Chapter 58

"Mom hurry up! I'm gonna be late for school!" Sarah yelled as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Alright I'm coming!" Penny said as she came from the bedroom, tying her hair into a bun. "I'm sorry." she said.

"I have a test today mom." Sarah said.

"Alright, alright! Let's get going!" Penny said as she opened the door with Sarah following close behind. "I'm sorry if I didn't have the time to make you breakfast. We'll look for a drive-thru and get you a sandwich okay?" she said.

"Okay mom. I just don't want to be late for my exam today." Sarah said.

Penny sighed. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be there on time." she said somewhat regretting letting Leonard go on his expedition. Somehow, she realized that being a parent was more work than just spending time with your daughter.

They reached Penny's car as she helped Sarah with her seat belt before getting in the driver's seat to start the car. After passing by a drive-thru, Penny was relieved that they made it on time to Sarah's school.

"We're just in time sweetheart. Aren't you gonna eat that first?" Penny said as Sarah undid her seat belt.

"I'll eat later after the test mom." said Sarah as she opened the door, getting off the car.

"Okay, you have fun." said Penny. "I know you'll ace that test again." she added.

"Bye mom." said Penny's stepdaughter as she ran towards the school gate.

"Bye sweetie." she said as she started the car to drive back to the apartment.

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Later that afternoon, Penny picked up Sarah from school. "Hi sweetheart! How was the exam?" she said as Sarah climbed into the front seat.

"It was alright mom." said Sarah. "Although, I got really hungry after the test." she added.

Penny was saddened by what the child said. "I'm sorry sweetheart. Don't worry, I promise I'll make you some breakfast for tomorrow so you won't get hungry at school, okay?" she said.

"Okay mommy. I'm sorry if I'm too much of a burden to you." said Sarah, surprising Penny.

"Who told you that?" Penny asked. "Listen to me, and you listen real good alright? You are not a burden to me or your dad. Do you understand?" she said while looking at Sarah.

Sarah nodded. "Yes mom." she said.

Penny pulled her close to hug her. "Come here sweetheart. I know you miss your dad, I miss him too." she said while kissing her cheek.

"Do you think dad will call us again mommy?" asked Sarah.

"I'm sure he will. He promised didn't he?" Penny said.

"He did. I just hope he'll call us before he gets on the boat." said Sarah.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's just busy preparing his stuff before he gets on board." Penny said. "Now why don't we get out of here and grab something to eat huh?" she added.

"Sounds good mom." Sarah said as Penny drove the car out of the school drop-off area.

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As promised, Leonard called his girls by Skype before they boarded the boat for their expedition.

L: "Hey guys! I missed you so much!"

Sa: "Hi daddy! How are you doing over there?"

L: "I'm doing okay here. We're gonna be boarding the boat tomorrow so I won't be able to call for another couple of weeks, maybe longer."

P: "Do you have all of your stuff with you?"

L: "Yeah. Everything's set. How you guys doing over there?"

P: "We're fine honey. You don't need to worry."

Sa: "Mom's right dad. Don't worry about us."

L: "Okay. I just don't want you guys to worry about me alright?"

P: "I miss so much honey. I wish you'd come back soon."

L: "Me too. Don't worry, I'll take a week off from work when I come back so we could go and have a family trip somewhere."

Sa: "Where are we going daddy?"

L: "I don't know yet. But I'm sure I can think of something fun to do."

Sa: "Why don't we visit Nebraska dad. I wanna see grandpa's horses over there."

P: "That's a great idea sweetheart!"

L: "Okay, I guess we're going to Nebraska."

Sa: "Ugh, I can't wait for you to come home dad!"

L: "Me too."

They continued talking as Leonard showed the whole team his wife and daughter. They were impressed at how beautiful his wife and daughter was considering Leonard was not super handsome; obviously joking around and teasing their teammate and letting Penny and Sarah know that Leonard was in good company.

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A couple of weeks after Leonard's last call to his girls, the gang visited Penny and Sarah in the apartment to hang out and help Sarah out with her school stuff as Penny didn't know much about science and stuff.

"Thanks guys for coming." said Penny as she welcomed the gang inside the apartment.

"Hey don't mention it, we haven't hung out here in a while, ever since Leonard left and we've been busy with other stuff too." said Howard.

"He's right Penny. So how's Leonard doing?" asked Amy as they all settled around the coffee table while helping Penny unpack the takeout food.

"He's having a lot of fun actually. We talked to him a couple of weeks back, before they boarded the boat." said Penny. "On the other hand, this young lady is always missing her dear daddy. Right?" she said, teasing her stepdaughter.

"Like you don't miss dad yourself mom!" Sarah said, returning her stepmother's fire.

"She got you there Penny." said Bernadette.

"How long has Leonard been there anyways?" Raj asked after taking a sip of his beer.

"Almost a month now." said Penny as they started to eat while helping her daughter with her food.

"So Sarah, what school stuff are you having problems with?" asked Sheldon.

"Nothing much uncle Sheldon, just some science stuff, you know the scientific method?" said Sarah.

"Oh that?" said Sheldon. "Well ask no more, uncle Sheldon is here to save the day!" he added making Sarah smile.

"Thanks uncle Sheldon." said Sarah.

"Yeah, thanks guys." Penny said.

"It's not a problem at all. Besides, as scientists, it's our duty to 'pass on the torch' so to speak. Especially with this smart little girl right here!" Amy said.

"Speaking of which, Penny said something about your school going up against another school in an academic decathlon or something?" asked Howard.

"She's right uncle Howard." said Sarah. "Is it alright if you and uncle Sheldon and Raj and aunt Amy and Bernadette coach our team? Our teacher kinda said that this might be our year to get revenge from that school." she added.

"Don't worry princess, we'll be happy to coach your team." said Sheldon.

"He's right Sarah. If it's one thing we nerds know what to do, is to get revenge by doing long division instead of using a calculator." said Howard making them all laugh.

"And if we don't win, at least we can kill them with laughter." Sarah said making them laugh even more.

"So when are you guys coming over here?" asked Amy.

"I was thinking this Saturday aunt Amy." said Sarah.

Amy nodded. "Don't worry princess, we'll be here. Right guys?" she said, looking at the others.

"She's right Sarah. We'll be here." said Raj.

"Thanks uncle Raj." said Sarah.

"Don't mention it." Raj said as they finished eating and began cleaning up the coffee table.

"Hey, anybody wants some wine?" Penny asked.

"Sounds great!" said Bernadette as Penny stood up, taking the wine bottle from the cabinet and some wine glasses.

"Mom, are you gonna get drunk again?" Sarah asked.

"No sweetheart. We're just gonna hang out and relax here." said Penny as she poured some wine for the guys except for Sheldon who doesn't like drinking alcohol.

"Uncle Sheldon, why don't you drink wine?" asked Sarah.

"Because my mom would be angry at me if she finds out her precious little boy has become an alcoholic." Sheldon said.

Penny sighed. "Sheldon, drinking some wine doesn't mean you're already an alcoholic or something." she said, taking a sip from her glass. Penny felt funny as the wine touched her lips, tasting funny which never happened to her before.

Bernadette noticed her expression and decided to ask. "What's wrong Penny?" she said.

"I don't know. Does the wine taste funny to you?" she asked.

Amy and Bernadette took another sip and noticed nothing. "It seems fine to me." said Amy.

"Me too." Bernadette added.

Penny then smelled her wine and felt something funny in her stomach. "Excuse me." she said as she quickly stood up, running towards the bathroom as the gang and Sarah looked at her.

"What happened?" Sarah said.

"I don't know. It's probably nothing." said Bernadette.

Inside the bathroom, Penny hunched over the toilet and threw up a couple of times, making sure her hair was out of the way. She then stood up to gargle some mouthwash when she felt her stomach tighten again, making her throw up in the sink. She washed her mouth with some water and looked at the mirror, noticing she was kinda pale and flushed. Penny wondered if she was sick or something as she wasn't feeling anything weird at all. She then opened the medicine cabinet, looking for something to take when she noticed a pack of her feminine napkins still unopened, when she suddenly realized that she was already late on her monthly period.

Penny then felt all the blood draining from her as she feared the last thing she was dreading to find out – that she was pregnant. She then thought of the past month before her husband left and remembered them being extra intimate with each other, even doing it multiple times a day. How could they be so careless she thought. She knew she wanted to have her own children but this was too early and in the worst possible time too, with her husband being away on his scientific expedition.

She decided to keep this all to herself and return back to the living room and play it off by telling them that she's just tired.

"Mom are you alright?" Sarah asked as Penny sat beside her stepdaughter.

"I'm fine sweetheart. I'm just tired I guess." she said, touching Sarah's cheek.

"Maybe you should take a rest mom?" said Sarah.

Penny smiled at her. "Don't worry sweetie, we'll sleep early tonight, okay?" she said, smiling at Sarah.

Sarah smiled back. "Okay mommy." she said.

They continued to hang out and watch TV for another hour until the gang decided to leave so that Penny and Sarah can rest for the night.

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Later in the bedroom, Penny slipped under the covers, joining Sarah who was ready to sleep.

"Goodnight sweetheart." Penny said, kissing the young lady.

"Goodnight mom." said Sarah, kissing her back before snuggling up to her.

Penny put her arm around Sarah as they begin to sleep, letting their tired bodies rest. She can't stop thinking about her situation in the bathroom earlier and tried to push the thought away from her mind to get some sleep, deciding to pass by the pharmacy the next day to find out if her suspicions are true.