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DISCLAIMER: I still don't own The Big Bang Theory.
Danielle fidgeted in her seat when she saw him enter the restaurant. She looked down at the table, focusing on making sure her silverware was perfectly aligned. When she looked up, he was only a few feet away, his face neutral.
She'd texted him a few days after Raj had "introduced" them, giving him just enough time to – hopefully – cool down. I need to see you. She'd said. Please. Let's let bygones be bygones.
He'd replied with four words. Saturday. 7:00. Cheesecake Factory. That was either a very bad sign or a very good one.
Danielle looked up just as he slipped into the seat across from her, not saying anything or even looking at her as he folded his napkin in his lap. For a moment, they sat in silence, looking at each other. He didn't look very different, just a little older. Danielle wondered if she looked anything like she used to – she felt totally different. The last time she'd seen him she'd been a totally different girl. She'd still been wearing those dreaded contacts that hurt her eyes, and had been flat ironing her hair all the time, stuck in that phase of Hollister tops and Aerie yoga pants and Victoria's Secret lip gloss. Not only had she looked different, she'd acted different. Back then she was young and naïve, hopeful that they could work through their problems and be a real family. She was so stupid then. She'd been a stupid child.
"Hi," Danielle said finally. She eyed him warily, proceeding with caution. This was probably going to be a difficult conversation to have.
"…Hi," Howard replied after a brief pause. Immediately, Danielle thought of his text. It was a bad one. She thought. It was a bad sign.
"How are you?" She asked.
Howard almost scoffed. "Don't try to make small talk,"
There was a pause as Danielle thought of what to say next. "Look," She said. "I heard about the miscarriage…"
At this, Howard abruptly cut her off. "Do not talk about my baby." He didn't sound mad this time – more like he was pretending to be mad when in reality this mention of such a sensitive subject had stung.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Danielle said to him, slight annoyance beginning to show in her tone. "That's it."
"I don't need your sympathy; I don't want your sympathy." He said. "And if you are so sorry, why did you go hide in that hospital cafeteria?"
Danielle felt her cheeks go slightly red. "Oh, like you would've wanted me there. A public showdown in the maternity wing would've been appropriate." She said the last part sarcastically, obviously.
Now it was Howard's turn to think of a response. "It's nothing against you, Danielle," He said finally. "But I know you, and I know what you're going to say, and what you're going to try to get me to do." His voice lowered, so it was softer, as if he was telling a child the Tooth Fairy wasn't real. "We can't be a family, Danielle. I know you're hoping this will work out but it's not going to. Like you said, let's let bygones be bygones and just move on."
"We are family," Danielle said. "You don't turn your back on family,"
"Some people do," Howard replied bluntly, the gentleness in his speech gone. "You really don't get it do you? This isn't an after school special, or a Lifetime movie, this is real life. Sometimes people part ways, lose touch, stop caring about each other. That's life, Danielle. What you want isn't. That is a fantasy."
"But…"
"Look, you seem happy. You have Raj, I have Bernadette, we both have new families. Done,"
"Howard," Danielle said, practically pleading. "Hear me out, please. You both know we're not happy this way."
"I am," Howard told her, and Danielle could tell just a small part of him was lying. "Why wouldn't I be happy? Then again, I don't know if Raj will be happy when he finds out you lied to him."
That was a low blow, but maybe she deserved that one. She had lied to Raj. "I care about Raj," Danielle said truthfully. "I do. And I feel terrible for using him like I did, like I am."
"Raj is a great guy," Howard said after a brief silence. "You better not hurt him,"
Danielle nodded. "I know,"
In the quietness that followed, she looked at him again. She took back her initial comment that he simply looked older. He was changed too. Danielle flagged down the waiter, making a check symbol in the air since she knew they wouldn't exactly be exchanging pleasantries over dinner after this conversation, and then turned back around in her seat, deciding to go back to the reason she'd came. She would try to do this as quickly and painlessly as possible, like she was pulling off a band-aid. "Howard, I think you should see him."
"I don't want to, Danielle! I made that clear."
"He deserves to know you!" Danielle raised her voice at first, then lowered it, her turn to speak like she was breaking bad news to a child. "He loves you, Howard."
"He doesn't." Howard said with a small shake of the head. "Like you said, he…he doesn't even know me."
"He can," Danielle said. "All you have to do is give him, give us, give this family, a chance."
Howard opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, the waiter appeared, dropping the black leather check book down on the table. It landed with a small thump.
Danielle pulled out her credit card, turning away from Howard to look at her bill. She didn't notice the certain Indian astrophysicist take a step into the restaurant, only to pause from the shock of seeing his best friend and girlfriend out to dinner.
"Thank you, Ms. Wolowitz," The waiter was saying, low enough so only Danielle and Howard could hear. "You have a good rest of your evening."
Theories are very much welcome!