Sheldon and Amy were enjoying a quiet dinner with Katie and Leo when they heard their front door open. The family looked at one another, wondering who was coming in when Max appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Hi everyone. Mind if I join you?" He asked, setting his backpack off to the side and pulling out the empty chair next to his sister.
"Max! Why are you home? It's not Christmas yet. Mom said you won't be home till Christmas?" Nine-year-old Leo asked his older brother.
Amy placed a plate in front of the young man as he answered, "I've got finals next week and could really use some extra study time. I thought it might be quieter here than San Diego. My roommates are great, but they aren't in grad school so they don't always remember what finals week is like."
"You drove two hours to study?" questioned Sheldon.
"Yeah," Max nodded his head between bites of food. "The drive gives me time to think. Mentally go over my notes and figure out what I need to review. I also thought Katie and Leo would be a better distraction when I need a break. You guys wanna hit the mall and do some Christmas shopping sometime while I'm home? I need help with a few people's presents."
Grinning, his eleven-year-old sister quickly answered, "You don't have to ask me twice to go to the mall."
Max retreated to his room for the evening, textbooks sprawled across his bed and his laptop in front of him. He could hear Amy and Katie downstairs, laughing at whatever they were watching and he could see Leo in his room across the hall. That left only Sheldon whose whereabouts he was unsure of. Deciding it was time for a break, Max exited his room and stood in the hallway for a moment before noticing the light was on in his parents' bedroom. He approached and knocked, asking as he entered the room, "Can I talk to you, dad?"
"Sure, is everything alright? You've never shown up unannounced and it's a bit worrisome if I'm being honest," confessed Sheldon, setting his book next to him on the bed. "How's Gabby? Everything okay between the two of you?"
"She's great. We've never been better. In fact, she's part of the reason why I decided to come home this weekend. We've been talking about our future. We're both starting to think about what we want to do after graduation in the spring and how we'll factor into each other's decisions."
"Your mom and I had many of those conversations before we did the DNA test to find out if I was your donor. They weren't the easiest conversations, but I think they helped us learn a lot about one another," Sheldon reminisced. "What are you thinking?"
"I remember you asking me if it would be alright if you asked mom to marry you before we went to New Jersey, but how did you know you were ready to do that?"
Sheldon leaned back against the headboard, "Your mom and I were in the best place of our relationship before she went to New Jersey. That summer apart gave me a lot of time to think about our relationship and how I wanted to spend the rest of my life, but if I learned anything that summer, it was that I didn't want to spend another day without her by my side. Are you and Gabby thinking about getting married?"
"We've been dating for over three years and best friends for a year before we started dating. We've talked about getting married, but both agreed that we don't want to get married before we graduate. Now that graduation is in sight for both of us, I've been wondering if now is the right time to propose," Max shared with his father. "I didn't come home to study this weekend. I was hoping you would help me pick the perfect ring for Gabby?"
Stunned, Sheldon was silent for a minute after learning his son was planning to propose to his girlfriend. "Maybe your mom would be a better option to help you pick a ring? I'm not the greatest with that sort of thing. Besides, your mom knows Gabby a little better than I do and would probably know what she would like."
"You're right, mom would be a better option. Do you mind not saying anything about this? I know Katie likes to text Gabby and I don't want this getting back to her?"
"Sure," the physicist nodded. "Before I asked you for permission to propose to your mom, I asked your grandpa. I knew you would love the idea, but I wasn't so sure what Larry would say. Have you asked Gabby's dad if you can marry his daughter?"
Max chuckled, "Whenever Gabby and I have discussed the possibility of getting married, she has made it very clear," he made air quotes, "under no uncertain terms am I allowed to ask her dad for permission to marry her. She's her own woman and that's an outdated and misogynistic tradition."
Sheldon smiled, "That sounds like something she would say. I hope Katie feels the same way when she's older."
"Gabby and I spent Thanksgiving with her parents in Seattle and her dad did bring it up. Her dad and I were talking one evening and he asked if I'm ever going to ask her to marry me and said I'd be a fool not to, so I kind of take that as being his permission to ask her."
"Mom," Max started when he found Amy with a cup of coffee the next morning, "Since I won't be home for birthday this week, are you free for me to take you out for lunch?"
Amy smiled and nodded as Max poured himself a cup of coffee. "That would be nice. Katie's going to a friend's house and your dad is taking Leo out for the day, so whenever you want to go works for me."
The pair arrived at the restaurant of Amy's choosing early that afternoon and were browsing the menu when Max broke the silence, "I'm glad you agreed to have lunch because there's something I'm hoping you'd help me with. I asked dad, but he thought you'd be better than him. I want to buy a ring for Gabby."
Trying to contain her squeal to not attract the attention of the other diners in the restaurant, Amy questioned, "An engagement ring?" As Max nodded, she continued her questions, "Have you already proposed and are finding the ring after the fact? Or are you planning to propose? Tell me everything."
"I haven't proposed yet. I don't know how I want to ask her, but I know it's going to be before Christmas. I don't want to do it on Christmas. Gabby and I have been talking a lot about our future and what's going to happen after graduation. I think my proposing will answer a lot of the questions we have," Max shared with his mom.
"I would love to help you pick a ring for Gabby," agreed Amy.
