Meemaw and Mary have returned home, and Sheldon has acquired a new (temporary) roommate.
One of the side effects of Penny's new lifestyle was that she woke up a lot earlier now. She had made a habit out of having breakfast with Sheldon every morning. So, when Raj tried to sneak out of the apartment at 7:15 am, he found himself doing the walk of shame right past Sheldon and Penny, eating oatmeal in front of the TV. Once the door closed, Sheldon put down his oatmeal bowl and moved to stand. Penny was quick to grab his forearm.
"Missy is 31 years old, sweetie. You can't tell her what she can or can't do."
Sheldon sighed and sat back down. "Penny, Raj is my friend and co-worker. Missy is my sister. I am simply looking out for the important people in my life."
Penny snorted with disbelief. "You're just trying to make sure they don't upset your strictly organized life."
"Isn't that what I said?" he asked innocently.
"Eat your oatmeal," Penny suggested. "Then I'll give you a ride to work."
Sheldon settled back and picked his bowl up again. "Don't I deserve a kiss for minding my own business?" he muttered.
"I'll let Raj know he owes you one," Penny quipped before carrying her bowl to the sink. "I better get dressed." Before he could stop her, she was out the door.
Sheldon carried his own bowl over to the sink and washed the dishes. "Forget it. I don't want the kiss now," he mumbled. He headed back to the bedroom to get dressed for work.
Sheldon was busy writing out a few new equations on his boards when there was a knock on his door. He sighed with exasperation and went over to open it up. "Yes?"
"Hello, Sheldon," Rene said, reaching up to caress his cheek. "Hope you don't mind that I'm early. I just missed you," she said softly. She threw a smile over her shoulder at the people in the hall before squeezing past Sheldon into the office. She made sure to trail her fingers around his stomach to his back slowly.
Sheldon watched Winkle's eyes widen, Kripke's jaw drop, and Toby Loobenfeld give him a thumbs up gesture. He quickly closed his door and turned to see Rene sitting cross legged on the small bench under the window.
She grinned widely as he read her shirt. We don't just start the job. We finish it. Subzero's Refrigerator Repair. Underneath was a picture of the Mortal Combat character.
"So, what's so important that you call me?" she asked.
Sheldon fidgeted and took a seat at his desk, turning in his chair to face her. "First of all, this is very private and important. Please refrain from teasing me," he said quietly.
Rene's eyes widened and she nodded, wiping all humor from her expression. She immediately settled into therapist mode. "Go on," she said simply.
Sheldon twisted his hands together nervously. "A couple of days ago, something happened between Penny and I. Something intimate," he said with a blush. "Afterwards, Penny said we should pretend it never happened and keep our boundaries intact while we continue our slow pace."
"And you obviously disagree," she said calmly.
Sheldon shrugged. "That's my dilemma. I am not sure if I do or not. What happened…it made me feel more connected to Penny than I have ever felt to anyone. However, the aftermath was awkward and messy." He looked at her with confusion. "I love Penny. I know I do. And I know she loves me. So why didn't this make us closer? Why does it seem that we have taken steps back from one another?"
Rene sighed softly and shrugged. "Sheldon, you and Penny have both spent your life keeping yourself closed off from others. You have built walls around your emotions and set guards along the towers armed with sub-machine guns."
"But Penny has always had a grasp of emotions that eludes me." Sheldon said.
"She may understand them, but she has never accepted them," Rene corrected. "She hides from them as much as you always have. You did it because you had to grow up way too fast. Penny did it because she grew up with people who wanted her to be someone she wasn't. People who didn't love her for who she is."
"So what do we do?" he asked worriedly.
She uncrossed her legs and leaned over to pat his knee. "There's no formula for that. I can't prescribe a pill, or give you a step by step set of instructions. Life doesn't work that way, hon. You are both emotionally stunted, and you're going to have to tear down those walls and develop the emotions you never used before. Trust, desire, and dependency; you have to learn how to deal with those."
He swallowed nervously and forced himself to say something he rarely admitted. "I'm scared. What if I cannot do this and I lose her? What if she can and she decides she doesn't want or need me?"
"Sheldon, you are a physicist. You know that the world is mysterious and chaotic. There are no guarantees. Maybe your fears will come true," she said softly. Sheldon's eyes turned bleak and he looked down at the floor. Rene reached over and cupped his cheek to make him look up at her. "And maybe your fears are nothing more than shadows. You have to have faith."
"I'm a man of science. I deal in facts, not faith," he reminded her.
"Then I suggest you start there," Rene said. She stood and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "I think you'll be surprised by what you find when you start searching. I talked to Penny last night. She has many of the same fears you do. Maybe the best thing would be for you two to talk about what happened."
Sheldon stood and walked her to the door. "Rene?" he said timidly. She looked up at him and he fidgeted slightly. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "You have been a good friend to Penny …and to me."
She smiled gently and nodded. "I like you both, Sheldon. I think you two are good for each other. Hell, you two inspired me to finally move forward with Stuart."
His lips tugged up at the corners. "May I ask you why Stuart? He does not appear to be the type of person someone as hippy-dippy and flamboyant as you would chose."
Rene's cheeks turned a bit pink. "I know, we seem like opposites in every way. Stuart is more than a shop owner, or geek, or artist. He's sweet, kind, romantic. He looks at me like I'm all he needs. Like I'm the very air he breaths. And he makes my heart beat faster, like it's only really working when he's around. When I'm with him, I feel like nothing is impossible."
Sheldon's eyes widened with surprise. "You know, that is twice I have heard something similar," he mumbled.
"Oh?" Rene asked curiously.
Sheldon blushed deeply and shook his head. "It is private."
Rene grinned and decided to let him off the hook for once. She walked over to the door and paused. "You know, when I first met Penny, my first impression was that she was hiding from more than her problems. It wasn't until I met you that I realized what it was. She needs you Sheldon. Just as much as you need her. You could live without one another, but neither of you would ever be truly happy. I firmly believe that love is what separates us from the rest of the animals. Not art, or engineering, or even monogamy. It's love. The kind of love that makes us put someone above everyone else, above ourselves. So, is there anyone or anything that means more to you than Penny?"
Sheldon thought about the important things in his life. His Meemaw, his work, his friends and family. He thought about Penny. About how empty he had felt without her in his life. He tried to picture his life without her. He clutched at his chest involuntarily, trying to ease the sharp pain that made his chest tighten.
Rene nodded and patted his hand. "That, right there, is what made me give in to my love for Stuart. I can't live without him."
Sheldon fidgeted for a heartbeat before gathering his nerve to overcome his phobias. He dipped his head and placed a smacking kiss on Rene's startled cheek. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "You have helped me a tremendous deal."
Rene considered teasing him for a split second. But for Sheldon to willingly touch someone besides Penny was a huge deal. She nodded quickly. "You're welcome. And don't forget we're all having a birthday party for Andy on Friday. He'll be 60."
Sheldon held the door open for her and nodded. When he was alone, he sat down at his desk. He had a lot of thinking to do. Decisions need to be made.