Chapter 65

For the coming days and weeks, Leonard wasted no time in making it up to his wife and daughter, catching up on lost time and giving them his full attention. He went with his wife for her monthly visit to the doctor to check-up on the baby.

"Well, your baby's doing okay." said Dr. Cruz. "Do you see that Sarah? That round blob will grow into your sister or brother." she added while showing Sarah the image on the screen coming from the sonogram machine.

"Wow, that is so cool!" Sarah said.

"You started out just like that when your mom had you honey." Leonard said.

"Do you still have a picture of that honey?" asked Penny.

"Of course. I think I put it in one of my boxes in our storage closet along with Sarah's other baby stuff." said Leonard.

"Can we see it daddy?" said Sarah.

"Yeah sure. I'll look for it when we get home later." he said.

"I'm gonna give you guys a printout. Just stay put Penny." said Dr. Cruz as she held the sensor steady on her belly while pushing a button on the machine, capturing the image before printing out a copy and giving it to Leonard.

"Wow...that is one beautiful baby!" he said before giving the printout to his wife.

"At least the baby's okay." said Penny.

"The baby's doing great actually...steady heartbeat and normal size for it's age." said Dr. Cruz. "Let me get something so we could listen to its heartbeat." said the doctor before standing up to get something from the cabinet nearby. She returned and connected a couple of wires while flicking off some switches and turning a few knobs before putting some sensor pads on Penny's belly. She then turned a knob as they try to listen to the fetus' heartbeat. "There it is. Do you hear it?" she said, turning up the volume.

Penny and Leonard cried when they heard the faint steady beat coming from the machine. "That is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my life." said Leonard while holding Penny's hand.

"Wow, that is amazing!" said Penny, unable to contain her happiness. "Sweetheart do you hear that?" she said to Sarah,

"I do mom. It sounds great." Sarah said, hugging her father's side.

Leonard pulled out his phone and pushed some buttons. "Let's be quiet, I'm gonna record the sound on my phone." he said as he put his phone near the speaker, capturing the heartbeat on his phone. "This is gonna be my ringtone from now on." he said, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Well we're almost done here." said Dr. Cruz. "Let's get you cleaned up." she added.

After a few minutes, the young family came out of the clinic and back to their car, glad that Penny and the baby are healthy and normal.

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"Hey guys!" Leonard said as he joined his friends for lunch in the cafeteria, placing food tray on the table.

"Hey Leonard. What's up?" said Raj.

"Nothing much really." he said.

"How's Penny and Sarah?" asked Howard.

"They're doing good. Everything's back to normal I guess." Leonard said. "We came from the doctor yesterday for Penny's monthly check-up to see how the baby is doing."

"Is everything alright?" asked Raj.

"Yeah. Here...look at this." said Leonard, showing them a picture from the sonogram. "It's nothing much to look at for now."

"We're really happy for you Leonard." said Howard.

"Thanks, and listen to this..." he said, letting them hear the baby's heartbeat.

"Is that the baby's heartbeat?" asked Sheldon.

"Yeah, isn't it great?" Leonard said who cannot help but smile.

"Hmm...a little over a hundred hertz but I guess that's normal for a fetus of that size and age." said Sheldon while listening closely to the faint sound from Leonard's phone.

"You're right Sheldon. Dr. Cruz said the baby's as normal as can be." said Leonard, turning off his phone.

"Well at least your near-death experience didn't affect the baby's health, or Penny's for that matter." said Raj.

"You could say that again." said Leonard as they continued to eat, sharing jokes and funny stories like they've done a thousand times.

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One afternoon, Leonard and Sarah came out of the elevator after coming from work and school. Leonard opened the door and saw his wife on the couch watching TV. Leonard and Sarah gave each other a surprised look when they saw Penny wearing one of Leonard's t-shirts and hoodie while munching on some popcorn with her eyes glued on the TV.

"Uh honey, what are you doing?" asked Leonard as they went inside while putting his knapsack on his desk.

"Watching TV...what else?" Penny said.

"Why are you wearing daddy's clothes?" asked Sarah.

"Oh this? I felt a little cold." Penny said like it was an afterthought. "Honey, come here and sit beside me...please." she added as Leonard sat beside her. Penny immediately wrapped her arm around her husband and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I missed you." she said.

Sarah looked at her parents and frowned. "I'm gonna go to my room and change. This is too weird for me." she said while walking towards her bedroom.

"I guess in addition to your weird food cravings, this is a pregnancy thing again huh?" said Leonard, amused by his wife's friskiness.

Penny pushed her face on his neck. "Uh huh." she said. "Speaking of food..."

"Fine...what do you wanna eat?" asked Leonard.

Penny gave her husband a lovely smile. "Well...you know that Chinese restaurant where you bought those crispy noodles and fried dumplings?" she said.

"That's half an hours drive away." said Leonard.

Penny gave him a sad look. "But honey I want those fried noodles...please...for the baby." she said.

Leonard nodded, knowing that he had no choice or risk upsetting his wife, which he didn't want to do. "Okay, I'll go there right now." he said making Penny giggle.

"Thank you honey...I love you!" said Penny as Sarah went back out to the living room.

"Dad where are you going?" asked the child.

"I'm going to buy us some dinner. You stay here and keep your mom company okay?" he said.

Sarah went to sit beside Penny. "Okay dad, just be careful alright?" she said to her father.

Penny draped her arm around her stepdaughter. "Bye honey!" she said as Leonard opened the door and stepped out of the apartment.

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Leonard came back after almost forty-five minutes. "I'm home!" he said as Sarah ran up to her father, taking the food bag from him before bringing it over to the kitchen island. Penny stood up and went to her husband, kissing his cheek.

"I missed you sailor." Penny whispered, making Leonard smile after receiving a little incentive from his wife.

"I can hear you!" Sarah said while taking some plates from the counter, making the couple a little embarrassed.

"Alright we get it." said Leonard.

"Okay let's eat! My baby is hungry!" said Penny as they spoon up some food onto their plates with Leonard helping his daughter onto her chair. "Here you go honey." said Penny while giving a plateful of food to her husband.

"Penny, I don't think I can eat this much food." said Leonard as he looked at his plate.

"Just give it a try honey." said Penny.

Leonard took a deep breath and looked at his daughter who was quietly eating her food. "Okay fine...with your pregnancy thing all over the place, I guess I shouldn't upset you or anything..."

Penny glared at her husband. "Why did you have to say something like that?" she said.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm still finding it weird to keep up with your pregnancy stuff." said Leonard. "Please don't be upset honey."

Penny pouted a little before taking a bite of her food. "Fine, but tomorrow you're gonna pass by the Asian grocery store and bring me some of the stuff that I bought before, alright?" she said.

"Okay sure." said Leonard, relieved that his wife didn't get upset with his remark.

"Remember, I don't like the other stuff that they have so you have to get the same one, okay?" Penny said.

"Fine, which one are we talking about?" Leonard asked.

Penny sighed and stood up, going over to get a small jar from the kitchen cabinet. "Here, so you won't make a mistake." she said handing Leonard the jar.

"I guess you'll be wanting some green mangoes too huh?" asked Leonard.

"Yeah and if you get confused or anything, just ask for Carla or Josie so they can help you out." Penny said.

"Okay, got it." he said.

Penny smiled and touched Leonard's cheek. "Thank you honey...you're so amazing!" she said.

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After a few days, the young family was already asleep after long day at work and school when Penny woke up, suddenly waking Leonard up.

"Leonard..." Penny said, lightly shaking her husband awake.

"Mmmm..." Leonard mumbled sheepishly.

"Leonard...wake up..." said Penny, shaking him a little harder. "Honey...please..."

Leonard rolled around, trying to keep himself from getting angry at his wife. "What is it?" he asked. "Are you feeling sick?"

"Leonard...I'm hungry..." said Penny.

"What?" said Leonard.

"I'm hungry." said Penny, giving her husband a sad look.

Leonard took a deep breath before sitting up on the bed while rubbing the sleep off his eyes. "Can't you go to the kitchen and eat whatever you want?" he said.

"But I don't want the food in our kitchen." Penny said, throwing a bit of a childish tantrum at her husband.

"What do you want to eat?" asked Leonard, feeling his patience running out.

"I want those fried noodles again...please..." Penny said while squeezing his arms.

Leonard sighed. "Penny, it's already ten o'clock...they're probably closing the restaurant right now." he said.

Penny bowed her head and started crying. "I know you don't love me anymore..." she said while wiping her tears off.

"Of course I love you." said Leonard. "Okay fine, I'm going now." he said as he jumped off the bed before putting his pants and shirt on. "You stay here." he added before leaving the bedroom to go out the apartment, hoping that the Chinese restaurant is still open.

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After almost half an hour, Leonard entered the apartment, thankful that he was able to get in a last-minute order in the Chinese restaurant which was about to close up when he came in. He locked the door and put the food on the kitchen island when he saw Penny walk out into the living room. Penny smiled when she smelled the savory aroma from the food, making her kiss her husband on the cheek.

"Thank you so much honey...you're really the best." she said.

"No problem...I was just glad that they were still open." said Leonard as he handed her a plate and a fork. "Here, you can eat as much as you want." he added.

"Uh...aren't you gonna join me?" Penny asked.

"Penny, I'm not hungry." he said. "I'm going back to sleep. I have to be early at the university tomorrow."

"But I want you to join me!" Penny said, almost yelling at him.

"What do you want from me?" he asked. "I already got your stupid noodles!"

Penny frowned and started crying. "You're so mean me to me!" she said while covering her face with her hands, crying her eyes out.

Leonard immediately got worried and sat beside his wife. "I'm sorry honey...I didn't mean to yell at you." he said. "Okay fine...here I'm joining you now...see?" he said as he took a plate and spoon to join Penny.

"Here, I want you to have this." Penny said, while putting some food on his plate.

"Thanks." said Leonard as he took a bite of his food. Penny smiled and slid closer to him, looking at him while he was eating. "Aren't you gonna eat with me?"

"I'm just gonna look at you." said Penny, giving her husband a lovely look.

Leonard was puzzled but chose not to argue anymore. "Okay fine."

After eating and cleaning up, the couple washed up in the bathroom before going to their bedroom to sleep. Penny immediately dragged him onto the bed and started taking off his clothes, surprising him.

"Uh honey, what are you doing?" he asked.

"What do you think? I'm giving you a reward." she said before kissing him passionately. "Just shut up and let me do this!" she added, pushing him on the bed before turning off the light and getting on top of him. Leonard didn't protest and let Penny have her way as they got under the covers, making love.