Mini Cooper
Chapter 9
"Mummy?" Isaac pressed his lips into thin lines. Amy took a few deep breaths before nodding her head. Bernadette told her that Isaac knew and she should not keep Isaac in the dark anymore. Isaac deserved to know that he had a father. She would try her best to explain why his father was absent from his life. She would work out a plan best for Isaac with Sheldon.
"Isaac, are you all right?" Amy asked, kneeling to Isaac's eye level, and gently nudge him. She should have thought of a better way to break the news to Isaac. "Yes, yes, yes," Isaac yelped happily and nodded his head. He ran over to Sheldon and wrapped his arms around Sheldon's long legs. "Are you really my Daddy? I am sorry, but can I call you Daddy?" Isaac asked timidly. He could not believe that renowned Physicist, Dr. Cooper, was his father. He looked up earnestly at Sheldon, hoping that he could say yes. He needed Dr. Cooper's confirmation too. He was afraid that Sheldon would reject his innocent request.
Sheldon scooped Isaac up and rubbed the top of his head, "I am your father, of course, you can call me Daddy. You need not be sorry for calling me, Daddy." Isaac pressed a wet kiss on Sheldon's right cheek, "Daddy." Sheldon's heart soared when Isaac called him Daddy and he touched Isaac's forehead with his. His Mum used to do the forehead touching gesture when he was young and needed comfort or assurance. He wanted to comfort Isaac. There were times where he offered his awkward but rare hugs to Penny or Leonard, or tapping on one's arm or shoulder and saying 'there, there. Sheldon's here.' He was never one who knew how to soothe others but he knew that he had to quash the fears in Isaac. Being a father was all new to him but he wanted to excel being a father. After all, he excelled in everything. He wanted to be a father his father never was.
"Mummy, can Daddy bring me to school tomorrow?" Isaac pulled away from Sheldon's head and asked Amy. Then he turned his attention back to Sheldon, "do you want to attend my Show and Tell? I want to tell Teacher Melissa that I have a father. She is my most favourite teacher! Do you want to attend?"
Sheldon looked at Amy, waiting for her answer. Amy did not know how to answer. She was not sure if she was ready to tell Isaac's teachers about Sheldon. Although Sheldon showed that he wanted to be a part of Isaac's life, there were considerations she had to make. She did not know what arrangements he had in mind. Marriage was out as she could not marry Sheldon. Dr. Ramona was a stumbling factor. She believed that Sheldon loves Ramona. If he had not, he would never ask her to be his girlfriend and have a healthy sexual relationship with her.
Moreover, she was not sure if Sheldon could be a good father. She could not risk Sheldon hurting Isaac because the novelty of being a father rubbed off. She needed to figure out how Sheldon could play a part in Isaac's life. Perhaps she should not have nodded her head so easily when Isaac asked. But when she witnessed how loving Sheldon was towards Isaac, she melted. She forgot about how easily Sheldon could uproot himself for Mars colonization and how much she viewed Sheldon as a flight risk.
"Mummy, please!" Isaac pleaded with his best puppy eyes. Amy sighed, "Isaac, Dr. Cooper is a busy man. I don't think he will be able to attend your show and tell." Amy looked back at Sheldon hoping that he would agree. "No, I am actually free. I have taken a few weeks off from work. I have much-accumulated vacation time to clear. HR had been bugging me to clear them." Sheldon smiled at Isaac, "I will bring you to school and attend your show and tell."
"What are you planning to share?" Sheldon asked. "Trains! I have a train set, which belonged to Mummy, but she gave it to me my last birthday. She treasured it a lot! I wanted to recite Pi to the hundredth places but Mummy said it might not be suitable. Sadly, Teacher Melissa agreed." Isaac said excitedly without catching a breath. He was sad when Teacher Melissa agreed with his Mummy that reciting the decimal places of Pi was not suitable for his show and tell.
"You know when I was your age, I could also recite Pi to the five hundredth places. And, I memorized about a thousand different train names." Sheldon shared. Isaac regarded his Daddy in awe. "I think perhaps we can share some facts about vintage trains tomorrow during your show and tell." Isaac bobbed his head up and down frantically.
"All right, little man, you should be sleeping now. Sleep is very important for your formative years. Where's your room?" Sheldon asked and carried Isaac towards the direction he pointed. Isaac yawned and buried his head in the crook of Sheldon's neck. Sheldon suppressed a giggle as Isaac's hair tickled his neck.
"I can take him, Sheldon, if you want." Amy offered, her hands extending towards Isaac. "I can take care of Isaac myself. Contrary to what others' or yours' belief, I am more than capable to take care a child," Sheldon snapped.
"Ramona, are you all right?" Penny whispered, not wanting Leonard to know that she had called Ramona to check on her. Leonard had his reservations about Ramona. He, like Bernadette, Howard and Raj, did not like or accept her into their social group. He, however, was cordial towards Ramona. She remembered the huge argument they got into after they left Sheldon in Ramona's apartment. He wanted to bring Sheldon home but she insisted that they left Sheldon in Ramona's apartment. He also reprimanded her for pushing Sheldon to be with Ramona. He felt that Sheldon was too vulnerable to be involved with Ramona. He asked her not to manipulate Sheldon but she did not listen.
She witnessed how devastated Sheldon was when Amy left. She could not forget that one night where she found Sheldon sitting on the ledge on the rooftop, his eyes glazed from all the beers he consumed. Sheldon was never a person who drank, knowing that he could not fully control his faculty if he was drunk. She counted that at least a dozen of beer cans littered the floor. Her heart beating wildly as she flung herself at him to pull him back. That night, he cried in her arms and blamed himself for Amy's sudden departure.
"Penny, I gave her everything. My heart, my body, my love." Sheldon sobbed inconsolably. "It hurts so much. It is so painful. How could she leave me without a word? I did not know what I have done wrong. She promised she would never leave me again. Why did she break her promise?" He clutched his chest area, his heart hurt. She could only wrap him closer and cry with him. She had never seen Sheldon so vulnerable before. "Do you want to go back to Texas? I can go back with you." She offered softly.
Truth be told, she needed a break too. She needed to be away from Leonard, from her responsibilities and most importantly from her guilt for a while. Amy's sudden leaving did not only affect Sheldon but her too. Amy became a big part of her life unconsciously. She was upset when Amy became closer with Bernadette when she broke up with Sheldon. If Amy was here, she would know what to do to make her feel better. She could confide in Amy and Amy would tell her what she could tell Leonard.
"Penny, I want to go back to Texas," Sheldon said. She nodded, "we can even take a train to Texas. Sheldon, I think I am ready to face my drinking problem." She had always been defensive about her drinking. She did not know when it became a problem. She was never seen without an alcoholic beverage in her hand. Perhaps it started when her acting career went south and she was stuck being a waitress in Cheesecake Factory. She thought she would stop binge drinking when her career took off but she was resentful of her job. Her job as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep paid well but she was neither happy nor satisfied. She could only turn to alcohol for more comfort.
She blamed Amy for leaving them. If Amy had not left, she would have recognized all her symptoms and stopped her from drinking excessively. If Amy had not left, she would not have miscarried her baby. She did not have the courage to tell Leonard and she had to maintain a façade every day. She did not have the chance to mourn for her baby. She simply did not have the rights to grieve. To ease her guilt, she pushed all the responsibility to Amy. It was Amy who broke the equilibrium of their group and for that, she hated Amy.
"Penny, of course, I am not all right! He broke up with me over Amy! Has he called you? He was gone when I came back to the hotel." Ramona broke down. "No, but Bernadette called. Leonard and I will be heading to Connecticut on the first available flight. We will be there for you." Penny assured Ramona.
"Have you tried calling Sheldon's Mee Maw? Perhaps, she could help to talk some sense into Sheldon. You know she is super supportive of Sheldon and you," Penny asked, knowing that Constance was supportive of Ramona. Constance hated Amy for breaking Sheldon's heart twice. Constance could not recognise Sheldon when they arrived in Texas. Sheldon's face was unshaven, his cheeks sunken and his eyes were gloomy. With Constance's and Mary's unwavering support, Sheldon slowly healed and came out from his catatonic state. She was never sure if Sheldon had fully recovered from the episode.
A month later, he shaved his thick beard and told her he was ready to head back to Pasadena and he could not hide behind his mother and Mee Maw forever. After returning to Pasadena, he buried himself in work, producing incredible work which impressed CalTech's board of directors who overlooked his sabbatical. He said he was no longer distracted and he could devote himself fully to science. However, Amy Farrah Fowler remained a taboo topic.
No one could mention her name in his presence. There was once Raj let slip of his tongue, mentioned about Amy and wondered about her well-being. Sheldon gave Raj three strikes instantly and banished him from the apartment. Leonard found it to be too harsh and coerced him to apologise and retract the strikes. He insisted that Raj had to learn his lesson and he would continue the banishment unless Raj promised he would never mention Amy ever.
They no longer force him to celebrate Christmas. Sheldon had never liked celebrating Christmas but he became more tolerant towards it when Amy became an integral of his life. He slowly opened to the idea of celebrating festivities but after Amy left, he reverted to his old, cynical self. Howard and Bernadette opting to spend their holidays away from California as they could not tolerate Sheldon trying to spoil Christmas for their daughter. Bernadette gave Sheldon a death threat if he told Halley Santa Claus was fake and the gifts were put there by Howard. Raj, who had become wearier and less tolerant of Sheldon's antics, decided to stay away and spend it in Stuart's comics bookstore.
"I tried but Missy said that she went on a three-week cruise trip. She will not be contactable." Ramona sighed, frustration evident in her voice. She called Constance's cell phone once Sheldon left but Missy picked up and informed her that Constance was not around. Constance was glad and relief when Penny called to inform her about Sheldon and Ramona. She forced Sheldon to bring Ramona back to Texas for last Thanksgiving. He only did so, albeit very reluctantly, after Mary told him that Constance was on a hunger strike. Constance was very pleased with Ramona and regarded her as her future grand daughter-in-law. Constance had also secretly given Ramona the family heirloom ring, telling her that this family ring would only be on her finger. She could not imagine anyone other than her having it. Sheldon had returned the ring to Constance after Amy left and stated that he had no intention to be involved in another relationship. He could not risk having his heart broken again.
"Penny, I am scared." Ramona swiped at her tears, her voice cracking. She knew that Penny was on her side. She had to win Penny over. She could not lose Sheldon to Amy. Sheldon was hers to begin with. "Ramona, I was in Junior Rodeo. I will hogtie him and bring him to you if needed," Penny said, cracking her knuckles.
"Penny, I got tickets to Connecticut!" Leonard shouted from the living room. "Hey, I got to go. Promise me not to do anything stupid. Do you have the ring with you?" Penny asked. "Yes, of course. Why?" Ramona's fingers went to the ring she wore as a necklace under her blouse and caressed it.
"I am thinking you can make Amy back off with this ring. She knew about the engagement ring when Constance visited Sheldon in Pasadena a few years back. She was quite upset when Sheldon did not bring up the topic of engagement. You can use this to your advantage." Penny suggested. Ramona's lips curled up into a menacingly smile and took in Penny's suggestion.
Sheldon settled Isaac on his train bed and pulled the blanket over Isaac's shoulder. He marvelled at the intricate decoration of Isaac's room. "I like your room," Sheldon sat down on the floor beside the train bed, "especially this bed."
"Mummy custom made the bed for me." Isaac turned to lie on his side, facing Sheldon, a broad grin on his face. "Mummy always sing to me before bedtime, can you also sing to me?" he requested blushingly. Sheldon chucked, realizing that Isaac might be mature for his age, he was after all still a child.
"Yes, of course," Sheldon acquiesced. "What is your bedtime song?"
"Soft Bunny and Hard Turtle," Isaac answered while yawning. "Mummy made up the songs for me. She said Soft Kitty is only for when I am sick and she does not like me being sick. She created the songs for me. I can teach you how to sing. Mummy said she once wanted to adopt a turtle as a pet but it fell through. She did not say why." Sheldon knew why they did not get the turtle because the turtle bit him and he deemed it as a vile creature. He reprimanded Amy for instilling the idea of getting a turtle together and insisted that she brought him to the doctor to look at the bite.
Sheldon ruffled Isaac's hair lovingly. "My mum, your Mee Maw, also sings Soft Kitty whenever I am sick. Your Uncle Leonard and Aunt Penny too. They're my best friends." He was grateful that he had friends like Leonard and Penny. They helped him out of his meltdown and being incredibly patient and exceptionally understanding. Despite Penny's involvement to help Ramona, he appreciated all support she provided. He could not thank her enough when she offered to stay in Texas with him. "I think they will be thrilled to be your godparents."
Isaac's eyes drooped as he started to sing in a soft voice, "Soft Bunny, Warm Bunny, Floppy Ears On top. Happy Bunny, sleepy bunny, hop, hop, hop." Sheldon patted Isaac's chest as he repeated after Isaac.
"Daddy, will you be here tomorrow? You will bring me to school tomorrow?" Isaac mumbled. "Of course," Sheldon frowned slightly at Isaac's insecurity. "Great, Timmy can no longer say I don't have a father." Sheldon's heart constricted painfully at Isaac's poignant statement.
"Goodnight, Daddy," Isaac whispered and flipped over, pulled his blanket over his head.
Sheldon only stood up when he confirmed Isaac had fallen asleep. It was time to confront Amy. He needed to know why did she leave without telling him that she was pregnant. He deserved to know. He, for sure, would not back down. He would insist on marriage. His child could never be an illegitimate child. If Amy had other plans, he would fight for full custody for Isaac. He knew that the chance of him winning full custody was slim but he was sure that Amy would not want subject Isaac to court proceedings.
He was relieved when he did not find any signs of men's presence in Amy's apartment. His hands clenched into tight fists as he considered the thought of Amy being unfaithful towards him. The rage within him started boiling at the thoughts of Amy lying in another man's arms after coitus. He concluded that Amy must have found a man who was willing to satisfy her sexual needs and she left with his child. He trembled with anger and stomped out to the living room.
"Amy, we need to talk!" he hissed. He found the living room to be empty. He looked over to Amy's room and the lights were out. He realized Amy had placed a set of pillow and blanket on the sofa for him. She had also prepared a new set of toothbrush and toothpaste, which she placed in a Ziploc bag, for him.
He sighed and sat on Isaac's spot. Amy Farrah Fowler confused him and he did not like it at all. The only certainty he had was he wanted both Amy and Isaac back in his life.
I hope this reads well. I am sorry for not sticking with my weekly/ bi-weekly updates. I know I used this reason way too much but I am busy at work. I know the pace of this story might be slow but I wanted to provide a back story for them. Hopefully, I am doing okay. I am sorry for Penny's plight. I wanted to give a reason for her to be angry with Amy and choosing Ramona's side.
Reviews/ thoughts are appreciated :) Thanks!
