Chapter Ten
The Garage Workshop Reconciliation
Luckily for Sheldon, he did not need to make up any stories to Rosemary for not attending her next campaign event. Saturday afternoon, the day after his mistake at the silent auction, Sheldon met with his model train club while she headed down to the Port of Tacoma to speak with the longshoremen. Doug, with Ivy and Jasmine in tow, drove her, inviting the couple over for dinner later that evening. Sheldon looked forward to the meal, having heard from the girls their father was an excellent cook. Jasmine also promised Sheldon the next issue of Ignatius the Unicorn. She'd written in a romance between Sheldon the Bald Eagle and Rosemary the Fox, and he couldn't wait to see what happened next, especially since the last issue ended with a cliffhanger, Rosemary and Ignatius at the mercy of Speckles the Dragon and Sheldon under the spell of the Wicked Witch of the Never-ending Woods.
The train club meeting made Sheldon almost forget the disaster from the evening before, and he found himself afterwards heading to the local Starbucks with Derek, a club member close to his age, and Tony, an older gentleman who'd been working on model trains in the area for years, who originally commissioned the one at Rosemary's museum. The three men discussed their love of trains, Sheldon sharing about his adventure from a few years ago, delighted to have people who actually appreciated different train stations, not criticizing him for not venturing out.
Sheldon felt even better when he sat down to a delicious steak dinner with Rosemary, Doug, and the two girls. The new comic did not disappoint, and Sheldon enjoyed playing a game of Sorry with Rosemary, Doug, and the girls following the meal. While he enjoyed a competitive game, he couldn't help but feel warm watching Rosemary laugh with Ivy and Jasmine.
Although she had a full two days, Rosemary felt wide-awake and happy as her and Sheldon walked back to their home from Doug's, hand-in-hand. She began to laugh, thinking of Jasmine's comic.
"So how would a relationship between Sheldon the Bald Eagle and Rosemary the Fox work?" she asked.
Sheldon just chuckled and shrugged.
"I mean what would their children look like?" Rosemary continued.
"I don't think it would be possible, with Sheldon a bird and Rosemary a mammal," said Sheldon.
"Then perhaps no physical intimacy," said Rosemary, injecting a dramatic sadness into her voice. "A relationship of the mind."
Sheldon stopped suddenly and glared at her. "Please don't say that."
"Um…okay," she said. What the hell was that all about?
"But what would our children look like?" asked Sheldon as they continued to walk.
"Well, I think they would have dark hair of course, since we both do, but I would love to see your blue eyes looking up at me," Rosemary paused, thinking. "But blue eye coloring is a recessive gene. Hmmm…I would want them to be tall, like you. I'm so short, even shorter than my little sister. Ugh. But our children would be so smart, I think, and athletic and…"
Sheldon stopped as they walked toward their front door. "Um, I meant Sheldon the Bald Eagle and Rosemary the Fox."
Rosemary felt herself blush and turned toward their front door with her key. "Oh…well maybe like a griffin or something." She turned on the light as they walked in, Sheldon locking the door behind him and turning to face her in the doorway.
"You think about our possible children?" he asked, his eyes locked with hers.
"Um…well…yes…sometimes," she stammered, not feeling ready to have this conversation, but, well, here it was. "I mean, I'm not ready now, but…well, you're the only person that's made me think about it."
She saw a smile spread across Sheldon's face. "I think about it too," he whispered. "A lot."
"Oh," breathed Rosemary, not able to take her eyes off him. "What else do you think about?"
"I see you with Ivy and Jasmine, and, well, it makes me see…the future," he said softly.
"I feel the same when I see you with them," she said as he moved to stand right in front of her. "But…that's the future, right?"
He nodded slightly.
"But let's practice now," she said, throwing her arms around his neck, crushing herself to him. She slid her hands underneath his Green Arrow shirt and pulled it over his head.
"Yes, practice makes perfect," said Sheldon, pulling one of her legs up to wrap around his lower back. She jumped up and wrapped her other leg around him, and he carried her to the couch and sat down, Rosemary straddling him.
"Naked. Now," she said, jumping up and removing her clothes as Sheldon did the same, both giggling at their sudden aroused state.
Rosemary moved back onto him, and they rocked together, kissing deeply, until Sheldon whimpered that he needed to enter her, which Rosemary agreed with a deep moan. Ten minutes later they were running upstairs and rolling around on their bed, laughing, joining once again, groaning as they both climaxed, this time together. Rosemary laid on Sheldon, trying to catch her breath, reflecting on what led to their sudden lovemaking. Children? She giggled, looking up at him, his face still showing he basked in the afterglow. They'd have a good time making one. He'd be a good dad. And yes, the kids would be smart.
But so much was going on right now. Teaching, the museum, the campaign. Did he want to get married? Did she? Yes, but a wedding and the senate and…well, everything. Feeling suddenly distraught and overwhelmed, Rosemary pushed those thoughts away and snuggled into Sheldon, enjoying his strong body next to hers. Focus on the moment, something her dad always advised when she began to look at the big picture. And this moment, with the man she loved, was perfect.
Monday morning, Sheldon browsed through his e-mail and updated his calendar, hoping to get some thinking time in throughout the day. After Rosemary fell asleep Saturday evening, he'd stayed up for another hour jotting down notes about dark matter on the pad he kept on his nightstand. Perhaps because they'd finally talked openly about children and he discovered her wishes, or the fact the sudden coitus helped relieve a lot of the tension he'd felt since his big social blunder, but either way, his brain felt open and the synapses were moving.
Sheldon stood up to begin work on his dry erase board when his cell phone rang. He glanced down to see the caller. Glenn, who he hadn't spoken with in two weeks, their schedules never coinciding. Sheldon smiled and answered.
"Hi Sheldon," came his friend's pleasant voice.
"Hello Glenn," said Sheldon. "Hope you and Sally are well."
"Oh yes," said Glenn. "We sold the house in Woodland last week, so sorry to be too busy to talk. But now we can just focus solely on the bed and breakfast. And going into semi-retirement."
"Congratulations," said Sheldon, knowing that selling their home had been a big focus of the McCarthy's energy this past summer.
"I have an invitation for you," Glenn began. "Roger, my colleague and co-author of our next Yellowstone book, is coming to stay, and he's never done some of those great trails up at Mt. Rainier. We were planning a late season hiking weekend, Yoshi coming too, and wondered if you'd like to join us for a guys weekend. End of October. Maybe get you away from the campaign madness for a couple of days.
Sheldon glanced out his office window at the volcano. "Will we be camping?"
"No, just some day hikes. Some areas might not be accessible if we get snow early," assured Glenn. "We'll be staying at a little inn outside the park. Place serves a great breakfast. I'd be happy to reserve you a room when we book ours."
Sheldon thought for a moment. He enjoyed Glenn's company, as well as Yoshi's, and had read a couple of Roger's articles, which were utterly terrifying in their description of the Yellowstone supervolcano. The geologists would certainly be interesting companions for an alpine hike. Plus, Rosemary encouraged him to go out and explore the area, even if she was unable to accompany him.
"Okay," he said finally.
"Wonderful," said Glenn, sounding excited. "We've both been so busy, we haven't really had a chance to connect since you've been up here. I look forward to the trip."
The two men chatted for a while longer, Glenn advising Sheldon on items he may need to acquire, including boots, wool socks, and a warm, waterproof coat, in addition to the Carhartt jacket Glenn gave him the previous fall. Sheldon came to the conclusion he'd just have Rosemary take him to REI.
Sometime later, Sheldon worked at one of his dry erase boards, mumbling, erasing, standing back and regarding his work. He was in dark matter again, his mind churning with numbers and images and nothingness. He studied his work when a knock sounded on the door. Sheldon turned to see a man slightly older than him, a friendly smile on his face, standing in the doorway.
"Dr. Sheldon Cooper?"
"Yes?"
"I'm Todd Morgan, a reporter for the Tacoma Tribune. May I come in?"
Sheldon motioned him in and took a seat behind his desk, the journalist sitting across from him, pulling out a notepad and audio recorder.
"I wondered when the local papers were going to take notice of me," said Sheldon smugly.
"Actually, I'm here to speak with you about Rosemary Fox. I'm doing local candidate profiles, and a source told me you are her boyfriend," said Todd.
Sheldon felt a little disappointed. Several physics journals as well as Scientific American did recent profiles on him. Why wouldn't the local paper be interested?
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to hear about my latest dark matter theory, which could lead to a possible Nobel Prize? Then Senator Rosemary Fox would be standing next to a Nobel laureate," Sheldon smiled at the image.
"Um…okay…well let's start with you. Tell me a bit about yourself," said Todd, turning on the audio recorder.
Sheldon lectured for fifteen minutes straight before Todd found a chance to interrupt, asking him how he felt about Rosemary's campaign and stance on the issues. Sheldon knew all the politics, having listened to her speeches numerous times and grilling her in practice for the upcoming debate each evening over dinner.
"From the tone of your voice, it sounds like you are really proud of your girlfriend," smiled Todd, his kind expression relaxing Sheldon. "How did you two meet? You seem to come from two very different worlds."
Sheldon told Todd about how he met Rosemary and finally getting the offer at SpaceX and moving up to Tacoma. He knew better than to mention their sexcapades.
Todd grinned broadly. "Such a nice, romantic story. The physicist and the historian…"
"Senator," interrupted Sheldon with a broad smile.
"Ah, yes," chuckled Todd. "But she's going against a strong incumbent, who's held the office for years. What do you think of Chuck Livingstone? How will Rosemary beat him, having no experience holding any public office?"
"Rosemary is Wonder Woman."
Todd raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes, she stands up for what is right, helps the common man," Sheldon began to laugh. "One of my friends commented that Evil Senator Livingstone…"
"Excuse me, did you say Evil Senator Livingstone?"
"Yes, that's what we call him around the house."
Todd now smiled brightly at Sheldon, writing quickly in his notebook. "Go on, go on. Your friend said what?"
"That Evil Senator Livingstone resembles Lex Luthor. Gene Hackman Lex Luthor."
Todd's smile dropped, and he studied Sheldon. "Yeah, he kind of does."
Sheldon continued on about all the detriments of Livingstone continuing in office, including his lack of support for schools and those in poverty, again things he knew from Rosemary's practice speeches.
"Well, Sheldon, this has been very informative," said Todd. "The feature will be published in tomorrow morning's paper, but a portion will be posted online tonight. Please let Rosemary know I'll be contacting her soon as well, but I would love to do a story focusing on you and your, um…well, viewpoints."
Sheldon beamed at Todd. "Of course. And make sure to mention my dark matter theorem is gaining international acclaim."
"I will," assured Todd, smiling. "Thank you."
The reporter left the office, and Sheldon sighed happily. He'd helped Rosemary's campaign! He didn't need Mark or Melissa or even Rosemary herself to direct him. He knew all the important points, what she stood for. The article will come out and the mean campaign managers will be begging him to help more, maybe even using his design for the next round of signs. And Rosemary…she'd throw her arms around him, her bright smile filling him with love and warmth.
Sheldon stood up to walk back to his boards when Carson appeared in the doorway.
"Sheldon," the young man said, a worried expression on his face. "Who was that man that was laughing as he left just moments ago?"
"Todd Morgan, a reporter for the Tacoma Tribune," said Sheldon, grabbing a marker and walking back to his board. "He interviewed me about my work and Rosemary's campaign. I told him all about dark matter and Rosemary's ideas and why voting for Evil Senator Livingstone is a bad idea."
"Did you use the phrase Evil Senator Livingstone?"
"Yes."
"And you never said off the record?"
"What?" asked Sheldon.
"Off the record. Meaning to not publish," clarified Carson. "When I worked for that Wall Street firm, I was trained how to talk to the press. You need to be careful."
Sheldon stood, looking at the work on his board for a moment. He'd told the truth, said what Rosemary stood for, hadn't mentioned any naughty details about their lives. Everything perfect for public record. Yes, he'd been given the opportunity to help and done exactly that. "I didn't say anything other than the truth. Also, I'm sure journalists in Tacoma are a lot friendlier than those in Manhattan."
Carson stared at Sheldon, his brow furrowed, before finally shrugging. "I was wondering if after work today you could give me a ride home. Please."
"What happened to your motorcycle?"
"Starter is broken. The shop picked it up an hour ago," Carson sighed. "I was lucky to make it in." He paused. "I would really appreciate the ride. I actually live on your way home."
"Okay," said Sheldon, turning back to his board. "I leave at five."
"Thank you," said Carson, turning to leave.
"Carson," said Sheldon. "Would you like to try the new sandwich shop for lunch this Thursday?"
Carson nodded. "Yes. And hopefully I'll have my bike back by then. You can ride in the sidecar."
The kid walked away before Sheldon could protest.
Sheldon pulled up in front of Carson's apartment building, only two stories, entrances from the outside. Living on the ground floor, Carson explained to him on the way there that the community was quiet and well-maintained, his two-bedroom apartment large compared to where he lived in New York City.
As Carson thanked Sheldon and was exiting the Camaro, Sheldon saw an opportunity to gather some more information on the mathematician.
"Carson, may I use your restroom facilities before I leave?" asked Sheldon.
"Of course."
Carson unlocked the door and the two men entered, Sheldon immediately bombarded with classic cinema décor. Like his office, framed movie posters from the 1920s through the present era graced Carson's walls. A giant television with all manner of equipment was set up, with Bose speakers and even a reel-to-reel projector, a pull down screen hanging from the ceiling. Other than that, the small kitchen and living room were sparsely furnished, looking like furniture from IKEA.
"First door on the left," said Carson, putting his bag down. Suddenly, his phone rang and he answered, Sheldon guessing a business call from the tone and responses.
A bedroom door was open across from the bathroom, and Sheldon glanced in, shocked by what he saw. The entire room was shelves of movies, formats ranging from reels to VHS to DVDs to Blu-Ray. No furniture, just shelves. Sheldon glanced back to see if Carson was paying attention before looking into the master bedroom. Again, bare except for the essentials, more film posters on the wall. A framed photo on the nightstand caught Sheldon's eye – Olivia. Why did Carson have a picture of someone he considered his "ex-friend" at his bedside? When Amy became his ex, Sheldon placed their prom photo in a box, out of sight. Here, Carson saw her face first thing every morning.
Sheldon heard Carson finish his call, so he dashed into the restroom, closing the door. Several framed photos hung in the bathroom, all of an English bulldog dressed in ridiculous outfits – as a pirate, as a gladiator, as a princess, as Yoda. Chester. Then again, another photo of Olivia, this time with Carson and Chester, posing by the motorcycle with sidecar, Chester wearing the riding goggles Carson mentioned.
Sheldon, who didn't need to use the restroom, waited long enough to appear he had before exiting. Carson sat at his small dining room table, typing something on his tablet.
"Your photos of Chester are amusing," said Sheldon, wishing he could bring up Olivia as tactfully as Rosemary did nights ago.
"He was a good dog," Carson answered. "I hope to host you and Rosemary for dinner sometime soon. Please let me know what would work for you. And thank you for the ride."
Sheldon nodded and left, frustrated that he didn't use the opportunity better. But he'd have another chance with the dinner invite, this time with Rosemary in tow. She'd know what to say.
Rosemary climbed down the ladder and wiped dust from her clothing. Her and some of the other curators spent the day redoing the industry section of the Washington State History Museum, updating the display on apple farming. She often liked the manual labor aspect of her work, setting up new exhibits, building cases, working with her hands, getting dirty. She sighed, looking at the new sign they'd painted and hung. Still, more work tomorrow.
The museum had closed an hour before, but one of the interns noticed Mark, who had become a familiar face around the museum, and let him in. Rosemary grinned at the campaign manager as he walked toward her, but that smiled disappeared when she saw the look on his face.
"Have you seen the Tacoma Tribune website?" he asked, holding a tablet out to her.
"No," she said puzzled, but everything soon became clear when she glanced down. The lead story on their homepage held the title, "Candidate Rosemary Fox Wonder Woman to Livingstone's Lex Luthor." Her jaw dropped as she continued to read the summary of the author's interview with Sheldon. While Sheldon had all her political views down, and articulated them very well, his comments comparing Livingstone to a comic book supervillain made her cringe. And how many thousands of people read this already?
"Your boyfriend is out of control," hissed Mark, who told the wide-eyed Rosemary about Sheldon's behavior at the auction the previous weekend.
Rosemary stayed silent for a long time. She knew Sheldon struggled in social situations, but he'd been so excited about her campaign, she hadn't given much thought to how he would react to these complex meetings and events. She suddenly felt bad for not paying better attention, since he continued to dote on her.
"Melissa headed to your house to talk with Sheldon," Mark said. "We need to solve this. Maybe get you an interview. A retraction."
"Mark, we can make this into a joke," said Rosemary, seeing a couple ways to spin this, most humorous. "I mean, it's Lex Luthor, not Adolf Hitler."
"Can you leave now?"
"Yes."
Minutes later, Rosemary pulled into their driveway, Sheldon's car already there, Melissa's parked in the street. Mark pulled in behind and the two entered the house through the garage. Upon stepping into the kitchen, she heard Sheldon and Melissa in an argument.
"I shared all of Rosemary's stances, got her views out there," said Sheldon matter-of-factly, his voice raised.
"Yes, but you can't call another candidate evil," said Melissa, sounding exasperated. "I like Rosemary as Wonder Woman, but we are not a mudslinging campaign." She looked up to see Mark and Rosemary. "Ah, yes, finally. Now we need to convince Sheldon here to keep his mouth shut and out of the campaign."
Sheldon turned to look at Rosemary, and she immediately saw him distraught, looking slightly hopeless. They'd backed him into a corner, thought Rosemary. They'd bullied him.
Rosemary walked over and hugged Sheldon. "I just want to help," he whispered in her ear.
Rosemary pulled away and turned to Melissa and Mark. "Can we meet tomorrow morning for coffee? Maybe about ten. Please come by the museum."
"But we need…" Melissa began.
"We'll talk then," said Rosemary firmly.
Mark and Melissa nodded quietly and left.
The couple stood looking at each other.
"Rosemary, I told the reporter everything, the truth," he started explaining quickly. "About your politics and what a good person you are…"
"Yes, Sheldon, that part of the article was great. But the part about Evil Senator Livingstone and him being Lex Luthor. You can't say things like that. At least not in public."
"Melissa said it makes us sound like idiots," scoffed Sheldon, staring coldly at the ground.
"Why didn't you tell me about the auction?" asked Rosemary quietly.
"Because…" he stopped, still looking at the ground. "You would have been disappointed in me. The campaign…I want to help, but apparently all my ideas are inappropriate or racist or stupid. And I'm not stupid or racist or inappropriate." Sheldon began to raise his voice and pace. "And I didn't say Evil Senator Livingstone…"
"You can't call him that in public!" shouted Rosemary, feeling exasperated and exhausted. Everything suddenly became so complicated. "God, Sheldon, why can't you be normal!?"
The second the words slipped out of her mouth, she wished she could grab them back out of the air. But she saw them drift over to Sheldon, and his face crumbled in front of her, no longer angry, but broken.
They stood looking at each other in silence.
"Sheldon," Rosemary began, her voice breaking. "I didn't mean…I'm so sorry…baby, I…"
"I need to work on my models for the Christmas train," said Sheldon slowly. He turned and walked into the garage, the door closing behind him.
Rosemary burst into tears, finally sitting on the couch sobbing. Why did she say that? She'd hurt him, she saw it. And she didn't want him to be normal. She loved the brilliant awkward man he was, his sweet little quirks.
Campaigning was bad idea. She was becoming stressed out, and now she'd hurt Sheldon, who'd been trying to help the best he could. She remembered their conversation on Thanksgiving eve, when he'd opened up to her, revealing to her his social insecurities. And here she threw those apprehensions in his face.
"Jesus, I'm such a bitch," she whispered to herself between sobs. She needed to quit the race. Sheldon was far more important than holding office.
Several yards away, Sheldon sat at his work bench studying the half-painted baseball stadium.
Why can't you be normal?
Rosemary's words cut Sheldon to his core. The second they left her mouth, he felt like she stabbed him in the heart. Everyone else in his life, from Penny to Leonard to Amy to even his own mother implied he wasn't normal. Everyone, except for Rosemary, who made him feel like he belonged, loved and a part of something greater than himself. And now she too pointed directly at the faults that bothered him the most, his Achilles heel, his own kryptonite.
Damnit Cooper, why can't you be normal?
Sheldon grabbed the baseball stadium and threw it hard on the ground, the model shattering into a hundred pieces. He turned back to the workbench, placed his elbows on the counter, and put his head in his hands.
A couple minutes passed, and then Sheldon heard the door open.
"Sheldon?" came Rosemary's voice, soft and thick.
He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, her make-up running, tears streaming down her face. Even in her disheveled state, Sheldon found her stunning.
"I am so sorry," she said.
"No, Rosemary," said Sheldon. "I am. I will stay out of the way. I won't help and…"
He stopped talking as Rosemary walked quickly over to him, placing her hand on his heart. She raised his own hand to place it over hers.
"Sheldon, this is the most important thing in my life," she said between her tears. "You and me. Us. When I met you, my life changed for the better. I never thought I could love someone like this. Sheldon, I love you so much, it terrifies me sometimes. You and me, that's the future. Us."
Sheldon felt tears gather in his eyes. He felt the same. Before he met Rosemary, physics came first. But now, her. Their lives, their future. And she was right, sometimes those feelings were frightening. But they were also wonderful.
"Rosemary, I'm not normal, and not good for you, and…" Sheldon stammered, tears now falling down his face.
"How the hell do you know what's good for me?" she said quietly, her hand still on his heart. "I don't want you to be normal. What is normal anyway? I'm not, and neither are you, and that makes us perfect." She stopped and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry I said that. Mark and Melissa, they're bullies. They're using me." She nestled her head into his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm quitting the race," she said softly. "You are the most important thing to me, Sheldon, and this is causing us to fight and me to be cruel. I don't like that person. I have a good job already, doing what I love."
What? No! Rosemary had to run! Sheldon held onto her, thinking quickly. He could figure the game of politics out. He was a genius; this might take a bit more effort than his other pursuits, but he knew Rosemary wanted to be senator. The people wanted her to be senator. He wanted her to be senator.
They stood in silence for several moments before Sheldon let her go and held her at arm's length by the shoulders.
"You are not dropping out of the race," he said firmly.
Rosemary raised an eyebrow and laughed through her tears. "Bossy much?" She then looked at him seriously. "Yes, I am. I liked the way life was before I threw my hat in the ring. Us, starting to build our lives together. A future."
"You can do that as a senator too," he said.
"Yes, but this is stressful," she whispered, tears beginning to fall. "And I need you to be by my side."
"I will be. We can figure this out," said Sheldon. "You want to be senator, I know."
Rosemary looked down and nodded.
"And I want to be a senator's husband," he said.
Rosemary's eyes widened, and she looked up at him. "What?"
Sheldon realized what he said. But this was hardly the time for a proposal – he didn't even have the ring, the perfect ring he'd pictured. He still needed to phone Oxford University and talk to a jeweler and decide on a stone. He glanced at the ground to see the shattered baseball stadium.
"Um…I need to sweep this up," he said, running over to grab the broom. "And I have a plan. I will work off a script, talk about your issues and if someone asks about something other than what is prepared, I will simply shift the conversation to my work, which appears to be of little interest to the people of Tacoma since Todd promised to feature it in the article and didn't." Sheldon considered things for a moment, hoping Rosemary forgot the husband comment. "Scripts are like routines, and I live for routines."
"I know," she said softly and sighed. "Okay, but I need you with me. And I'm taking control, going to tell Mark and Melissa they need to lay off, be kinder or leave. I want a campaign of compassion."
Sheldon smiled at her words. Compassion. He remembered her kindness being one of the first things he noticed about her and possibly the thing he loved most, especially since it was an area he needed to grow in.
The rest of their evening was quiet, both having a lot to think about, and they simply held each other in bed before drifting off.
Rosemary woke up the next morning to an empty bed, Sheldon already downstairs from the sounds of the television. She took her shower, got dressed, did her hair and make-up, then sat on the bed, thinking. She'd been wanting to ask him for a while, but last night, their argument and reconciliation, his slip of mentioning being her husband, assured her this was the right time. She went to the office, opened her small filing cabinet, and pulled out a folder.
Coming downstairs, she saw the television on the morning news, Sheldon watching from the table, eating a bowl of cereal. She turned off the television and sat across from him. He smiled at her.
"Good morning, kitten," he said, leaning over to kiss her.
"Sheldon," she began. "I have something very serious to talk with you about."
He looked worried. "Okay…"
"Since you've moved in here, you've been handing me cash every month to pay half of the mortgage…"
"Yes, I believe I've been on time with all the payments."
"Well, I was hoping you could get off work early, maybe Thursday, and we could meet at the bank to merge our accounts and put your name on the mortgage for the house," she said.
Sheldon's eyes widened, and he put down his spoon. "That's a big step."
Rosemary just nodded.
"Then I would own this place as well."
Rosemary nodded.
"With you."
"Yes," she said.
"Okay," he said.
That Thursday, Rosemary and Sheldon met after work at the bank, bringing together their finances and signing documents making Sheldon a homeowner.
The following afternoon, Rosemary loaded groceries into her trunk, happy to have the afternoon off in order to catch up with errands. She grabbed the last bag as she heard a man's voice behind her.
"Well if it isn't Wonder Woman."
Rosemary turned to find Chuck Livingstone standing behind her, holding a gallon of milk.
"Well hello, Mr. Luthor," she chuckled back.
After telling Mark and Melissa she was taking more control, the lawyers decided to still help plan events, but agreed to print Sheldon's sign design and leave her boyfriend alone. The article ran, and Rosemary simply laughed it off in her interview with Todd later in the week.
"You know," continued Livingstone, actually smiling warmly at Rosemary. "I did enjoy your boyfriend's comments. My first wife actually told me I looked like young Gene Hackman a couple of times."
Rosemary smiled, glad the man had a sense of humor.
"You know, Miss Fox, I haven't ran against anyone in years, and I forgot how much I enjoy actually campaigning," he continued. "You are an intelligent and hard-working woman. I genuinely look forward to the debate."
"Me too," said Rosemary honestly. "But beware, I'm bringing my Lasso of Truth."
Livingstone laughed hard. "Have a pleasant evening, Miss Fox."
Rosemary watched him walk away before finishing packing the trunk and getting into the car. The debate, the next hurdle. But she had her true love at her side, and she would be unstoppable, no Lasso of Truth needed.
Author's Note: Next time, Sheldon begins planning the perfect engagement ring, with a little help, and Rosemary meets Mary Cooper.
Please check out my other story, The Christmas Calendar Conception, featuring Amy and Erik, if you haven't already. Recently updated this past week, I'm excited to share this short holiday tale with everyone.
Thank you so much for reading.