Leonard woke up the next day with a huge hangover. He forces himself to open his eyes; he put his glasses on, feeling some pain on his side face. The first thing Leonard saw was a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the night table. He looked in the mirror and saw a little cut on the side of his left eye. How did that happen? He wondered. Leonard sat up, head pounding and sees his clothing from last night, all clean and pressed. He looks around the bedroom it was in perfect condition, spotless, clean. He couldn't remember much about last night but had a feeling he might have upset Penny. But why was the bedroom so tidy. He tried to remember the events of last night, but his head hurts. He took the aspirins and drank the whole content of the water. He notices a note on the table. He read it.
Honey, breakfast is on the table, Bernadette and I have gone grocery shopping back soon.
Love, You!"
Totally shocked with the note and more confused now. He remembers being sick and knocking over the vase of roses and maybe Penny shouting at him. Leonard just hopes he hasn't ruined things between them. Why did he get so drunk, it wasn't his style? He just wanted to please Penny. He knew she was in a bad mood and though by getting drunk with her will ease her pain, and maybe as Bernadette said, she would see that he was supportive of her. How wrong was he? Leonard heads to the kitchen he sees Howard at the kitchen island eating, sure enough, there was breakfast on the table. He noticed the rest of the apartment was all tidy.
"Hey, Leonard." He grins at him.
"Hey, Howard what happened last night?" he asked.
"Don't you remember, nice shiner by the way" he laughed.
"What."
"Your black eye."
"Oh that, it's nothing. So what happened?"
"Well after you got drunk with Penny. You became delusional; we manage to get you home with great difficulty, drunk and trying to fight Penny who was trying to help you. She finally dragged you to the bedroom so you can sleep it off. Oh, you stumbled into the door". That's how you got a black eye." Howard chuckled
Confused, Leonard asks, "So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast on the table waiting for me? I was expecting an angry Penny!"
"Don't know what you did to Penny last night, but bravo. She is in a good mood. You dog."
Just then the door opens and in walked Penny and Bernadette with bags of groceries.
"Hey, sleepy head, how are you feeling. How's your eye?" Penny asked, not able to take the grin off her face.
"I'm a little sore but okay." He nervously replied.
She walked over to him and kissed him on the lips, in a soft voice she said.
"I'm glad you are okay and sorry about last night."
"Penny it should be me apologizing for my behavior. It was uncalled for." They just stood there staring into each other's eyes.
"Ummm, "I think we should be heading home, come on Howard." They turned at the door and said.
Bye Penny, bye Leonard." There was no answer. Those two are so weird. Howard said.
"Come sit with me." Penny took Leonard's hand and led him to the sofa. His breakfast in hand. They sat down, both scared to make the first move. Leonard finally broke the silence as he ate.
"Penny, why is the apartment so tidy and what's with the grocery?" He asked.
"I just wanted to make it beautiful for you when you woke up and maybe cook for you to make up for being a bitch. You always seem to do the cooking and the housework, so I thought it's about time I started helping more." She answered shyly.
"Thanks for breakfast, it's really nice, and the apartment. I hope it's not a one-off. Leonard chuckled.
Penny didn't know how to bring up the subject of what Leonard said last night. She was hoping he will bring it up, but now she was wondering if he remembered or pretending not too.
"Penny what happened last night after you brought me home?"
"Well, I got you home and took you to bed, sorry about the black eye by the way. I tried to hold you, but you stumbled into the door." She chuckled.
"Hey, it's not funny."
"You should have seen it; it was hilarious." Leonard raised a brow. "There is something weird about you finding my clumsiness cute and funny."
"I'm sorry, I just can't help it."
"Thanks, I got your back too." He frowned.
"Oh come on Leonard you know I'm only joking and wish no harm on you."
"Yeah, I know, because you love me." Leonard grinned.
"And you love me too."
"And don't you forget that." Now the ice had been broken; Penny felt more comfortable opening up to Leonard about what had been eating at her for the past days.
"Leonard, what's your take on marriage." Leonard looks shocked at the question, and Penny noticed. He wasn't expecting it.
"Ummm, why?" he asked nervously. Is this to do with what I said about Howard proposing to Bernadette.?"
"Something like that, but also what you told Howard about not wanting to get married or having kids." She said and looked away from him.
Leonard was stunned that Penny knew. "I guess that Howard told Bernadette who told you. He asked." Penny nodded.
"Penny that was a long time ago. You coming into my life have changed my perspective of things, and it's all down to you." He wanted to be truthful he didn't want any secrets between them.
"Leonard last night when I was trying to undress you and get you into bed you said something."
"Oh my god I knew I did something wrong."
"No, you didn't. in fact, you made my day."
"I did?"
"Yeah you called me your wife, and you were fighting me off because you thought someone else was trying to seduce you. It was so sweet and loyal; it made me realize that you will never cheat on me or hurt me."
"I do not remember, but I have been having those thoughts and will always be loyal to you, so it makes sense."
"Really, about us getting married. I mean I don't think we are ready yet, but I have also been thinking about it too."
"Soulmates think alike," Leonard whispered. He held her as she began to cry holding back the tears himself. She continued. "I have had dreams and thoughts of being married and it used to freak me out. But now I just see them as wedding dreams that reflect my anxieties about recent life changes, but since meeting you, my conscious mind is in overdrive, and the excitement about the future and spending it with you is overwhelming. I just want to be with you." Leonard swiped away a tear.
"My future is also with you and looking forward to where these life changes take us both. My increased levels of self-acceptance of one day being married to you have made it more wanting it with you. I love you, Penny."
"I love you too. I know we are not there yet, and marriage is something I now would consider in the future, so no pressure on you. But I just wanted to know we were both on the same page and wanted the same things. What changed your mind?"
"You Penny. I didn't want to get married or have kids because of my upbringing and making the same mistakes as my parents; now I know how selfish that is, and it took you coming into my life to realize that. Thank you and yes Penny I can't wait to make you my wife when we are both ready if you will have me."
"Glad because I can't wait for that day to come because I think you will make a great husband and father." She kissed him.
"You really think so?"
"Yes, Leonard I truly do. You have stolen my heart, and I don't ever want to be without you in my life. I don't know much about your childhood or what you went through, but I hope one day when you are ready you will confine in me. But what I have seen is that you are a great person and whatever experiences you went through as a child has made you a better person."
"Thank you. I want you to know that you are the only person I ever want to be married to. I'm sorry I haven't told you about my experiences as a child. I could never please my parents It's just so hard to talk about… "he was on the verge of tears and Penny sensed it.
"Honey, I feel the same too. I would never push you. I know you will tell me when you are ready. You don't have to do this right now." She assured him and hugged him as tightly as she could.
Leonard opened up and told Penny everything about his upbringing and the emotional abuse he suffered; he left nothing out. He had to stop at certain times as reliving the experiences got the better of him, but with penny's encouragement and love, he was able to continue. His mother was a brilliant and accomplished neuroscientist and an award-winning psychiatrist. Beverly Hofstadter showed little emotions towards him; she was cold and unloving. She humiliated him on enormous occasions, like at a science fair when he was eight years old. She made him give back a ribbon because a project he had done was similar to an earlier project of his brother, Leonard and his siblings never celebrated Christmas. Instead of leaving Santa milk and cookies, they had to leave him research papers. She regarded Leonard as an anticlimactic disappointment, criticizing him when he got emotional. He told Penny about his dad, Alfred Hofstadter who was an anthropologist. He spend a lot of time away from home when Leonard was young; he showed little affection toward him. He wasn't as bad as Beverly but did little to protect him from his mother emotional abuse. But he was proud of his achievements now as an adult than his mother ever did.
Penny felt his pain she could see how hard it was for him to relive these sad childhood memories, no child should ever go through what Leonard suffered. The emotional abuse wearing away at his self-confidence, the sense of low self-worth. His mom's constant berating, and belittling, under the disguise of guidance and writing books about his bedwetting, was too much for Penny to take in. Penny could see how it has created scars that may be far deeper; It was a miracle he turned his life around to be this great guy that he is now. She vowed that if she ever met his mom, she would not be responsible for her actions. Penny now understood why Leonard fear of married and having kids came from. He didn't want to be like his parents. She was going to show him more love than he has ever experienced and never let him feel unloved ever again.
The noise from the bedroom could be heard around the apartment block. Leonard and Penny couldn't get enough of each other. They had no need to build walls or barriers between them, the pain and fear they cause each other was no more, only the sense of intimacy and feeling of divinely inspired wholeness. The sexual energy, physical sensation and orgasm and how incredible it was to experience this unique bond. It was so far from anything they have ever experienced before.
