Amy had never been in Kaldi. She eyed the décor appreciatively before Sheldon interrupted her thoughts. "May I buy you a beverage?"

"Tepid water, please."

They sat at a table for two near the windows, Sheldon sipping chamomile tea and Amy her water, each lost in their own thoughts.

Amy was the first to break the silence. "I'm curious. How did you become interested in trains?"

"Excellent question. When I was a child, my parents fought a lot. My brother and sister excluded me from their activities because I was different, and my classmates ridiculed me because they were intimidated by my intellect. Trains represented order. I could line them up, categorize them, control them. I guess you could say that they gave me a sense of calm in a world that didn't."

"I can relate. From an early age, I knew I was different. While the neighborhood children played tag, I played the harp. When they read Dick and Jane, I read Chaucer. They teased me to no end. As if that wasn't bad enough, my own mother took out her frustrations on me because she didn't understand me. I immersed myself in imaginary worlds to escape reality."

"What do you mean by your mother taking out her frustrations on you? Did she abuse you?"

"Not physically, but she did lock me in the sin closet when she didn't approve of something I said or did."

Sheldon felt a wave of sympathy for the woman sitting across from him, something he rarely felt for anyone. She seemed so kind and undeserving of such behavior. He reached over and gently squeezed her hand then rubbed his thumb soothingly across her knuckles.

Amy looked down at their hands. She had never experienced a man touching her so intimately. She looked back up and their gazes locked. Sheldon slowly moved his hand away to rest in his lap.

"I'm not sure what came over me. I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Don't be," she whispered.

After an awkward silence, Amy once again was the first to speak. "When I was 14, I severed the webbing between my toes using the nitrous oxide from whipped cream cans for anesthesia."

"Fascinating!" He exclaimed.

"Up to that point, I always wore closed-toed shoes and never went barefoot in public. However, my school mandated that we all take swim lessons that year. I didn't need another reason for my classmates to tease me."

Not to be outdone, Sheldon recounted a story of his own. "When I was 13, I built a nuclear reactor in our shed. I went online to order uranium, but my plans were derailed by the government. They told me it was illegal to store uranium in a shed. The neighbors found out, and gossip spread all over Galveston that I was trying to blow up the town.

"My mother got many looks, and people would stop talking when she approached, but she did catch the word ' crazy' a couple of times. I think she began to believe it because she took me to see a specialist for psychiatric testing. The tests proved I wasn't crazy, just gifted. I have an IQ of 187."

They continued sharing stories from their childhoods then switched the topic to work. He explained his reasons for switching from string theory to dark matter while Amy listened attentively, occasionally asking a question.

Amy mentioned she was a neurobiologist, which caused Sheldon to look at her in distaste. He admitted he could never be a biologist because it meant working with icky, squishy things. When Amy informed him of the research she was currently working on at Caltech, which involved addiction studies in Capuchin monkeys, his interest in her field of study increased.

She told him of her presentation at the conference. "I sent in my manuscript and poster, and they contacted me a week later. I presented in front of an audience of about 300 neurologists and scientists from around the country. A couple of them even came up to talk to me during the break. Mayo's working on some innovative projects. I would love to be a part of it."

"I'm impressed that your contributions to science are reaching beyond our fine state. Mayo Clinic is a prestigious institute. You should be proud."

Sheldon couldn't believe he was getting on so well with this woman he had just met. He felt like he could tell her anything and not worry about being mocked. Leonard was his best friend, but even he rolled his eyes and made snarky comments whenever he tried to have a conversation with him. Not only that but her intellect was at his level, with an IQ of 185. While she wasn't an expert in physics by any means, she understood enough to follow the conversation. What surprised him even more was that he, the world's biggest germophobe, didn't even hesitate to touch her.

Amy checked her watch. "It's 5 pm. I didn't realize it was so late. I still need to get to the airport." Amy stood and Sheldon followed suit.

They drove in comfortable silence, stealing glances at each other periodically.

Parked outside Sheldon's apartment building, Amy turned to face him. "I've really enjoyed spending this time with you, Dr. Cooper. May I call you Sheldon?"

"But we hardly know each other. I called my mother Mrs. Cooper until I knew her better."

Amy chuckled quietly, but it wasn't the kind of laughter he endured from the other children when he was younger. It was loaded with understanding and compassion. "I understand, Dr. Cooper."

"Please, call me Sheldon."

She looked at him in surprise. "What made you change your mind?"

"While it's true that we've only known each other a few hours, for the first time in my life, I feel like someone finally understands me. Thank you… Amy."

Amy's heart rate accelerated. He looked at her in a way that no one ever had, with a mixture of awe and fondness.

"Goodnight Sheldon. I'll see you at 3 o'clock tomorrow."

"Goodnight Amy. I look forward to it."