. You both did."

"I apologize. You really gave us no other option."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"What shall I call you?"

"Well, I'd prefer Rene but when it's just the two of us I guess I'm okay with Penny. Sort of like you with Moonpie. Speaking of which…"

"Meemaw is still with is, Penny. She has a bit of trouble getting around so she lives with Missy and her family now."

"I would have thought she'd move in with your mom."

"Meemaw can tolerate Mother's church nonsense only slightly more than I can. If they lived together one of them would murder the other. I was sorry to hear about your parents."

"Thanks. I didn't know you were in touch with them."

"Penny, I've been searching for you for ten years. I'm in touch with almost everyone you've ever known. Were you in touch with them?"

"Not for a long time. Dad was pretty angry with me about leaving you. After Mom got sick I took Carli to Omaha so she could get to know them a little but didn't tell them where we lived. When Mom passed I tried to convince Dad to come live with us. He never let on that he was sick too."

"I was in Europe lecturing when he passed away. When I got back there was a message in my office for me to call him and that it was important. I've always thought he might have found out where you were and wanted to tell me."

"You were probably right. At the end he knew where I was."

How have you been able to stay under the radar for so long?"

"We mostly exchanged letters and those went to a post office box and were picked up by an acquaintance and sent to another post office box which I picked them up from. Or I used burner phones that I discarded after each call. Jeff and Weldon had a way to reach me in an emergency."

"We haven't seen very much of Jeff and Weldon since they moved to Costa Rica. Why, Penny. Why did you have to leave?"

"I was scared, Sheldon. I was scared of Leonard. I was scared for Cyndee. You have to understand."

"You never wanted to speak about what happened between you during that time. What Leonard did."

"And I never will. If I had a gun he'd be dead. I swear it. Just thinking about it now I want to kill him."

"I'm going to deal with him."

"No. Don't. It's over. For a long time."

"It isn't. Not for you. I can see the fear in your eyes just at the mention of his name. I saw that same fear when Kurt came into the apartment. Penny, you have to let us help you. You can't live this way."

"We were fine, Sheldon. Carli and I were fine for a very long time. And then Kurt had to wander in looking for a job. I didn't even know he was on the east coast. Once he saw me it was like I was eighteen again and he could get me to do whatever he wanted. When I saw him give Carli the same look he used to give me I knew I had to do anything to keep him away from her. That and I was really lonely."

"So there haven't been any others?"

"Not really. Once in a while. But nothing more than an occasional one-night stand. I had Carli to think of. That and there was you."

"We've had no contact for ten years."

"I still love you. I don't think I could ever love anyone like I love you."

"Yet you still stayed away, would still have done nothing if Cyndee hadn't come to us."

"I guess saying I'm sorry doesn't cut it."

"It would be a start."

"Then I'm sorry. You're still an important part of my life even though we haven't been together for ten years."

"So I understand. It seems I am present in most every way but in person."

"Damn it, Sheldon. You don't have to be that cold."

"How am I to be, then? I'm not sure there is actually a protocol for this situation."

"I think we do the same thing we did when we met."

"When we met you weren't wearing any clothing."

"I mean when we really met. When you were that sweet guy talking to the girl crying in the alley."

"Perhaps we should have some tea then."