The Decoupling Alternative Book 2
Chapter 1
December 23, 2033, 5:00PM. Somewhere in Pasadena:
"Mom I'm home!" said William as he came through the door, putting his duffel bag on the floor.
Penny came out into the hallway wearing an apron with arms wide open to welcome her son. "Come here and give your mother a kiss!" said Penny smiling at his son.
William rolled his eyes. "Ugh mom!? I'm not five anymore!" he said as he hung his head low.
"William Hofstadter! You will come here and give your mother a kiss right now or I swear to god!" Penny yelled at her son.
William walked towards his mother and kissed her on the cheek. Penny hugged her son and kissed him on his forehead. "Merry Christmas mom!" he said as he gave his mother a bear hug and slightly lifted her up.
"Merry Christmas sweetie! Why do you have to make everything difficult huh!?" she asked.
"I'm just teasing you mom." He said smiling at his mother.
Penny smiled at her son. "I know. Now why don't you take your bag to your room and wash up, your father will be home soon. I'm just finishing up in the kitchen alright?" Penny said as William took his bag and went to the stairs.
"Where's the princess?" he asked as he went up to his room.
"Oh, she's over at her friend Sheryl's house down the road. She texted me and will be home soon." said Penny as she returned to the kitchen to turn off the stove and prepare the table for dinner.
She was glad her son made it home safe. It was his last year in college and would be graduating with the highest honors this summer with a degree in physics just like his father. Whenever she looked at her son, she can't help but feel proud of his accomplishments, getting ahead of all his classmates, entering college at fourteen years old, winning almost every academic award in school, perfect scores on almost every test. At eighteen years of age, her son has definitely surpassed his father's accomplishments when Leonard was his age, not to mention his height. There was no denying that William was Leonard and Penny's son – Leonard's thick, curly hair and intellect combined with Penny's eyes and nose. It was the best of both worlds, Penny thought. Penny was especially thankful that her children didn't inherit their father's asthma and lactose intolerance which was a constant joke on Leonard whenever their children are with them.
She heard her phone beeped.
L: [Hi honey. Just got out of the office. I'll be home in thirty.]
L: [Love you! {smiley face}]
P: [Love you hon…. William just arrived]
P: [Sarah's on her way home too.]
P: [Drive safe alright.]
L: [Yeah.]
Penny put down her phone and removed her oven mitts and apron as she heard the front door open.
"I'm home!" her daughter Sarah yelled. Penny went out the kitchen to meet her daughter in the living room.
"So, have you guys decided what to wear for the New Year's Eve party?" asked Penny.
"Yes mom, and don't worry, we're not gonna wear anything inappropriate." said Sarah.
"That's good to know. Now why don't you wash up in the bathroom, your father's gonna be home any minute now." said Penny.
She looked at her daughter and can't help but see herself when she was younger. Sarah got nothing from her father when it comes to her facial features. Her beautiful blonde hair was definitely from her mother. Her lips and nose were from Penny too as well as her slim figure and somewhat sassy attitude. Like her mother, her sass would often get her into trouble with her parents and most of the time, in school. Her intellect which she got from her father certainly didn't help her during these times and would often put her in hot water when she tried to reason her way out of a sticky situation. Penny now understood what her parents went through when she was younger.
Sarah ran up the stairs hearing loud music coming from her brother's room. She banged her hand on his door. "Can you turn that down!" she yelled, asking her brother to turn his music down.
"Leave me alone!" William yelled back.
Sarah huffed and grunted. "If you don't turn it down, I'm telling mom!" she yelled back. She then heard the music turning down to a point where she can't almost hear it.
"There, are you happy now!?" William yelled from inside.
"Well I'm not unhappy!" she said as she turned around and went to her room to get changed.
Penny was sitting in the living room, watching TV when her husband came through the door.
"Hi honey! How's work?" she said as Leonard put his briefcase on his desk and sat beside his wife. He kissed her on the cheek as Penny snuggled to her husband.
"It's alright I guess. There was not much going on since everyone's mind was already set on going home for the holidays. Where are the kids?" he asked his wife.
"They're in their rooms. I heard Sarah yell at her brother for his loud music." said Penny.
Leonard laughed. "So, nothing out of the ordinary huh? That's good to know." He said as he leaned his head on the couch to relax.
"Uh huh." She said leaning on her husband.
After all these years, she still loved snuggling up to her husband as his warmth was something she can't get enough of. Even when they had nasty arguments and fights, they would eventually make up and forgive each other as Leonard would put his arms around her and reassure her of his love. She would reciprocate by kissing her husband and tell him how much she loves him which would always end up with them getting intimate in the bedroom. Even though she was now in her late forties and Leonard is in his mid-fifties, it still amazes her that their sex life never got dull. Sure, they were not as young as before and has lost a little bit of stamina when it comes to 'getting busy' but that didn't stop them from expressing their love for one another.
Her acting career has been on hiatus for several years now. After her acting gig in Parker & Ramona for four seasons, she had several character bits in movies and television but nothing that shot her into superstar status. She has learned not to complain about her career anymore and accept it for what it is since her husband and children were always there to support her, not to mention when she got pregnant with Sarah when William was four which meant she had to stay home and take care of the kids. Her children were surely a blessing for them since they have been scholars early on which meant they didn't have to worry about school fees.
Leonard has been a tenured professor at Caltech for almost a decade now. His research into Quantum Entanglement has produced some promising results which made its way into a few articles in scientific magazines and journals. Penny always made it a point to join her husband whenever the university has a formal gathering or reception or sometimes just to visit him in his lab or office for them to have lunch together. Unknown to her, Leonard brought a sleeping bag in his office to use for such 'occasions'. Penny was surprised and amused by her husband's preparedness and had no choice but to relent to his affections, giving their intimacy a little spice.
Dinnertime came as Penny told her kids to wash up and come down to the dining room. Sarah ran out of her room banging her brother's door on the way downstairs. She ran to her father, giving Leonard a tight hug. William followed closely behind rubbing his knuckles on Sarah's head as he gave his father a tight hug.
"Ow…cut it out!" yelled Sarah as she sat on her chair.
"That's what you get for banging on my door like a cavewoman!" her brother said.
"I'm surprised you heard me banging' on your door when you won't stop listening to that loud music of yours." Sarah glared at his brother.
"Alright that's enough from you two." said Leonard as they start eating the dinner that Penny prepared.
"Ignore her dad, she's just excited for that New Year's Eve party because Jason's gonna be there." He teased his sister.
Sarah blushed. "No, I'm not!" she yelled at her brother.
"Oh yeah? Then tell that to you face!" said William
"Uggghh!" Sarah grunted at her brother.
"Honey, did this boy asked you out to the New Year's Eve party?" asked Penny.
"Mom!?" Sarah said trying hard to hide her embarrassment.
"You're not allowed to date yet young lady. You're only fourteen." said Leonard.
"I know dad." She said.
"Dad's right, you're not allowed to date, but you're allowed to have a crush!" he said smiling.
"Urrgghh! I hate you!" Sarah said as she stood up and ran to her room.
Penny slapped her son's arm. "Why do you always have to bust on your sister?" she said as she stood up and went upstairs to Sarah's room. Penny turned the knob and opened her daughter's bedroom door. "Sweetie, I'm coming in alright?" she said as she stepped into Sarah's room. She was lying face down on the bed with a pillow against her face. "You wanna tell me what's going on?" said Penny as she sat on the side of the bed. Sarah turned and hugged her mother's waist and started to cry. Penny put her hand on her daughter's back to console her.
"He asked someone else mom." She said crying on her mother's lap.
"Oh honey." said Penny feeling sad for her daughter.
"I'm not gonna go to that party anymore." said Sarah.
"What!? But you and Sheryl already picked out your clothes, right?" asked Penny.
"I don't care." said Penny's daughter.
"I think you should go anyways." said Penny.
"Why mom, so I will see Cassie and Jason together?" said Sarah.
"No, it's not that sweetie" Penny said. "Your father and I are gonna be there and so is your brother. If you don't show up, you're already letting that Cassie girl win. Right?" said Penny. "That Jason kid is probably not for you because if he was a little smarter, he would have asked you already." Penny said.
"You think so?" asked Sarah.
"Honey, I know so. Come on, you're smarter than the whole school combined. Any boy would be lucky to have you as their date." said Penny as she pulled her daughter to sit up and wipe off her tears.
"Thanks mom." said Sarah as she hugged her mother.
"You're welcome sweetie. So, are you going?" Penny said.
"I guess." said Sarah.
"Don't beat yourself up about it and just have fun. Who knows, maybe this Jason kid sees how pretty you are and asks you to dance." Penny said.
"Am I allowed to dance with him? What about dad?" she asked.
"I'm sure your dad will allow you to dance at the party. But no kissing, you understand?" said Penny.
"Yes mom. I get it. Jeezz!" Sarah said.
"You watch with the attitude young woman!" Penny glared at her daughter. "Now why don't we go back to the kitchen and eat? I'm starving." said Penny. Penny held Sarah's hand as they came back to the table to eat. Leonard and William were talking and was almost done eating.
"So?" asked Leonard.
"Let it go you two. This is between mother and daughter." said Penny.
William and Leonard didn't react and continued to eat their food as Sarah and Penny did the same.
A couple of hours later, Leonard and Penny were sitting in the living room watching TV, Leonard was having a beer while Penny was having her wine in a glass. Both kids were already in their rooms either playing with their computer or chatting up with their friends.
"So, Sarah has a crush on this Jason kid huh?" asked Leonard.
"Yeah, but he already asked another girl out." said Penny.
"That's rough. Kinda reminds me of us." He said.
Penny shifted herself and looked at him. "Us? Why would you think I was jealous of your ex-girlfriends?" she asked.
"Then why did you keep hanging around in my apartment even after you broke up with me?" he said.
"We were still friends Leonard, and I like free food remember?" she said smiling at him.
"Come on Penny. You were there to keep an eye on me and find out who I was going out with. I didn't realize it at the time but I eventually did after we got married." said Leonard.
Penny scoffed. "You're just imagining things Leonard." She said rolling her eyes.
"Am I? Let's see, you didn't like Sheldon because nobody likes Sheldon, you hated Howard because he's sleazy and Raj couldn't talk to you. So give me a good reason for you hanging out in my apartment all the time?" he said giving her a smug smile. "And those snide comments you said about Priya, telling me I had a 'keeper', running into us at the restaurant? Tell me you never felt a little jealous when me and Priya were dating." He said.
Penny rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. You win. I really hated her with those pant suits and too much makeup. And I can always feel her judging me because I was just a waitress and then she tells me she 'supports my acting'? Ugh! What a bitch!" Penny said.
"I knew it!" Leonard exclaimed. "I knew you were jealous of her!" He said smiling.
"Are you happy now?" Penny asked giving him the look.
"Yeah." He said. "Come here." He said as he pulled her for a hug. "Don't worry honey, we both felt jealous, me more than you." He said.
"I know. When I dated Zack, I saw how jealous you were, the way you looked at me. I wanted to make it right with you but I just got scared." said Penny.
Leonard kissed her cheek. "Let's not talk about it anymore. We're very happy now and we have two wonderful kids. What more could we ask for?" said Leonard.
She hugged her husband. "Thank you honey." She whispered.
"For what?" asked Leonard.
"For giving me two smart and beautiful children." said Penny.
"Hey, the smart part, that was me but the beautiful, that was yours. I mean just look at our daughter, if her hair was a little straighter, she could pass off as a younger Penny." Leonard said. "And her sass definitely comes from you!" he said.
"Yeah. Now I know what my parents went through when I was growing up." She said.
"Hmm, imagine that. Newton was right after all!" said Leonard.
Penny glared at him. "I know, for every action, there's an opposite reaction." She said.
Leonard gave her a hug and kiss. "You know if you keep talking like that, I would have to drag you into the bedroom so we could 'get busy'." He winked at her.
Penny rolled her eyes. "Leonard, how can you still think of sex? We're already old and gross." Penny said.
Leonard stood up and pulled her into their bedroom. "Honey, we may be old, but we're definitely not gross." He said as he locked their bedroom door.