Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Bed and Breakfast Exploration

After an early start Sunday morning, Amy and Erik pulled into Ilwaco, late afternoon. Ilwaco is one of several small towns on the Long Beach Peninsula in southwest Washington, and Amy and Erik booked a room at a small boutique hotel in the neighboring town of Long Beach for the week.

Moving their bags and Honeybee into the room, Amy felt a chill. Erik warned her about the overcast skies, but Amy still pictured the beaches in California, the ones she'd grown used to over several years. Here was a large beach with gray skies and drizzle, people out walking along the shore wearing sweatshirts and rain coats. Still, there was a beautiful peacefulness about the place, and the air smelled so clean. Amy took a deep breath; this would be a great week, she felt it.

"Whoa," said Erik, as they brought their bags into their room.

Amy couldn't agree more – the room was marvelous. A gas fireplace in one corner, with a king size bed across the room, and a bathroom featuring a large whirlpool tub and two-person shower. There was even a little pet alcove. Since they were on the third floor, their deck had a straight-on view of the ocean. Amy looked out the window to see a thunder storm roaring a distance offshore. Erik wrapped his arms around her, and the chill she felt earlier was replaced by his warmth.

"I cannot wait to show you the peninsula, all the fun stuff to do," he said, and Amy felt the happiness in his voice. "Since the family has to work through Tuesday, we can go out to the wildlife refuge, maybe go clamming, although we need to get a license, but that's easy. Oh, and get donuts at the bakery downtown, and then…"

Amy turned around and pressed her lips to his, her tongue slipping into his mouth. He crushed her too him, walking backwards to the bed and fell down, with her on top of him. His hands worked their way under her clothes and ran along the skin of her back. She sat up, straddling him at the waist.

"Aren't your parents expecting us for dinner?" asked Amy.

"Yeah, but don't you want to try the shower?" Erik said with a gleam in his eye. "Two faucets! Or the tub. We can get some bubble bath, get naked, and…" He pulled Amy back down onto him, his hands resuming their caresses. Amy rolled over to lay beside him, moving her hand up his shirt.

"My, this bed is much more comfortable than last night's," she said between kisses. "Very firm. You know, I threw a lab coat in my suitcase for some, well, playtime."

Erik gave her a loving grin, complemented by a hunger in his eyes. "Amy, my lab coat fantasy. God, I love you." He rolled over on top of her, hand moving up her shirt to cup one of her breasts, lips nibbling at her neck. He suddenly stopped. "Wait, you haven't been dissecting brains or handling monkey feces in that jacket."

Amy laughed. "Of course not. I ordered a new one just for the bedroom."

"Well, I brought my black cowboy hat you seemed much taken by," Erik said.

"Hmmm… I'd love to see you in just the hat…and the holster," Amy said, bringing her lips back up to Erik's. "But honey, dinner?"

"Bah, they can wait," Erik scoffed, pulling his shirt off and quickly unbuttoning both Amy's cardigan and blouse, pulling them back to reveal her breasts, covered with a simple black silk bra. Erik kissed her cleavage as Amy ran her fingers along the hardness pressed against his jeans. "I've sat next to you for two days and haven't been able to touch you. And the bed last night, ugh. I just want to take you and strip you and lick you in your…"

Erik's phone, which he'd placed on the nightstand, went off. He bit his lip and turned toward the device. "Okay, that's probably them."

He moved off Amy to answer the phone, giving her a chance to sit up and adjust her clothing. She already felt aroused but knew they'd need to wait.

"Okay, so their neighbor saw my Mustang drive through town an hour ago, so they're wondering when we're coming by because mom wants to put the casserole in the oven," he said, after hanging up the phone and grabbing his shirt off the floor. "This is what happens when you live in a town with a population of ten. We'd better go. But later?"

"Later," Amy confirmed with her sweetest smile.

After freshening up, they returned to the car. Since they drove through the main street of Ilwaco to get to Long Beach, they headed back down the highway. Small houses with large properties, many in wooded areas, lined the road. Heading back into Ilwaco, Amy noticed the high school and middle school.

"Home of the fishermen?" she asked.

"And proud of it!" grinned Erik. "The fighting fisherman. Very threatening, huh?"

"I would think fishermen to be very sturdy individuals," said Amy. "So dinner with your parents tonight, at Jess and Benji's tomorrow?"

"Yup," he said, pulling up a side street and parking in front of a light green ranch-style home. "Well, this is it. Castle Koster."

Amy looked at the house, the home where Erik grew up. There wasn't much in the way of landscaping, but it seemed most folks in the neighborhood made little attempt due to the climate. True to Erik's promise months ago, his father's black Mustang sat in the driveway along with a red pick-up truck.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yes."

The couple walked to the door but before either could knock, Erik's mother opened and grabbed Amy into a big hug.

"Amy, it is so wonderful to finally meet you," Julia said. A little taller than Amy, the woman had shoulder-length blonde hair, with some gray at the roots, and Erik's warm smile. "I am so happy to see my son in love with such a smart and beautiful woman."

Amy soon found herself in the entryway, hugging Erik's dad. Matthew Koster was about Erik's height, with grey hair and glasses. He seemed quite fit for a man in his early sixties. The Kosters lead the couple to the small dining room table, already set.

"Dinner is almost ready," Julia said. "We won't keep you late. I know the drive is long, and you must be tired. And we have to work tomorrow too. But my goodness, it will be so nice to have both my babies home for Thanksgiving."

During dinner, the Kosters asked about Amy's work, seeming fascinated about her research and working for a university. They caught up with Erik, him sharing about his recent accomplishments. They updated Erik on goings on in town and their own jobs, Matthew an electrical contractor on the peninsula, set to retire in a few years, Julia a receptionist at the local medical clinic. Amy found them to be a happy and supportive family, their dinner conversation lively, filled with humor and laughter. She wished her own family could be so engaging. Perhaps the Kosters would become her family one day…

After dinner, Erik's parents insisted Amy relax while they cleaned up. She found herself looking around the living room, finally browsing through their bookshelf. The top of the bookshelf had several photos in table top frames. Old family photos, Erik and Jessica as children, the Lopez wedding picture, Erik as a baby in his mother's arms out on the beach. Amy's eyes finally fell to a high school dance photo, perhaps homecoming or prom. A teenage Erik with his arms around a petite strawberry blonde girl. Aurora.

Amy felt Erik behind her. "She may look small, but she was pretty badass, especially after basic training." Erik laughed. "She took me out to the shooting range to show me her skills. Impressive." He put his head on Amy's shoulder and his arms around her waist. He whispered softly, his voice slightly broken. "She's so much a part of this place, Amy."

"I know. It'll be okay," said Amy, silent for a long time after, thinking about how to respond. "I think you should embrace your home again, Erik. Own it. The good and the bad. Show me everything. Tell me everything. And we'll make some new memories while we're at it."

She felt Erik nod, and she turned around to kiss him softly. They held each other for several moments before Matthew stepped into the room

Erik turned to his dad. "Clamming approved for the season?"

"Yup, got your license yesterday," Matthew said, hand drying a pan. "I'll give you a key to the house so you can just grab the equipment from the garage."

"Thanks. Amy's a clamming virgin, so this is going to be great," said Erik.

"Never underestimate the importance of good boots," Matthew said, pointing at the two of them. "Erik, yours are still in there. Amy, you ready?"

"I bought some rain boots a couple of weeks ago."

Matthew raised an eyebrow, looking so much like his son, Amy smiled. "Rain boots? Well, feel free to grab a pair of ours if you want."

Erik and Amy stayed for about an hour longer, Julia pulling out the photo albums of Erik and Jessica's childhood, relishing in embarrassing her son. Matthew, with Honeybee in his lap, added to Erik's humiliation, providing story after story of little league mishaps and family reunion debacles. Amy's favorite was about how an eight-year-old Erik, wanting to get a picture of a fish, dropped his first camera in Black Lake near the high school. As the couple headed back to their hotel room, Amy couldn't keep the smile off her face. She felt comfortable with his family and couldn't wait to get to know the peninsula.

Very early the next morning, Amy's phone rang. Groaning, she flopped her naked body away from her nightstand, wrapping her legs around a sleeping, nude Erik. Whoever it was could just leave a message. She was half asleep anyway. After a brief silence, the phone rang again.

"Who is that?" Erik mumbled into the pillow.

"I don't know. Go back to sleep," Amy whispered and yawned.

After another silence, the phone rang a third time. Amy sat straight up and grabbed the phone.

"What?" she said angrily.

"Amy? It's Howard."

"What the hell, Howard? It's like…" Amy glanced at the bedside clock. "5:18 in the morning. And I'm on vacation."

"I need to tell you something. I should have called you yesterday," Howard's voice sounded panicked, causing Amy to wake up completely. What was wrong? Someone in trouble? Hurt?

"Howard, are you okay? Bernadette?" Amy asked, now very worried.

"I promised I wouldn't say anything...But, but, it's all wrong…all wrong, Amy. Okay, so…" Howard paused. "Wait, I have another call. Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll call you back." Then he was gone.

Erik was sitting up beside her now. "Howard? Is something wrong?"

"I don't know."

"Damn it's cold," Erik jumped out of bed, giving Amy a nice shot of his naked butt. He turned on the fireplace and grabbed pajamas out of the drawers they'd unpacked their suitcases into the previous evening. Both him and Amy crawled into the clothes and snuggled back into the bed. The phone rang again.

"Howard," Amy said as she picked up, putting the phone on speaker.

"Sorry I bothered you two," he said, now sounding more causal.

"What's going on?" Amy snarled, angry to be woken up from a peaceful sleep.

"Um, well, Erik's football team lost yesterday," Howard said.

"I know," Erik said. "We do have television and the internet up here in the Pacific Northwest. It's not all forests, flannels, and bearded men."

"Okay, so bye," Howard said, hanging up again.

"What was that all about?" Erik asked.

"Who knows? It's Howard. He's weird. Let's go back to sleep," Amy said.

They slept for two more hours and enjoyed a nice in-room breakfast before heading out to clam.

Sheldon followed Interstate 5 north, only stopping to refill the tank. He kept snacks readily available in the passenger's seat and made sure to have a caffeinated beverage every two hours. He occupied his mind by listening to both Leonard Nimoy's biographies. By the time he hit the Oregon/California border though, his mind began to wander from his idol's voice.

First he thought about Howard. Would Howard tell everyone? If it had been the other way around and Howard was leaving, would Sheldon have been able to keep the secret? No, probably not. He'd need to tell the first person he'd met. Oh well. He'd be coming back with Amy, so it would be a mote point. He smiled imagining sitting in his spot, surrounded by his friends, Amy by his side. He'd have a date to Penny and Leonard's wedding, and someday, he'd have someone to talk with every night after work, make him French toast on the weekends, stand beside him when he won the Nobel Prize.

Driving through Eugene, Oregon, Sheldon let Nimoy's voice disappear, and he drove in silence, downing his fourth Monster energy drink. Passing by the University of Oregon, he thought back to his work at Caltech. Waiting on the review board. Detesting working with students. Check out the private sector, Amy advised. She was so wonderful, supporting him. And now she'd always be there…

Sheldon's thoughts took a dramatic turn in Salem, Oregon. Getting closer to the Oregon/Washington border, he began to think of the negative outcomes. What if Amy didn't want to come back to him? She did seem happy with Erik, and he with her. He'd established a friendship with Erik, nothing like that with Leonard, or even with Raj, Howard, or Penny, but a friendship nonetheless. Would he be breaking the social protocol of bros before hoes? No, thought Sheldon, shaking his head. Erik stole Amy from him before he even knew the man.

But Amy let herself get stolen. Sheldon began to flashback to all the events since Amy asked for a break. During their full disclosure conversation, she'd expressed an interest in moving their relationship forward, at a faster pace. He'd shown her his latest research report. He thought about Yoshi's definitions of intimacy, intellectual, emotional, and physical. At their first post-breakup lunch, he asked if she found those with Erik. She said yes. Thinking about that conversation made his heart hurt. Then there was the university gala and Amy winning the faculty award. He'd watched Erik's eyes and face glow with pride, wrapping Amy in an embrace, dancing and laughing with her. The first emotion Sheldon felt was jealousy. Why hadn't he won that award?

Finally, their conversation at Halloween filled his mind, Amy looking in Erik's direction whispering, "I think he's the one." Sheldon cursed his eidetic memory, because after bringing that thought out, he kept hearing her voice, seeing her face. Didn't Sheldon want Amy happy? Shouldn't he? Wasn't that the job of a boyfriend, a husband, to make his woman happy? What did Amy want? What did Amy need?

Sheldon felt his stomach and heart drop. He'd never considered those things. Whenever he gave into something during their five years together, it had been to get her off his back, make himself more comfortable by not having her mad at or disappointed in him. The tiara, their dirty game of Dungeons and Dragons, the Mars application. Even the first time he kissed her began in anger, her trying to manipulate him into something romantic. Sure, biology kicked in after his lips touched hers, but he was always fighting her. Even when they made the fort together and he was having so much fun, he could tell she craved him, wanted him, and he'd fought the whole way.

What did Amy want? What did Amy need? Not him. He couldn't make her happy beyond good conversation. He could not fulfill her physical and emotional needs. She'd gone too far with Erik. Sheldon waited too long and lost. She'd moved on. He needed to as well, but he hurt knowing nobody would ever care about him in the way she had. Why hadn't he reciprocated when he had the opportunity?

He now realized waiting for that damned review board caused him to slip into past obsessions, Amy his unwilling victim this time. He'd been doing so well and then he snapped. Why couldn't he ever get his act together? And now he was nearly a thousand miles from home…

Crossing the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River into Washington, Sheldon took the first exit off the freeway into downtown Vancouver. He parked next to a well-manicured park downtown and got out, realizing his light jacket was probably a bad choice for the weather. Never mind, he thought. He'd be heading home soon. Still, he was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and needed some time to regenerate. Pulling out his phone and glancing at the time, he saw it was after 5:00 a.m. He dialed Howard, who answered quickly.

"Sheldon!" he shouted. "Where are you? You need to come back here now so I can kick your ass. Do you know that I had to avoid everyone yesterday? I drove to San Diego, lied to Bernadette that only a store down there had the parts I needed. I waited to get home until after I knew she was asleep. But I can't do this anymore. You're wrong, Sheldon…"

"I know," Sheldon said quietly. "You're right. Amy is with Erik. She is happy. I need to move on."

"I, um, well," Howard mumbled.

"I'm coming home," said Sheldon, realizing Howard had kept his word, done something Sheldon couldn't have done. "Thank you, and I'm sorry I put you in an uncomfortable situation. I just ask that you never tell anyone about yesterday, the reason I came here. Please. It would be…humiliating."

"Okay, I promise. But man, we need to talk when you get back," Howard said.

"Yes, we will."

Sheldon hung up and glanced around. After that last Monster, he desperately needed to use the restroom. The only business he saw open was a Starbucks. Of course, he thought, he was in Washington. Well, when in Rome…

After using their restroom, Sheldon ordered a cup of tea and a muffin, finding a place to sit and plan his trip back. He knew driving tired was dangerous, so perhaps he'd stay the day and night and leave the next morning. He'd saw a small Hilton hotel on the other side of the park. The small city seemed pleasant enough…

He found himself staring at two framed photos on the wall, one labeled before, another after. Before showed a beautiful mountain peak, topped with snow, a shimmering lake in the foreground. The after seemed to show the same angle, but the peak was blown out, the lake gone, nothing but decimation in its place. Mt. St. Helens. Sheldon's eyes grew wide. Glenn.

"Excuse me," he turned to the barista behind the counter. "Is Mt. St. Helens far from here?"

The barista laughed. "It's one of our main tourist attractions. On a clear day, you can see it in the distance. On a very clear day, which isn't often, you can see Hood, Adams, Helens, and Rainier. So beautiful."

"How can I get there?" he asked.

"Well, it's really late in the season. Some roads are closed now. Really depends," she said. "I'd check their website."

Sheldon nodded. "Thank you."

After finishing his tea and muffin he left and began to walk through the park again, starting to notice the early morning runners, people headed towards their jobs. He pulled up Glenn's home number, hoping it wasn't too early to call.

Sally answered sounding cheerful and very much awake. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sally," he said, not knowing how to approach the conversation. "Um, it's Sheldon."

"Sheldon, sweet pea. How are you?" Sally answered. "Everything okay?"

"Um, yes, well I was wondering if I could come visit you and Glenn," he said.

"Oh sure, sweetie," she said, sounding very pleased. "You have time off around the holidays? Or maybe into the new year?"

"I was thinking, maybe, um, today," Sheldon stammered.

There was silence. Then Sally said, "Of course. Where are you?"

"Vancouver, Washington," Sheldon said.

"Vancouver!" exclaimed Sally. "How in the world…"

"I made a mistake and I, um, just need to talk and, well maybe…" He stopped talking, his voice too broken, actually feeling tears come into his eyes.

"Well, please come up here! I've been wanting to meet you for months. And we have plenty of space, if you'd like to stay for a few days. And the kids will be so thrilled," Sally said, sounding happy and excited, her melodious voice making him feel better already. "Do you have GPS on your phone?"

"Yes."

"I'll text you the address, and you can load it. See you in a little bit."

"Okay," Sheldon said. "Thank you, Sally."

Several minutes later, Sheldon was back on the freeway, heading toward the Woodland exit, afterwards following the signs to a town called Cougar. Neighborhoods gave way to forest. He drove by a large lake, recreational areas, for the most part empty. Hills in the distance shined with snow in the early morning light. The sky began to clear, and he caught glimpses of the volcano, large, imposing, rather frightening to think what had occurred not even half a century ago. What could occur still, with the region always active. Sheldon felt thoughts of Amy, his article, everything disappear as he soaked in the scenery. He kept driving, beginning to wonder where the McCarthys lived.

Just before entering the town of Cougar, he turned down a road, driving three more miles through a thick forested area before reaching a clearing where a large Victorian-style house stood. The paved area in front looked like parking, so Sheldon pulled up to the house. Off to the side of the house sat a detached garage, with a Jeep, a green van, and an old truck parked in front. As he approached the door, he could see a half basketball court with a single hoop behind the garage. The house sat in a clearing in the woods, so trees were all around, only the sounds of the forest entering Sheldon's ears. He took a deep breath – the air smelled so good. Clean. Refreshing.

"Welcome, Sheldon," came Sally's voice from the porch. She hopped down the steps and approached him. Sheldon extended his hand, but Sally ignored it, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"My, it's so nice to meet you in person," Sally said, taking his arm and leading him toward the house.

Glenn came out the front door too. "Welcome to our home, Sheldon. Come on inside."

Sheldon walked into the large foyer, looking around. A huge dining room stood off to the side and he could see a large kitchen in the distance. One the other side was a living room and a hall leading toward the back of the house.

"Your house is…huge," Sheldon said.

"Well, it's going to be a bed and breakfast soon," said Sally. "We're hoping to open this coming summer. We've been working on this place for several years now. Building from scratch."

"Did you drive straight up from Pasadena?" asked Glenn.

"Yes," said Sheldon. "I left yesterday morning."

"You must be just exhausted. And hungry. Go sit in the dining room, and I'll fix you something," Sally insisted, disappearing into the kitchen.

Sheldon sat down, and Glenn grabbed the chair across from him.

"Well, I take it you did not drive up here just to see us," Glenn grinned, folding his hands together on the table in front of him. "What's going on?"

"I don't know if you'd like to listen," Sheldon said. "It seems a little ridiculous now that I really think about it."

"I enjoy a nice, ridiculous story. I have quite a few of my own. Remind me to tell you about my rather humiliating hot springs incident in Iceland," Glenn laughed.

"Ohhh, that's one of my favorites," chimed in Sally's voice from the kitchen.

"But I'm all yours," smiled Glenn. "Please."

Like months ago at the Cheesecake Factory, Sheldon felt instantly at ease with Glenn, and he began to talk, telling the geologist everything. His anxiety over the article, playing basketball and being good at it, meeting Andy Serkis with Erik, actually liking Erik, Leonard moving out, Amy moving on, not getting accepted to colonize Mars, his loneliness and frantic attempt to get Amy back, putting Howard in a bad place. Sheldon, who rarely cried, felt tears rolling down his face, at the same time relief filled his body. Glenn listened silently, looking intently at him, nodding from time to time. After finishing his monologue, both men sat in silence.

Glenn finally spoke. "So you changed your mind? No going after Amy?"

"She's happy with Erik. She deserves to be happy," Sheldon sniffed, grabbing a napkin from a nearby basket and blowing.

"Do you still love her?"

Sheldon felt himself shocked by the question. Not once did he consider this, he only saw her there with him. But love?

"I…I don't think I love her in the way Erik does," he said finally. "But I do love her. Like, like how I feel about Leonard…or Penny." Sheldon realized Amy asked him this very question months ago, and he never truly answered her. Never fully analyzed it himself.

"Then let her go from your mind. She's your friend, nothing more," said Glenn matter-of-factly.

"But that's so hard. And my brain is so, so empty right now, waiting for the review board, waiting to see what's going to happen. Things were going well, then I get that letter and my mind just starts moving and…" Sheldon lamented.

Glenn leaned forward. "You're prone to obsessions, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You also have a difficult time relaxing, right?"

"Yes. The university forces me to use my vacation days," Sheldon answered.

Glenn began to laugh, a deep sound with made Sheldon smile through his tears. "You sound like me twenty years ago. Well, you've come to the right place. You're going to stay the week with us."

"I am?"

"Yes, we're going to help you relax, and you're going to help us practice being a bed and breakfast," Glenn said as Sally brought out a plate and set it in front of Sheldon. Bacon, eggs, and a Belgium waffle.

"Thank you," he said, beginning to eat as Sally joined them. "I don't know if I can stay…"

"Of course you can," Glenn said. "And we have other guests too. Yoshi and Lil are staying with us, which is good because the heat needs to be repaired in that cabin they're renting. Lil's sister Rosemary is here for the holiday."

"Ohhh, and she's a delight," Sally said. "Gave us a handmade mask when she arrived yesterday. So talented." Sally pointed to the wall behind Sheldon. He turned to see a wooden Native America mask of an eagle mounted on the wall, beautifully painted.

"And Sally's sister is coming on Wednesday. Really, you'd be doing us a favor. The more rooms filled the better. We've had guests here from time to time, visiting scientists and such, but never a large group, especially for a holiday," said Glenn. His face became stern. "But there are some rules you need to follow."

"Okay," Sheldon said, his mouth full of waffle.

"You need to relax," Glenn said. "No worrying about your paper. You need to live in the moment. I don't think you do that very often, do you?"

Sheldon raised his eyebrows, thinking. "No, not really."

"Well, that's the number one rule for you, Sheldon," Glenn said, pointing his finger in the younger man's face. "Live in the moment, and enjoy that moment."

"You said rules," Sheldon said. "What are the others?"

"Oh, and give us your honest opinion of our bed and breakfast," Glenn said, suddenly casual again, leaning back. "You staying?"

Sheldon thought for several moments. He felt comfortable with Glenn and Sally, enjoyed Yoshi and Lillian's company. He didn't feel like returning to Pasadena anytime soon. And he would like to get his mind off the paper, Amy, everything.

"Okay. Thank you."

"Wonderful. When you're done eating, you can choose your room," Sally said.

Later, Glenn helped Sheldon with his bags and the couple gave him a tour of the place.

"So, the whole B&B is volcano themed. Downstairs, of course, belongs to the Cascades, St. Helens, Hood, Adams, Rainier. The second and third floors have the same layout. One suite with in-room bath. The other two rooms share a bathroom situated between them. Total of six rooms," Sally said as the three of them walked up the stairs. "Each room is themed for a volcano and the region. Yoshi and Lillian have the suite on the third floor. The theme is Yellowstone. The other two rooms up there are available, one for Mt. Fuji, the other for the Iceland volcanoes…which nobody can ever seem to pronounce." She laughed.

They now stood on the second floor. "So, Rosemary is in the Mt. Etna room. I think she chose it because it has a small upright piano. Lil mentioned she plays," explained Glenn. "And the other room is themed for the numerous Latin America volcanoes. Finally, the suite is Kilauea, with tropical décor."

"How about you take the second floor suite so you can have an in-room bath," said Sally, moving Sheldon's things into the room. "The kids are out at one of the higher elevation snow parks snowshoeing but will be back late afternoon. Take a nap. Then we'll all have dinner together."

Sally and Glenn left, closing the door. Sheldon looked around the room, tastefully decorated in a Hawaiian theme, a small desk and chest of drawers, closet, and a king-sized bed, bathroom with a shower. Sheldon took a few minutes to unpack his things, once again marveling at Glenn's willingness to help, Sally's kindness. When he had the room situated to his liking, he looked down at the bed. Normally, he couldn't sleep in a strange bed, often struggling to fall asleep in hotels when away at conferences. But the second his head hit the pillow, he plunged into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Author's Note: I have quite a Thanksgiving week planned for these characters. Sheldon's world gets shaken up in more ways than one. Erik and Amy's holiday involves a storm, a lab coat, a crazed animal, and an old family heirloom

In the next chapter, Erik and Amy get stuck and find themselves in a messy situation while Sheldon participates in game night with his friends and makes a delightful new acquaintance.

In other news, I'm shocked and humbled by the feedback over the last chapter. I'm so excited to have people engaged with my story. I really appreciate all the reviews and PMs from guests and site members alike. Writing The New Beginning Experiment has been so much fun, and I've had the opportunity to connect with some great people. Thank you for making this a positive experience.

Finally, I won't be able to update as frequently this week. My husband and I celebrate our 10th anniversary in a few days, so we're heading to the coast for some hiking and relaxing. Hope you continue to follow my story. Take care, everyone!