"How was your driving lesson?" Wyatt asked as Penny flopped down onto the couch with a loud huff.

"Ugh, it was terrible. Today we did that huge intersection and I got so scared I just kept stalling the stupid car." Penny folded her arms over her chest, frustrated. "At this rate I'm never gonna be able to drive even to school."

"You'll get there, Slugger." Wyatt assured her. "Bridget did the same thing. Even when she had passed her test, she was still nervous for a while if she had to go that way."

"I just wanna get good enough so I can go out and practice with you so I get even better. Then I can just take my test and go wherever I want to."

"Why are you in such a rush to... go wherever you want to?" Wyatt chuckled. "You've gotta slow down a bit."

"I have reasons." Penny grumbled, kicking her feet up on the coffee table.

"Such as?"

"I don't know." Shrugging, Penny sighed. "I'm just not good at anything. It really creams my corn. I can't even drive a stupid car."

"I beg to differ. You've got the competition coming and you're going to place at least third. You're good at loads of things."

"Well I can't go round Omaha on a horse. Being able to jump isn't going to impress the driving exam guys. Big help that is." Penny rolled her eyes.

"Slugger, this stuff takes time. You may be an excellent jumper now, but do you remember how long it took you to become that good? The amount of poles you knocked over before you could fly over fences like it was nothing?" Wyatt patted his daughter's knee reassuringly. "Driving is kind of like that, only you stay on the ground. You've just got to learn the basics and then keep going from there until you're ready to tackle it on your own."

"But I wanna be able to drive places, Dad!" Penny whined. "Leonard's gonna be in New Jersey and Kim's gonna be working and I'm gonna... I just wanna be able to do this already."

"You will. If Bridget learnt to drive I'm sure you can. You're just... expecting too much too fast." Wyatt sat back in his chair. Penny had always been stubborn about how quickly she wanted to achieve things. Sometimes it worked in her favor, but a lot of the time it meant she worked herself up about it to an unreasonable level.

Wyatt picked up his book again when Penny didn't respond, and there was silence for over ten minutes. He had almost forgotten that Penny was still in the room, so even when she quietly asked "Daddy?" he had to take a second to remember that she had been sitting there that whole time.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He closed his book again, sensing from her tone that she had something serious to tell him.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Penny drew her knees up to her chest protectively. Looking across the room, she stared at the wall as she took a deep breath. "Next year I'm gonna move to New Jersey to study at community college there."

While Penny exhaled deeply, the stress of getting those words out to her father now gone, Wyatt simply stared at her. It took him a while to process her words, repeating the moment in his mind until it had sunk in. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." Penny drew her knees in closer to her body, resting her chin on them. Her fathers tone was unnervingly calm, and she knew exactly what that meant.

"Is this because of Leonard?"

There it was. "Well-"

"Penny, you cannot move all the way to New Jersey - New Jersey! - just for your boyfriend."

"But-"

"I know it's far away but you can still see him. You don't have to live in New Jersey for that. What sense in there in you moving to New Jersey too when you can just study here in Omaha? Your mother and I did not raise you to think your life depended on some boy!"

"Dad."

"You'll be staying right in here in Omaha young lady, thank you very much! Right where we can keep an eye on you and you can visit Leonard when it doesn't interrupt your studies. Honestly, moving all that way for a boy? This is the most-"

"Dad!" Penny yelled, her nerves and frustration mingling into a sense of panic. "Stop it!"

"Don't you be yelling at me, Slugger!"

"I am asking you to stop!"

"Penny-"

"Dad, will you just listen to me?" Penny furrowed her brow, her voice high.

The pitch got him to stop his attempt to continue his rant, the sound reminiscent of Meryl's when she was angry and trying to get him to shut up. "Okay." Wyatt folded his arms. "I'm listening."

"Thank you." Penny said. She slid her legs to the side, relaxing slightly now that she had a chance to explain herself. "Look, okay, you're right about this being a lot to do with Leonard. And it is - but I'm not doing this for him. It was my decision; I'm going because of him. If he was studying anywhere else, I'd move there too. Princeton is... amazing. That's a huge deal. I'm never gonna have that. That's not the kind of person I am. But I do want to go to community college, and... there's nothing to really keep me here, aside from you and Mom."

"Well, I'm glad we're at least somewhere in that equation. Continue."

"I love him, Daddy." Penny said quietly, slowly beginning to feel more vulnerable - but at the same time comforted that she was able to express this to her father. "This isn't just me moving to New Jersey for some boy. The idea of spending just one year apart is bad enough. I've thought about this a lot, and it still kinda terrifies me, and I even have things all planned out, and I know having that time apart is going to be a huge test on our relationship - but I want this, Daddy. I want to be with Leonard, and if that means moving to New Jersey then I'll do it. I can be with the guy I love and I can focus on my education - that's the daughter you raised."

Observing his daughter for a while, Wyatt slowly broke into a small, sad smile. When had the girl running to him for help with a grazed knee turned into the young woman planning out her own future? She was running with her heart, but listening to her mind. "You really want to do this, don't you?"

"I really do."

Holding back a sigh, Wyatt nodded. "This really matters to you a lot, doesn't it? You'll have to work really hard this coming year - none of this being lazy and avoiding work like you tend to do. But... I think you'll do just fine, Slugger."

"Really?"

"Absolutely, sweetheart."


"Oh, sorry." Leonard stepped awkwardly to the side as Meryl came into the kitchen, joining him at the sink. He shut off to tap even though he'd only filled one of the glasses he was holding half way. "You can go."

"No, that's okay. It's just water, I'm not exactly in a rush." Meryl ran her finger along the rim of her glass, observing Leonard for a moment as he continued filling the first glass before sighing heavily. "She's not staying in Omaha, is she?"

"What?" Leonard's hand slipped as he went to turn off the tap, the glass overfilling with water and spilling over his hands. When had Meryl learnt to read minds? Had he said something out loud without realizing? He suddenly felt very aware that they were both in their robes. It was different than when they had been at the beach house - this sort of casual domestic family dynamic had never been apparent in his own home, it felt almost strange in that moment.

"Penny's been avoiding me all day and Wyatt won't say anything. You know that thing Penny does when she doesn't want to tell you something, so she'll look awkwardly around and stunned for a moment before distracting herself? That's what he does. It's so annoying." Meryl rolled her eyes.

"Well, now I know where she gets it from." Leonard chuckled, hoping to distract Meryl. He shut off the tap and poured out some water from the overfilled glass before wiping the sides with the jay cloth kept beside the sink.

"Yup." Meryl nodded. "Penny's been a bit... strange recently; very secretive about her 'plans' that she keeps mentioning, but at the same time she's been obsessed with New Jersey. It didn't really take much to put that all together."

"Umm... I don't know if I'm the one you should be talking to about this." Leonard said slowly.

"No, I should. I may not be the best parent but I know my daughter. She doesn't want to have to tell me; she knows I'll work it out. It's easier for her, I suppose. All these things like the first time she stayed the night at your place - that's what she does. She waits for me to figure it out. Sometimes she comes to me, sometimes she just... needs a medium." Meryl frowned thoughtfully, before patting Leonard's arm and giving him a smile. "We're all very proud of you, you know."

"Oh... thank you." Leonard smiled shyly.

"When I was your age I had a kid and the only thing I knew was that I was really, really not ready to be a parent. But you - you have everything figured out. I know the circumstances aren't great in your family, but you did all of this for yourself and to me that is incredible. I am so, so glad that you plucked up that courage to go help Penny with her Math homework and ask her out. Obviously none of this family were the best influence on her but you've taught her more than we ever have. So if she wants to move to New Jersey... perhaps that really is her smartest move."

Leonard didn't really know what to say; he felt slightly awkward at being complimented and also had no idea if he was meant to say anything about her parenting skills. In comparison to his own mother, Meryl was practically the ideal mother figure. He didn't say anything for a while, instead watching as Meryl traced the pattern on the kitchen counter. He thought that was a trait Penny had too; tracing patterns whether they were there or not. Penny was always doing it - on his arm, his t-shirt, the library desks. It was quite comforting to see. "I think this is something Penny really wants."

"How long have you known?" Meryl asked quietly.

"A while." Leonard admitted. "I know she told Bridget first. Around her birthday, I think."

"Wow." Meryl blinked in surprise. "She's kept that from us for a long time... longer than I thought. I guess this is something really important to her." While a major part of her was upset, she felt incredibly proud of her daughter having made this decision for herself. She even understood why she had kept it for so long; while Penny was confident and outgoing she often struggled to fully come to terms with the bigger things in life. Turning, she smiled at Leonard. "I really hope you never give up on each other, Leonard."


Pausing, Leonard took a breath before entering Penny's bedroom with the filled glasses of water. He had no idea how to tell her that Meryl had worked out that she was going to New Jersey, but he figured that he should probably just outright tell her. He was never good at keeping things from her, and she was particularly good at knowing when he was hiding something. And he was not wrong there, as the first thing she said the second he stepped into the room was "God, you look like you saw a ghost. What's wrong?"

Kicking the bedroom door to a close with his foot, he gave an almost inaudible chuckle before placing his water on the nightstand and passing Penny a glass. He hesitated, deciding not to get into bed so he was out of arms reach in case Penny reacted badly. "Your Mom knows you're moving to New Jersey."

At first, Penny simply stared at him. Then she threw her head back against the headboard, closing her eyes and releasing a huge sigh. "Oh, thank God."

"Huh?" That wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting.

"I've been avoiding her all day now that Dad knows. I just... I had no idea how I was going to tell Mom." Penny opened her eyes again. "So she just... knew? Or did you tell her?"

"She knew." Leonard decided it was safe to get in bed and shuffled in under the covers. "She said she worked it out. But I kinda feel like she's known for longer than that; it seemed like she's come to terms with it already."

Frowning thoughtfully, Penny nodded. "Mom always knows. Big stuff like this, she always knows before I tell her."

"Do you mind that I talked to her about it before you did?"

"What? No! I'm glad you did. I mean, she wouldn't ever get angry with you, so it saves me all of that. But she thinks you're pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. Besides, it gives her a better perspective on the situation; she can put herself in my shoes." Penny patted his leg. "And you never get to have that kind of talk with your own Mom."

"So you don't mind that she told me she knew before she told you?"

"Absolutely not." Penny assured him. "I think this is easier for both of us. And it meant you got to be the one to talk to her about it; like I said, she absolutely loves you. Mom really trusts you."

Leonard smiled, his nerves now gone. His whole life he spent being dejected by his mother, and here he was being completely accepted and trusted by Meryl at the time she fully realized that her daughter would be leaving her. He'd always felt safe, almost like part of the family with Penny's parents and siblings, but now in particular he really felt like he had a sense of belonging. His own mother wasn't upset in the slightest that he was moving to New Jersey, and here he had Meryl expressing her pride and trust in him. "Thank you."

"For what?" Penny raised a brow. "You're the one who spoke to Mom. I should be the one thanking you."

"It's just... your parents really make me feel like I'm part of a family."


The second Penny saw her mother in the kitchen, she shuffled over in her slippers to hug her. Meryl instantly placed her coffee down to wrap her arms around her daughter, squeezing her a little tighter than usual. "I am so proud of you, sweetheart."

"You are?" Penny mumbled, before lifting her head to look up at her mother. "I thought you would be mad at me for not telling you sooner."

"It took me three months to find the courage to tell my mother that I was pregnant. She gave me two choices: get the hell out of her house or give up the baby. I had already decided I was keeping the baby so I got the hell out of her house. Three months I spent working up the courage to tell her and she didn't even take three seconds to consider how hard it may be for me. I know how hard this stuff is, Penny, and I know that you need time. I would never want to put you in a position where you felt I was giving you an ultimatum, and I don't want to force you to tell me things if you're not ready." Meryl put a hand on her daughters cheek. "You're not mad that I spoke to Leonard about it before I spoke to you?"

Penny let out a tiny laugh. "Not one bit. It made it easier. You always know... you always figure these things out."

"Hmm. You're right." Meryl smiled fondly. "A mother always knows."

"I guess I was kinda relying on that." Penny admitted, shrugging shyly. "There are just some things that you never know how to say."

"These things aren't hard to deduce. When you got all shifty about those 'plans' you constantly mention and obsessed with New Jersey, I kind of guessed something was up. Then Dad got all dodgy yesterday and I knew you'd told him something. It was a little obvious."

"Dad sucks at keeping secrets."

"What did you expect? That's huge news for him. Plus you told him first, that's your own fault."

"I know, I know. I just figured it would be easier to tell you separately than together. I thought you'd both like, gang up on me."

"That's exactly why I told my parents separately too. And Bridget said the same after she told me she was moving out. Although she didn't actually tell me. She told Dad, then she told me she got a new job and that night when I was saying to Wyatt how pleased I was she got that new job of hers he asked why I wasn't more upset since the job was in Kearney."

"Smooth." Penny laughed.

"Very." Meryl rolled her eyes. "Although I didn't see Bridget moving to Kearney. I knew she'd move out but I thought somewhere more local."

"Bridget is a bit harder to pin down though." Penny pointed out with a giggle. "You've always guessed me right."

"You make it far more obvious though." Meryl pointed out. "When you came home from your first party you stank of alcohol and had smudged make-up all over your face. You are lucky Dad was working that morning. That time you came home late from your first date with Leonard and had this smug expression it was pretty easy to figure out what had gone on after the date. When all of a sudden you talk about New Jersey at least twice a day for no reason and mention 'plans' that's also a pretty big clue."

"Yeah..."

"I mean, you're great at hiding things from other people. But I'm your Mom - I know everything that's going on in that mind of yours even if you don't tell me."

"Sometimes I'm glad you do." Penny smiled. "And I really am glad that you spoke to Leonard last night. His Mom would never do something like that - she hasn't even told him that she's proud he got into Princeton. It's nice for him to hear that from someone."

"Well I am proud. He works very hard and he's a lovely young man. He deserves to receive praise. A lot more than he's given."

"He does." Penny nodded. "He really does."

"Good. Now you go get your breakfast and hurry back to him, I'm sure he's already watching Star Wars on your laptop."


A/N - I wasn't going to update today as it was a busy week/weekend, but I'm sick and being bed bound is the ideal time to write - silver lining! Just wanna say hey to my Guest reviewer, you keep complaining about my stories but then continue to read them, so - 'sup! Hope this isn't using up too much of your internet data #hatersgonnahatehatehatehate I'm not changing the characters from the show in any of my stories just because you don't like that Penny's parents aren't perfect or Penny drinks or whatever. And Kim is awesome. But for the rest of you, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and enjoy your week!