Amy is in her lab, walking up and down. She bites on one of her fingernails, but stops it as soon as she realizes what she is doing. She grabs her phone out of her bag and starts texting.
Amy: Sheldon, can we talk? I cannot wait until I'm back home.
She waits a couple minutes, then puts it back into her bag. She sighs.
Amy thinks: I can usually read his mind very well, but I am not so sure. Last time he fainted. Maybe I should take him to the ball-pit with Stephen when I tell him.
Her phone chimes. She freezes for a moment, takes a deep breathe, opens her bag and reaches for her phone. It's from Sheldon, a happy emoji.
Amy thinks: That is strange. Sheldon barely uses emoji. Anyway, let's try it this way.
Amy writes: Sheldon, please sit down before you will read what I have to tell you, ok?
Another happy emoji is the answer.
Amy: Sheldon, are you okay? You are usually never too short for words.
The emoji with the monocle comes as a reply to that.
Amy: Sheldon. If I were talking to Penny, I'd ask if she was drunk. Are you sick?
The laughing tears emoji shows up on her phone.
Amy: Okay, anyway. Can we be serious for now?
Hug emoji.
Amy: I wasn't feeling so well lately and I really enjoyed you bathing me, so I hope to get further treatment like that by my favorite doctor later.
Emoji with heart eyes.
Amy smiles. A second later her smiles vanishes from her face. She was thinking on how to tell him the right way.
Amy: Sometimes I think back of how alone I used to be. Now, I have you and Stephen, and I wish I could go back in time and tell my kid-self things will get better.
Another hug emoji.
Amy: You love our son, don't you? He has made our lives complete. I am so happy to have you two.
Blush emoji with the three hearts around the face.
Amy sighs and thinks: As cute as this is, I wish he would use words as usual. Maybe he is doing an experiment or something. He never stops to surprise me.
Amy types: Can you imagine to be even happier?
Emoji with star eyes.
Amy: You are the sweetest.
She adds a heart emoji and thinks: Maybe he wants me to talk in emoji as well. Let's give it a try.
Amy types: woman, man, boy, girl emoji.
She hesitates to send. She takes a deep breathe and hopes he won't faint. She waits. No response.
Amy panics, thinks: He fainted. I have to get home as soon as possible.
The moment she puts her phone back into her bag, it chimes. She stops, looks at it.
Party emoji.
Amy smiles.
Amy types: Bathtub, sponge and a question mark.
Kiss emoji. Heart emoji.
Amy types: Fire emoji.
Hush emoji and the one with its hand in front of its mouth.
Amy sends him the smirking emoji. She smiles, puts her phone back into her bag and goes home.
When she opens the door, Sheldon was sitting on the couch. Stephen had his toy trains spread all over the table. She smiles and sits next to Sheldon, almost on his lap. The smirking look was now on her face. Sheldon looks slightly confused.
Sheldon: Are you not feeling well?
He puts his hand on her forehand. She closes her eyes.
Stephen: Choo-choo.
Amy: You know, if there was a Nobel prize for parenting, you would get it.
Sheldon: Now you sound more like yourself, Amy.
Amy: I just need my favorite doctor to touch me.
Sheldon: You are lucky I love touching you.
They kiss. Stephen jumps on the couch and crawls on Sheldon's lap, hugging his parents. Amy and Sheldon look at him, hug their son. Amy kisses him on his little head.
Amy: You make me so happy. I'm going to take you to bed now.
Stephen: No, mama. I don't want to sleep.
She takes him on her lap.
Amy: In your dreams, you can be the conductor of your own train. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Stephen: Yay. I can drive my train?
Amy: Anything you want, sweetie. Now get in your pajamas, I will be right there.
He takes one of his toy trains and runs into his room. Amy turns to Sheldon.
Amy: I know you were tired cause you have been working late yesterday. Thanks for taking care of Stephen while I was working in the lab. You can do it on your own. You are a great father.
Penny rushes into the apartment.
Penny: Stephen forgot one of his tracks.
She places it on the table, then notices Amy.
Penny: Oh, hi Amy. Congrats. That is so good news. I am so happy for you two.
She hugs her. Amy and Sheldon both look confused.
Amy: What do you mean?
Penny: A little heads-up: Sheldon fell asleep on the couch. I came over to see how he's doing, like I promised you. When I saw he was sleeping, I took Stephen over to me.
Amy turned to Sheldon: You fell asleep?
Sheldon: There goes my Nobel Prize for parenting, doesn't it? But I worked all night on...
Amy: I do not want to know, Sheldon. Don't you think I am never tired? I work as much as you do, I clean, I do most of the parenting. It's time you are not only the fun dad, but the one who takes responsibility. I cannot raise two kids on my own, or three when counting you in.
Sheldon: I am sorry, Amy. I try, but... wait. Did you say two kids?
Amy: Yes, I told you. Don't pretend to not know what I am talking about. I couldn't tell you in person. I couldn't see you faint again.
Sheldon just looks at her.
Amy: I love you, Sheldon, but sometimes I don't know how to talk to you. I loved our wordless conversation today. I love that you always find new ways to surprise me. This really made it easier for me.
She holds his hands, smiles at a still confused looking Sheldon. Penny smiles, waving with Sheldon's phone.
Sheldon: There it is. I was looking for it.
Now Amy is confused.
Amy: Wait. Is that Sheldon's phone? Why do you have it? Who was I texting with?
Penny: Stephen. When I walked in, I found Sheldon asleep and Stephen playing with his phone. He somehow managed to unlock it. I read your chat.
Amy takes Sheldon's phone: Have you never heard of privacy? Maybe this chat was confidential.
Penny: Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your bathing sessions. Maybe I should ask Leonard. We usually do it under the shower.
Sheldon has his eyes wide open, still not saying a word.
Penny: I think he is now really out of words. I like it, but I got to go. I feel kinda dirty now. Time to bring Taylor to bed first.
She leaves the apartment. Amy turns to Sheldon.
Amy: You are great with words, on other days, but you are also a great listener.
Sheldon nods.
Amy: You are wonderful in so many ways. As confused as I am you were only talking to me in emoji today, I was also relieved. When words are hard to find, there are other ways to communicate. I wasn't sure how you will take it when I just tell you. I don't want you to collapse and get hurt. I love you, Sheldon. I know you love Stephen. You are sometimes overthinking things, putting too much pressure on yourself. You don't have to be perfect, Sheldon. For me, you are and for Stephen you are the best dad he can think of.
Sheldon takes a deep breathe.
Sheldon: I am the man here. I learned from my father that I am in charge of everything. I thought I was smart enough to have figured it out by now. How does it come so easily to Leonard, and even Howard?
Amy: Parenting isn't like physics, Sheldon. Not everything makes sense. You just grow with it. It's okay to be scared. We are a team, remember? I am as scared as you are, but also filled with so much joy.
Sheldon looks at his phone: Now I need to know the chat you had with Stephen.
Amy takes out her phone, and types: woman equals freeze emoji. Lipstick, kiss, man, fire.
Sheldon's phone chimes, he reads it and looks at her.
Sheldon types: Male Doctor emoji.
Amy: Explosion, hot face emoji.
Sheldon: Stethoscope.
Amy: Attention, top, repeat emoji.
Sheldon: Woman getting massage, kiss emoji.
Amy: Three heart eyes emojis.
Sheldon: Heart, super happy emoji.
Amy: Pregnant woman.
Sheldon looks at her. Amy smiles.
Amy: Couple holding hands.
Sheldon: Couple with heart in the middle kissing.
Amy: Family emoji of couple with son and daughter.
Sheldon: Happy emoji.
Amy: Hug emoji. Bathtub, sponge and question mark.
Sheldon: Smiling devil emoji.
They both place their phones on the table, and run to the bathroom. They close the door. Stephen, now in his pajamas, looks at them.
Stephen: Hey, what are you doing? Can I stay up longer? I'm not tired...
Amy walks out of the bathroom: Yes, you are tired, sweetie. Now go to bed or you will miss your train.
Stephen: I am the conductor. I tell when it has to leave.
Amy: You don't want it to be late on schedule, do you?
Stephen: No. schedules are there for a reason.
Amy: So glad you are like your father about this. Now, go, fast. Mommy and Daddy have something to discuss.
Stephen: Is it about the texts? I saw the bathtub and sponge emoji.
Amy: Yes, that is what we have to do. Now, hurry up.
Stephen: I have to learn to read. I don't know what to wrote.
Amy: Soon you will, honey, but first enjoy your train ride.
She takes him to bed and turns off the lights. She walks back into the bathroom, where Sheldon was already sitting in soap bubbles.
Amy: Whoo.
Thanks so much for reading! Do you like it? Have you ever written with someone just in Emoji? Please let me know. I love to read your reviews! XO Sanny