As they climbed the last flight of stairs at 2311 North Los Robles Avenue, Amy made a right and headed for apartment 4B.
"Where are you going?"
"We haven't told our friends about our engagement."
"Everyone will be here within an hour. We can tell them then."
"I know, but I can't wait to see the look on Penny's face. I owe it to my bestie to be the first to know."
"And have to repeat yourself when the others arrive? That's not very efficient use of your vocal cords."
"Sheldon, my vocal cords are perfectly capable of repeating a few words."
"Fine. Hang on. I need to set this down," he said, indicating his messenger bag. He unlocked the door to 4A. Amy was about to follow him to set her bulging duffle bag down when Leonard and Penny emerged from across the hall.
"Ames! We were just about to pick up the food. See you in a bit."
As her friend headed towards her, Amy casually swept an imaginary stray wisp of hair back with her left hand.
Penny grabbed the brunette's hand. "OMG! You're engaged! I can't believe Sheldon finally asked you. Did he get down on one knee in front of your beakers?"
"No, we got engaged in Sheldon's apartment last night!" Amy squealed.
"Congratulations!" Leonard said sincerely.
Penny was miffed. "Wait, you've been engaged for a day and didn't bother to tell me? What the hell? I thought we were BFFs."
"We are! Sorry, I wanted to tell you this morning, but Sheldon thought I'd be disturbing your sleep."
"And you listened to him? This is waaaaay more important than sleep. Okay spill! I need details now. How did he propose?"
Amy got a dreamy look on her face. "He proposed during last night's live Fun With Flags show. It was so romantic..."
"Hang on. Are you telling me 10s of people knew about this before I did?"
"Actually, it's more like 100s of people." Sheldon corrected as he stepped into the hall. "We have a larger following now thanks to the convention. I've been telling you for years to watch the show. You probably wish you'd listened to me."
Penny gave Sheldon an icy glare then directed her attention back to her friend. "Why didn't you come over after the show?"
"We were celebrating our engagement, if you get my drift."
Sheldon reddened. "Amy!"
Leonard cleared his throat. "We're very happy for you."
"Does Bernadette know about this?" Penny asked.
Amy shook her head no. "No, you're the first ones to know within our social group."
"At least I'm not the last to know. I think this calls for a group hug." Amy willingly accepted her BFF's hug, but Sheldon stiffened as the blonde's arms encircled them.
Following what Sheldon deemed an eternity of hugging, Leonard grabbed his wife's hand. "Come on, Penny. We should probably be going so the food doesn't get cold. We'll see you guys soon. Congratulations again."
After their besties left, the newly-engaged couple sat on the couch with Sheldon's laptop opened to their YouTube page. The comments were now up to 398. They had just enough time to read the next ten before a knock sounded on the door.
"It's open!" Amy called out.
The Wolowolitz's and Raj entered the apartment. They barely got through the door before Raj zeroed in on the new adornment on Amy's hand.
"Oh my goodness! Sheldon finally put a ring it!" He exclaimed.
"What?!" The married couple shouted.
"It's true. Sheldon and I are engaged!" Amy shrieked excitedly, jumping up from her seat. Her fiancé stood next to her beaming.
Bernadette waddled over to the couple, one hand resting on her swollen belly. She reached for her friend's hand. "It's beautiful! Sheldon must have spent a fortune."
"Actually that ring has been in my family for generations. It was my great grandmother's."
Raj was next to inspect the ring. "It really is stunning."
"Very nice," Howard agreed.
"Nicer than the one you got me," Bernadette pouted, as she compared her half-carat diamond with Amy's much larger one.
"Bernie, I thought you love the ring I got you."
"What was I supposed to say? Where's the diamond? I almost need a magnifying glass to see it."
Sheldon, Amy, and Raj looked at each other uneasily as the married couple continued arguing.
"The diamond is little because you're so little. I didn't want your hand to fall off from the weight."
When his wife shot him an 'I'm not amused' look, he changed tactics. "I'm positive my proposal was way more romantic than anything this guy" Howard nodded towards Sheldon, "could ever pull off."
"Actually, Sheldon's proposal was more romantic," Amy answered defensively.
"I seriously doubt that. What did he do? Hand you a contract to sign before he provided you with the ring?"
Bernadette squeezed her husband's hand. "Howie, it doesn't matter. Sorry everyone for all the fighting. It seems like it's all we do anymore. I can't wait for this baby to get out of here and stop messing with my hormones."
She released his hand then plopped down on the couch. Sheldon and Amy took their seats again. Howard pulled a chair up next to his wife, and Raj settled on the floor in front of his best friend.
Amy gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Understandable. I've studied the effects of elevated estrogen and progesterone levels in the pregnant body and their impact on the brain's emotional responses."
The petite blonde smiled gratefully. "Sorry again for the outburst. I'm really happy for you two. Will you be moving in together?"
"I've been nighting over quite a bit, but we haven't made anything official."
Leonard and Penny arrived shortly after bearing bags of Styrofoam containers filled with Thai food. They set them on the coffeetable before taking their seats, and everyone dug in.
"Did Sheldon and Amy tell you the news?" Penny asked the group.
"That they're engaged? Yeah, we heard about it." Howard replied, eyeing his wife warily.
"We should watch the proposal!"
Bernadette turned to the other blonde. "How?"
"Didn't they tell you how he proposed?"
The trio shook their heads no.
"He proposed to her during a Fun With Flags show."
"You people really need to start watching our show," Sheldon grumbled as he clicked the YouTube app on his smart TV so they could all watch.
The friends sat forward in their seats in anticipation. They listened to Sheldon drone on about their time at the convention.
"Poor Amy can barely get a word in," Bernadette tsked. "When do we get to the good part?"
Sheldon shushed her. "It's all good. You're missing everything."
Everyone turned their attention back to the screen.
Leonard spoke up. "Okay, I gotta ask. What's the significance of the zombie and skunk flags?"
Sheldon paused the video. "Silence! There will be no interruptions during the show. All questions will be answered at the end."
After a mumbled chorus of sorry's, he unpaused the video.
The girls squealed and stomped their feet when Sheldon presented Amy with the prom flag on the screen. The lanky physicist narrowed his eyes at them.
"Here it comes," Amy whispered.
When the last flag was unfurled, a collective gasp filled the room, mirroring the one Amy uttered on-screen.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the TV as they watched the scene unfold. As the on-screen couple leaned in for the kiss, Sheldon exited the video.
"Hey! It wasn't done!" Penny protested.
"Yeah, we want to see the kiss!" Bernadette said.
"What Amy and I do behind closed doors is none of any of your business."
"But all your flag friends got to see it." Raj whined.
Penny pulled out her phone and tapped a few keys then held it up triumphantly. "Guys, I found it!" She moved the time slider bar to right before the kiss, and everyone except the couple in question gathered around to watch.
"Curses!" Sheldon attempted to snatch the phone, but Amy gently laid her hand on his.
After the group finished oohing and ahhing over the affectionate performance, the former waitress excused herself to go across the hall. She returned with a bottle of wine. "This calls for a celebration."
Amy pulled seven glasses from the cupboard. She filled one with water for her pregnant friend. Everyone stood up as she passed them around.
"You know I don't drink. I'll have what Bernadette's having."
"Sweetie, one little sip won't kill you. It's social convention."
He reluctantly accepted the glass. Leonard poured a little wine for each of his friends, with the exception of Bernadette, then raised his glass.
"I'd like to propose a toast. Sheldon, we've known each other a long time. When I first met you, I never would have thought you'd find a girl to love. Then you found Amy..."
"Actually, Raj and I found Amy," Howard corrected.
"Anyway," Leonard continued, "I have watched your relationship flourish over the last six years. Amy, you've brought out the best in Sheldon. Your love and patience has transformed him from an emotionless robot into a slightly less robotic being."
Amy frowned at Leonard's description of her man.
"To Sheldon and Amy. May you have many happy years together. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" The gang echoed.
Sheldon took a sip and made a face. Amy gave him an encouraging smile and discreetly rubbed his back. As he downed the rest in one gulp to get it over with, she noticed his sudden unsteadiness and tried to guide him back to the couch, but he resisted.
"Speech! Speech!" Raj chanted.
Sheldon cleared his throat. "Thank you, Leonard, for your kind words. This may be the wine talking..."
Amy placed her hand on his arm. "Sheldon..."
He looked down at her with a smile sweet enough to melt her heart, so she allowed him to continue.
"As I was saying, I am very fortunate to have you all in my life, and I feel like the luckiest man alive to be engaged to this cute little lump of wool. Amy, you are the Robin to my Batman, the Watson to my Sherlock, the Kirk to my Spock. I can't imagine my life without you."
"Oh, Sheldon!"
He bent his head and captured her lips with his as he dipped her backwards. Their friends hooted and hollared.
When they came up for air, Amy's face was flushed. She looked over at her fiancé who appeared even more unsteady than he did a couple of minutes ago. She walked him back to the couch then seeing his face turning green, she turned on her heel and led him to the bathroom.
"I feel bad now," Penny confessed as they overheard the sounds of hurling.
"It's not your fault that he can't hold his liquor. I didn't even give him as much as the rest of you," her husband rationalized.
When the couple emerged from the bathroom, they apologized.
Penny approached them. "Don't apologize to us. It's my fault. I never should have forced you to drink."
"No, you shouldn't have," Sheldon agreed.
Amy hugged each of her friends as they congratulated them again then bid them farewell.
She helped Sheldon brush his teeth and change into his pajamas then put him to bed. It was still early, but he didn't resist. She sat on the edge of the bed and brushed his damp hair from his forehead then stood up and padded out of the room, silently vowing to keep him away from the fermented grape concoction in the future.
"Where are you going?" He called after her.
"I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?"
"I'd better not. My stomach still feels funny. I don't want a repeat of my earlier episode of kneeling before the toilet."
"Would you like me to sing Soft Kitty?"
"Please."
She returned to her spot on the bed. He fluffed his pillow and settled in as she pulled the comforter up to his chin and began to sing softly. His eyes fluttered shut as she sang the last few notes. She gently kissed his forehead and quietly tiptoed out of the room.
A few minutes later, she sat at the island with her hot mug and replayed the events of the day. When she returned to the bedroom, her fiancé was fast asleep in the middle of the bed, leaving very little space for her. She carefully crawled in next to him. Even in his sleep, he sensed her presence and flung his arm over her.
"Good night," she whispered.
He responded with a sigh of contentment.