The guys were at The Cheesecake Factory waiting for their orders when Penny stopped by their table, "Hey, how's it going?" Feeling her phone begin to buzz in her apron pocket, she put up a finger to stop their responses. "Hi, dad. I'm at work right now. Is everything okay?"
"There's my slugger!" Wyatt exclaimed into the phone. "I thought you've been avoiding me and your mother. We haven't heard from you in a while."
Panic spread across the waitress's face. "I've been working a lot and I've got my acting classes. I'm sorry for not calling you back."
"She hasn't gone to acting class in months since she got pregnant," Sheldon said to the table, prompting Penny to begin waving her arm wildly to get the physicist to be quiet.
Leaning over, Leonard lowered his voice and told his roommate, "Shut up. She hasn't told her parents yet. She wanted to wait until she'd decided what she was going to do."
"Can I call you back when I get off work? I should be home around eight, that's not too late for you, is it?"
Wyatt shook his head to himself, "That's fine. I wanted to tell you that I'm going to be in Arizona next week and thought since it's only another hour flight to Los Angeles, I could visit for a few days, but I'll give you all the details when we talk later. I'll let you get back to work. Love you, slugger."
"Love you, too, Dad," Penny replied, flipping her phone shut and slipping it back into her apron. Turning back to her friends, she sighed, "Guess I have to tell my parents they're getting another grandchild."
Leonard reached over and brushed her arm in an attempt to comfort her, "I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think it will. Didn't Lisa have a baby in high school? Randall is in prison. You having a baby isn't the worst thing to happen to your family."
"I did stupid things in high school, but I was always the one who knew exactly where the line was between doing something stupid and completely fucking up. I never crossed that line. I am so far past that line right now, the fact that Randall's in prison for drugs will just be a PS line in the annual Christmas letter."
"You're twenty-two," Howard reminded the blonde. "You're figuring things out and that includes how you're going to be a good mom to this baby. Your parents will probably be shocked, but they'll still love you. And if they are upset about this, just remember my mom won't stop talking about you. She looks forward to your messages every day. You aren't alone in this."
Glancing at her watch, Penny excused herself, "Thanks. My break is over. I gotta get back to work."
Returning to her apartment after finishing her shift at the restaurant, Penny decided to take a shower and find the pint of ice cream she always kept on hand before returning her father's phone call. Sitting on a chair at the island, she took a few bites of the ice cream before dialing her parents. "Hi, dad."
"Hi, slugger. How was the rest of your shift? You sound tired," Wyatt observed the sound of his daughter's voice.
"A little. It was a long day. The restaurant was really busy tonight and I was on a double."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you're able to get at least a little time off next week. I was hoping to see you just for a day or two. I'd be getting to LA on Thursday morning and was thinking of heading home sometime Saturday."
Sighing, Penny reluctantly agreed, knowing her father wouldn't take no for an answer. "That sounds good. I can try to switch shifts with someone so we can spend Thursday and Friday together."
"You have no idea how happy that makes me," Penny could hear the smile in her father's voice. "I'll let you know my flight info once we get it booked. It's been far too long since I've seen you. I know you're trying to be independent and not ask for help, but your mom and I would be happy to pay for a plane ticket if you ever want to come home."
"About that," Penny hesitated. "Is mom around? There's something I need to tell you and it will be easier to tell both of you at the same time."
Hearing Wyatt yell across the house for Susan to join him, she quickly heard her mother come on the line, "Hi, sweetheart. Your dad said you have something you want to tell us?"
"Yes. I've been struggling with making a pretty big decision. I wasn't sure if I was even going to tell you, but since dad is coming to visit, I can't keep hiding."
"Are you okay, Penny? Whatever's going on sounds concerning," Susan told the young woman.
Taking a deep breath, Penny knew she just had to spit it out and quit delaying, "I'm six months pregnant and I've decided to keep the baby. I'd been thinking about putting it up for adoption, but decided to keep it a few weeks ago." Giving her parents a moment to process, Penny let the silence hang over the conversation.
"We're having another grandbaby, Susan," she finally heard her father say. Letting out a sigh of relief, Penny smiled to herself as he began to question her. "Are you and the baby's father involved? You haven't mentioned having a boyfriend when we've talked. Is it that guy across the hall you were always talking about when you moved into that building?"
Penny shook her head, "No, dad. It's not Leonard, but he has been a great friend since I found out. The father knows, but he's decided to not be involved. He said maybe when the baby's older, but he can't right now."
Taking over the questioning, Susan inquired, "Did the father leave you when you told him you were pregnant?"
"No, he didn't leave me when I found out I was pregnant. We weren't really together when it happened. Honestly, I'm glad he doesn't want to be involved right now. He wasn't good for me. Every time we got back together, he'd swear he'd changed and things would be different, but they weren't. After a week or two, it would go right back to being horrible."
"How do you feel about becoming a mother?" Penny's own mother asked.
"Maybe this baby will be a good thing. I'm focusing on myself and this baby right now. I don't want to raise my kid around the kind of guys I've always dated."
The family spoke for a few more minutes when Wyatt heard his daughter yawn, "You sound tired and have good reason to be. We'll let you go and I'll see you next week."
Despite Wyatt's requests to meet Penny's friends and neighbors, she hadn't been keen on the idea of introducing her father to her friends. The morning of the day Wyatt was to fly back to Nebraska, Leonard opened the door of his apartment, stepped into the hallway, and came face to face with the older gentleman. "Which one are you? Leonard or Sheldon? Penny's told me about both of you. I wish I'd had a chance to meet you earlier in my visit."
"Leonard," he replied, extending his hand, "You must be Mister, uh, I just realized I don't know Penny's last name."
Returning the handshake, Wyatt replied, "You can call me Wyatt. All that mister stuff is too formal for me. It's nice to finally meet you, Leonard. You have to work on the weekend?"
"No, we're out of coffee, so I'm on my way to get some. Can I pick up anything for you?" The physicist offered. "Penny clearly doesn't take after you with her sleeping in."
"No, I'm not sure where she gets that from. I'm not really adjusted to the time difference. I was going to take a walk before Penny woke up and I have to go to the airport. A cup of coffee does sound nice, though," Wyatt followed the shorter man down the stairs. "I'll even buy. Tell me about yourself. Are you originally from California?"
Leonard pointed towards his car as he answered, "No, I grew up in New Jersey. I've been out here for about four years since I finished grad school. It's about as far as I can be from my mother without actually leaving the country."
"Interesting," was Wyatt's only comment until they had picked up their coffee and were making their way back to the apartment building. "Penny told me how supportive you've been the past few months. I'm glad she's got someone she can count on. She only told her mother and me about the baby last week, but we feel better knowing she's got people around her to help."
Shrugging, Leonard replied, "I'm just helping a friend. I'd do the same for anyone."
"She's got feelings for you and has since the day she moved into that apartment," Wyatt's perspective caused Leonard to choke on the sip of coffee he'd just taken. "When I called her the day she moved in to check how it was going, all she could talk about was the smart guy who lives across the hall. She said one is awkward, but the other is kinda cute and seems understanding. She's constantly finding a way to mention you in conversation."
"It's not like that, sir. We're just friends, I swear. Besides, I've got a girlfriend," Leonard defended himself.
Wyatt glanced at the younger man and shook his head ever so slightly, "I can tell you have feelings for my daughter as well. I would hesitate to act on them if I were in your shoes, too. But you're giving Penny everything she needs right now, stability. She knows she can count on you to be there for her. I'm glad she's got a friend like you, especially now. Penny's got a lot on her plate, but if there comes a time when the two of you get your heads out of your asses and admit you have feelings for each other, don't do anything stupid, and remember that my new grandchild will always come first for her."
Gripping the steering wheel, Leonard was silent until pulled into a spot next to the building, "Uh, okay, sir. It was nice to meet you."