A/N: There was so much I wanted to include in this chapter that it took me a while to complete it. I do hope you enjoy the lunch between Sandy and Mary.
There is not much more I have to tell in this story so I am thinking it will be two more chapters after this. Thank you all for your support. I truly appreciate it.
I own nothing.
Amy woke up first on Sunday morning. Sheldon was wrapped around her body. She realized they had never gotten dressed again after their activities from the previous evening. She began to think about the things Sheldon had done to her and blushed at the fact that Mary would be scandalized. She looked at the time on her nightstand. It was 8:30. She then realized it was 8:30.
"Oh shit!" She screamed.
"Amy language!" Sheldon muttered.
"It's 8:30!" She told him.
"Yeah so. We were up late last night. We deserve to sleep in once in a while." He said.
"I agree but not today." She said.
"Why not?" He asked. "We spent half the night engaging in frenzied lovemaking and I for one am tired."
"Yes but your mother." She tried.
"What does my mother have to do with this?" Then it dawned on him. "Oh shit." He said.
"And you told me to watch my language." She laughed.
"Okay so we have half an hour. Let's make this easy on ourselves and shower together." He suggested.
"Okay but no funny business." She said.
"I'll try." He laughed.
The two showered relatively quickly and Sheldon changed. He went to the kitchen to start breakfast while Amy finished changing. He had just plated the eggs when he heard the knock at the door. He walked over to answer it.
"Good morning Shelly!" Mary greeted him. "I am so glad to see you again."
"Good morning mom. Did you eat breakfast yet?" Sheldon asked. "I just finished making eggs for us."
"I ate at the hotel. Why are you just eating now? I told you I would be here at 9:00." She asked him.
"We overslept." Sheldon told her.
"You didn't set an alarm?" She asked. "Are you trying to get out of your commitment to me?"
"No we just had a late night." Sheldon told her.
"I know what that means. Shelly did I not ask that you refrain from sinning last night?"
"You did but I also know that you claim your god forgives. And besides I am a grown man and if I want to engage in frenzied lovemaking with my girlfriend…" He was cut off by a mortified Amy.
"Sheldon!" She yelled, turning red. "Your mother doesn't need to know details. Good morning Mary. I apologize for us running late. Usually I can't sleep past 7:30."
Mary gave Amy a big hug. "Don't worry about it. Shelly here has always been one to overshare. He gets it from me. Now while I am not pleased with you two sinnin' before marriage, we will all be attending church. Maybe God will forgive your transgressions. So let's eat our breakfast and get there. Then let's have a nice lunch afterward. Amy, is your mother coming to join us? Sheldon told me you were askin' her."
"She is coming and is looking forward to seeing you again." Amy told her.
"I am looking forward to seeing her again too. It has been so long. I still am trying to wrap my head around the fact that you are little Samantha from down the road. I'll tell you God works in mysterious ways. I always prayed that Sheldon would find another girl like Samantha and here He sent Samantha herself."
"Mother, a website brought us together." Sheldon said, bringing his reality back to play. "Not God."
"You believe what you want but I know the truth. Now let's get going." She said.
The three left the apartment and headed to the church Mary always attended when in Pasadena. They were about thirty minutes early for the service so it gave Amy some time to admire how beautiful the church was both inside and outside. The stained glass windows were from top to bottom and the cross in the front was spectacular. Amy had a feeling that Mary wanted her to come so she could see how wonderful it would be for a wedding. It was something she could see her own mother doing so it wasn't outrageous to think Mary would do the same. While Amy never said God didn't exist she know Sheldon did. He would never want something like this for his wedding.
"Excuse me ladies but I must find the bathroom. I will be right back." Sheldon told them. He walked away as Mary and Amy found a pew to sit at. As soon as he walked away, Mary leaned towards Amy. "It is beautiful isn't it? This would be the perfect place for a wedding." It was just as Amy had suspected.
"It is…" Amy told her.
"Now all we have to do is convince Sheldon." Mary said, thinking she had Amy's support in this.
"Oh well, um…" Amy started. "I am not sure this is what I want either."
"Sure you do. What girl hasn't dreamt of having their wedding at a church as beautiful as this?" Mary asked.
"Amy." Sheldon said, coming back from the bathroom. "Mother what are you doing?"
"I was just telling Amy how wonderful this place would be for a wedding." Mary said. "And Amy agreed with me."
"Is this true?" Sheldon asked her. They hadn't really spoken about what they wanted for a wedding but he was pretty sure they were in agreement about not having it in a church.
"It is. I agree the place is beautiful for a wedding but I also told her I wasn't sure if this is what I want." Amy said to him.
"So what are you two planning, a quick ceremony at the courthouse?" Mary asked. "Is anyone going to be allowed to attend?"
"First off, we aren't even engaged so why are we discussing this? Second, if we do decide to get engaged, we will plan our own wedding. All by ourselves. If Amy and I want to go to a courthouse then that is what we will do." Sheldon told Mary. He knew they would never do that but his mother had made him angry.
"But Sheldon…" Mary started but Amy interrupted.
"Mary, I appreciate you wanting to show us this beautiful church. And you are correct when you say it would be a great place for a wedding but not my wedding. If and when Sheldon asks, he is right, we get to plan our day. I will tell my mother the same thing. I know how she can be as well. Believe me when I tell you everyone will be invited. I am not a courthouse kind of girl either." She reassured.
"Okay fine. You win. I won't pressure you to get married in a church." Mary told them.
"Thank you." Amy said, but Sheldon still had his doubts. He knew his mother as well and she caved too easily.
Amy thought the church service was very nice. It reminded her of when she used to go as a child and she told Mary that as well.
"What stopped you from going?" Mary asked as they headed to the diner they were meeting Sandy for lunch at.
"I wanted to stop after my dad died. Before that, I loved going. I loved the hymns and I always had fun in Sunday school even if the other kids thought I was weird. After his death, I went reluctantly with my mother but once I graduated from high school I never attended again, except for the occasional family wedding or funeral. I want you to know it's not that I don't believe in a God, I just don't understand a God that needs to take attendance weekly."
"I understand. I had a hard time going to church after my husband died."
"Really?" Sheldon said. "You acted as though it was the best place on earth."
"Well I didn't want you to think I stopped believing. I saw where you were headed in your faith and I didn't think I was going to be able to make you see the truth but your sister and brother still loved going and I was trying to make things as normal as possible."
"I never knew." He said.
"Yes it was hard. I know your daddy was a hard man and I know he cheated on me and drank too much but I loved him and I was mad when he died. For a while I blamed God for taking him so young but it was his lifestyle that did it. Then I got angry at him for having such a rotten lifestyle."
"I was so angry when my dad died. I can't say I blame him because he was in a car accident and I know it wasn't God's fault but he seemed like the right one to blame. Now that I look back on it and I am older, it was the drunk driver's fault."
"That makes a lot of sense." Sheldon said to her. "I was angry when dad died but mostly because you seemed so lost without him. I never understood why though. He always seemed to be angry with you about something. However Mrs. Fowler told me how good he was to her after Amy's father beat her up. I never knew he didn't hit you. I just assumed."
"I never would have stayed if he had laid a hand on me. Meemaw always wondered why I stayed at all. She used to call what he did verbal abuse. I guess I just loved him so much that I never left. I guess I thought I could change him."
"My mother felt the same way about Joe." Amy told her. "She told me that she thought after that first hit and his apology, things would change."
"I remember it well." Mary said.
"She said you encouraged her to leave."
"I did. She wouldn't listen. She was in love. I, in a way, understood. I probably should have left George but I loved him just like your mom did with Sam."
"Yeah it was sad that she stayed so long." Amy said.
They got to the diner and saw Sandy waiting for them inside.
"Wow she didn't really change her look that much. I expected to see a different person."
"I think she thought just changing our names would keep him away."
"It did, right?" Mary asked.
"Well apparently Joe knew where my grandmother lived and showed up one time when we were there. I was eight at the time. She got all freaked out and he was just there to see me and tell her he was leaving to go to the east coast."
"Oh wow. Well let's not keep her waiting." Mary said.
The three walked inside. Sandy heard the door and turned around. She had a large smile on her face when she saw Mary.
"Oh Mary, it has been so long. I am so happy to see you."
"I still am in awe that these two crazy kids found each other."
They were lead to a table in the corner. Sheldon was pleased they remembered where he and Amy liked to sit when they came in. Sandy continued the conversation after they sat down.
"When Amy told me the name of the man that she had gone out with I was shocked. I mean Sheldon is not a very common name and paired with Cooper it was almost too much for me to take. I looked him up immediately." Sandy told them.
"I am sure it was quite a shock to learn that Sheldon was Amy's childhood friend. I mean if you had stayed in Texas and run into him but all the way in California. What are the odds? God works in mysterious ways is all I have to say. So what have you been doing with your life?"
"Well after I came back to California and changed my name from Nancy to Sandra, I was lost. I wasn't sure I wanted to teach any more since that seemed to have been the cause of my troubles. Then Jerry came back into my life."
"You did tell me about him once when we were discussing our husbands. You told me he was the love of your life but it just never seemed to be in the cards. I am so happy you found your way back to him after Sam."
"Oh me too. Jerry was wonderful and such a great father to Amy. It was such a shame we lost him at such a young age. And a young age for Amy as well. She was only ten."
"Shelly was fourteen when his daddy died. But they were never really close."
"It was still hard." Sheldon told her. "I had no friends to talk to about it."
"Me neither." Amy said.
"And you were so much younger than me." Sheldon said. "That must have been very hard. I was in college so it was hard for me to relate to the students there. I sort of had my siblings for a time but even then when I had to go back to school it was hard."
"It was rough on everyone involved I am sure. For both families." Mary said.
"Anyway, enough sad stuff….what is going on in your life, Mary?" Sandy asked.
"Well I work at the church. I recently met a nice man in my bible study that asked me out to coffee." She said.
"Really? What is his name?" Sandy asked.
"Ron. Let me tell you he has a body." Mary started but Sheldon interrupted.
"Mom I don't think I want to hear this." He said. Amy was giggling.
"Sheldon, you're mother's an attractive woman. You are going to have to get use to the fact that men are going to be interested in her. Besides it has been over 15 years since your father died." Amy pointed out.
"You may be right." He said.
"Okay who are you and what have you done with my son?" Mary laughed.
"I am Sheldon." He said seriously. The three women laughed even harder.
"Yep that is him." Mary said in between giggles.
"I don't get it." Sheldon said.
"I don't expect you do." Mary laughed again.
"Sheldon, your mother isn't used to you being so much in agreement." Amy said, since Sheldon still looked confused.
"Leonard was the same way when I agreed with things he asked." Sheldon said.
"Well Shelly, I think what we are saying is you are getting to be more of an understanding person. I think Amy has had an influence on you." Mary told him.
"I know she has. Amy has made me a more affectionate, open-minded person." He told them.
"She always did. You were such a serious little boy and then Samantha came into your life and you changed. When she left you got very serious again. Even if the two of you were always trying to learn and not play, she still changed you. You hardly ever put down your brother and sister when she was around." Mary said.
"He was five when we left, what do you mean by put down?" Sandy asked.
"Well as I always said the Lord never gives us more than we can handle. And Sheldon, well he was always been intelligent. Thankfully he blessed me with two other children who are dumb as soup. Sheldon like to point it out to them, even when he was two. He even bragged when he beat Missy to being potty trained. He was two at the time. Then Samantha, I mean Amy, came into our lives and things changed for a while. From just before he turned three until you left and he was five, things settled in our lives. I never told you that because you were just so happy Amy had a friend. She was so good for Sheldon and it seems things have picked up right where they left off."
"See I told you." Sheldon said to Amy.
"Told her what?" Sandy asked.
"I told her that I thought we would be married by now if you hadn't moved. I knew then that she was good for me and I was five. She has had that influence on me. I know that sounds crazy and as I am saying it I am thinking the same but I think there is a reason for Amy coming back into my life. And before you say it mom, I am not saying it was God. I just don't know what it was, fate or just a sheer coincidence. But it seems we were always meant to be together." Sheldon said.
"Have we thought Sam might have had an influence?" Sandy suggested.
"Oh God mom, not this again." Amy started to raise her voice.
"Sandy, if I may," Sheldon said. "My two friends put my name on that website almost a year ago. It was not Joe in any way shape or form. I thought he hated me. Why would I have listened to him if he had told me to date? No my friends were pushy with me and I went out. They threatened me with…" He said but stopped because his mother was sitting at the table.
"With the dirty magazines you own?" Mary asked.
"How did you know?" Sheldon asked horrified.
"Oh Sheldon a mother knows these things."
"You thought they were George's magazines! I remember." He said.
"Yes but George was adamant they weren't his and they were not the usual ones I would find in his room. Plus when you had all those cats a year ago, I cleaned up your room remember? They were under your mattress." She laughed.
"I don't have them anymore." He told her.
"I should think not." Mary said. "You have a girlfriend whom you are sinning with."
"You mean living with." Sandy said, forgetting that Mary didn't know.
"You two are living together?" Mary asked. "How long has this been going on?"
"Well…" Amy started but Sheldon interrupted. Amy had no idea how Mary would react.
"Amy's lease is up at the end of this month but she has basically been living at my place since we got back from vacation." Sheldon admitted.
"Well that is wonderful news. Sheldon why didn't you tell me?" Mary asked.
"What?" Sheldon asked, perplexed. "Where's the judgment? Where's the fire and brimstone? Where's the part where you tell us we are going to hell?"
"Sheldon!" Amy yelled. "Let the woman talk."
"Shelly, I can't say I am thrilled you are living together out of wedlock but I want you to be happy and I know Amy makes you happy. I just hope that someday you do the right thing by her and get married."
"Wow. I must say I am impressed mom. I really thought you would have more to say on this matter." Sheldon said. He knew his mom knew of the plan to ask Amy while in San Francisco so he wasn't going to bring it up here.
"Just marry her eventually okay." Mary said.
"I agree." Sandy chimed in also.
"Does anyone want my opinion on that?" Amy asked.
"Of course we do." Sandy said. "What is your opinion?"
"I am very pleased with our current situation. If we decide to get married we will get married but I don't want any pressure from either of you, understood?"
"Yes" They both said. Sheldon smiled.
"Okay so now that we are settled with that, Sandy, I swear I had no idea who Joe was, other than my boss, until he approached us two weeks ago. If he had some crazy plan to bring us together, is that really a bad thing? We are together. Joe has been nothing but kind to both of us since revealing himself. I honestly think he has changed."
"Please mom, I don't want to keep dredging this up. I want to get to know him and my siblings just like I told you last night. I know you have doubts, and I understand that but can you try and keep them to yourself?"
"Okay I promise I will try. It is just every time I think about the fact that you work for him, my memories of him resurface."
"I can see it being hard for your mother having just found out that he is in the area. Sandy, would you think about maybe going and seeing him for yourself? Maybe get some closure since you left so abruptly all those years ago."
"I don't know." Sandy said. "I admit, I was terrified when I left and when I saw him a few years later. I trust what Amy and Sheldon are telling me about him. Maybe I should see him and have a talk with him about what happened. It may help."
"I think that is a good idea." Amy chimed in. Sheldon nodded his head in agreement.
"I will think about it. It is not like I don't know where he is now." Sandy laughed.
"So what is good here?" Mary asked, ending that part of the conversation.
They ordered their lunch and continued talking for another hour. Sandy told Mary about Michael and Dave and how much Dave admired Sheldon. Mary laughed at the story. Soon enough lunch was over and they needed to leave because there was a line waiting for tables.
"So when will you be back in California?" Sandy asked Mary.
"Oh I have no idea." Mary told her. "I try and get out here at least once a year. I would like it to be more but travel expenses."
"You know what, we are planning a trip to Texas around Thanksgiving, and maybe Sandy could join us." Sheldon suggested.
"Oh that would be lovely. I know Meemaw would be happy to see you again and she is really looking forward to meeting Amy." Mary said.
"I will think about it." Sandy said. "I usually spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family but I think spending it with old friends is just as good."
"Well you are welcome any time." Mary told her. "Now I need to get back to my hotel room and get packed. I have a car picking me up at 5."
"I could take you to the airport." Amy told her.
"There is no need for that. I called yesterday when we arrived back from the cruise. This was already planned out." She told Amy. "But I will say my goodbyes to you and Sheldon when you drop me off. Now Nancy, I mean Sandy, here is my number." She handed her a piece of paper with her phone number on it. "Call me anytime and we can catch up more." She gave her a hug once they got to Sandy's car."
Sandy hugged both Sheldon and Amy and got in her car. "Call me when you get back from San Francisco." She told Amy. "I can't wait to hear about your trip."
"I will mom." Amy said to her. "We should be back sometime Monday evening."
"Okay I look forward to hearing from you." She drove away waving goodbye.
Sheldon and Amy dropped Mary off at her hotel.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?" Amy asked. "It is no trouble."
"No that is okay. I want to rest a bit before the car gets here. You guys go home and relax." Mary told them.
"If you are sure." Amy said.
"I am." Mary said. "Amy do you mind waiting in the car while I talk to my son?"
"Sure no problem." Amy said and walked out of the room. She had a bad feeling that Sheldon was about to get in trouble for living out of wedlock with her.
After Amy left the room Mary went over to her suitcase. She handed Sheldon a box that contained a very important item he needed for the following weekend.
"I wasn't sure how I was going to get it to you. Meemaw told me to mail it to you but once I figured out I would be around right before your trip, I thought it would be safer to just bring it with me." She told him.
"Thank you so much." Sheldon said, opening the box. "Do you think she will like it?"
"She is going to love it as much as she loves you." Mary said. "Oh Shelly I am so happy for you. You found your soul mate."
"Mom you know I don't believe in soul mates." He said.
"Well whatever you want to call her, Amy, to me, is the only woman who would ever have brought out this in you. I felt that way about Samantha even if you were very young. And Amy is Samantha. So I was right."
"I guess you were." He said. "Now I must get going before Amy thinks we are up to something."
"What are you going to tell her I wanted?" Mary asked.
"I can tell her you were more upset than you let on about us living together." He answered.
"Well I am a bit upset that you didn't tell me." Mary told him.
"I know but I wasn't sure you would accept it without us being married."
"Well you will be rectifying that soon so I can deal with it for now." She said. "Now get going. Call me when she says yes."
"I will mom. Thanks for everything." He said. He gave her a hug and left. He placed the ring in his pocket and hoped Amy wouldn't notice. He walked out to the car.
"Everything alright?" Amy asked when he got in to the car.
"Yes, mom was just more upset than we thought about us living together. She made me promise that we would get married." He lied. He tried not to look at Amy as he was a terrible liar and she could always tell but his face wasn't twitching.
"I had a feeling that was what she wanted. I hope she wasn't too harsh."
"She wasn't. I simply told her the same thing you said. If and when we decide to get married it will be on our terms not hers."
"Thank you." She said.
"For what?" He asked.
"Everything." She said. She drove away from the hotel and headed back to their home. She was so grateful to have him in her life. She could care less if there was a ring or not. She just wanted him and knew that he wanted her.
So I didn't forget about Ramona and her knowing about Seibert. Monday morning at work will be interesting. And what will Sheldon say when he hears about her being back. I think I may use the story they used in the actual show to explain her reappearance. It is canon so why not.
Okay so for those of you following my other two stories...as soon as I have completed this one I will go back to those. I am easing my way back into the writing after my hiatus. I just wanted to concentrate on one at a time.
Reviews help me know you are all still reading this drabble.