"We'll be fine. It's just two nights. Enjoy your conference. You've barely had a minute to yourself since before Max was born," Larry was practically pushing Amy out of her apartment.

Setting down her suitcase, Amy hesitated. "I don't know if I should go. I've never left Max overnight before. What if something happens and he needs me?"

Larry picked up the suitcase his daughter had just set down and pushed it towards her. "Go. Enjoy some time to yourself. Max is excited to spend the weekend with me. You have always loved going to your science conferences, but haven't gone in over two years. You would talk about them for weeks after. This weekend will be good for you. If nothing else, think of it as a chance to destress and come back more relaxed. You can call us anytime, but try not to."

"Okay, I'm going, but let me say goodbye to Max first."

"You've already said goodbye to him," stated Larry. "You're just delaying actually having to leave. Now, go or you're going to be late."

He waited a few minutes after Amy closed the apartment door and he heard the elevator ding down the hall before returning to his grandson's bedroom. "It's just us for the next two days, Max. What do you want to do while your mommy is gone?"

"Park. Zoo. Ice cream," the two-year-old replied without looking up from the train he was pushing across his bedroom floor.

Amy entered her apartment, surprised to find her mother wiping the kitchen counter. "Hi, mom. What are you doing here? Where's dad? Is everything okay with Max?"

"Max is fine. He spilled his juice and needed a dry shirt; dad is helping him get cleaned up. They're probably in his room. I know dad said he would be fine with Max by himself for the weekend, but I didn't think you would mind if I spent the day with them. Max had been asking to go to the zoo. When dad mentioned that to me, I decided to join them," Mrs. Fowler explained.

"It's fine that you're here. Unexpected, but fine. I want Max to know his grandmother," replied Amy as she set her suitcase out of the way, intending to unpack it later that evening.

Continuing to clean up dinner, Mrs. Fowler placed a plate in the microwave and pressed a few buttons to start it. "Why don't you sit down? We can talk while you eat. I know you've been driving most of the afternoon and are probably starving." Amy settled at the table as her mother set the reheated plate in front of her and filled a glass of water. "I know I've said it before, but I really am sorry for the way I've acted the past few years. I reacted poorly when you told us you were having a baby by yourself and wish I could take it all back, but I can't. I've always wanted you to be happy, but I also felt the need to protect you from everything bad in the world. When you said you decided to be a single mom, all I could think about was how much single mothers struggle. I have watched you be a wonderful mother to Max; you have excelled as a mother, just like everything else you have done."

Smiling, Amy replied to her mother, "Thank you. That means a lot to hear it coming from you. I know I blindsided you and dad when I told you I was pregnant. I should have discussed it with you before I did what I did, but I was afraid you would try to talk me out of it. I've only been a good mother because Max has been an easy kid to be a mother to. I'm sure I would struggle if he weren't so easy going."

"He is a good kid, isn't he? I have a question that I'm hoping won't offend you."

"Go ahead," Amy prompted her to continue between bites of food.

"Have you given any thought to dating again? You've said you want me to be a part of his life and I was thinking that if you wanted to date, I'd be willing to watch him so you wouldn't have to worry about finding childcare so you can go out."

Amy had been waiting for this conversation to happen. She knew that it was only a matter of time before her mother brought up her relationship status. "I don't know. Max just turned two. I'm enjoying raising him right now without the added stress of you nagging me about dating someone. I have my own George Foreman grill now, so I don't need to date to borrow yours."

Mrs. Fowler was expecting this reaction as much as Amy had been expecting this conversation. "Just think about it. Even if you want to get out for an afternoon without him, I don't mind watching him for you. Go see a movie or get a cup of coffee and read a book for a little while. I won't ask you about your dating life, but it would make me very happy to see you trying to meet someone. I know you love how things are with your life right now, but just think how much better your life could be if you had someone to share it with."

"Thank you, mom. I'll think about it. And thanks for dinner. I'm going to let Max know I'm home."

Sitting at Leonard's desk in apartment 4A, Raj blurted out to the room, "We finally have proof that aliens walk among us. A dating site matched a woman with Sheldon."

Howard and Raj scrolled through the woman's profile, debating how they were going to convince Sheldon to meet what an internet algorithm claimed was his perfect match. "Sheldon will never go for this. Look right there," Howard pointed near the bottom of the page.

"Maybe we just don't tell him about that. We'll convince him to meet her without seeing her profile. We just need to tell him everything that she says, except for that line," suggested Raj.

This back and forth caught Leonard's interest. "What aren't you telling Sheldon about this woman?"

"She has a two-year-old son."

"Sheldon is going to be nothing more than a puff of dust the second he learns that," chuckled Leonard. "Let me know how that goes, convincing him to meet a single mother."