Mary drives to the lawyers office Sheldon strapped in beside her. Mary is glad Sheldon was able to get here so quick, he can understand the legal wrangling better than she can. Mary looks over and smiles at her handsome son, his expression is serious as always. Yet there is something different about him, a maturity that had been absent before. Like he is happier in spite of the sad circumstance that has brought him here Mary thinks she can put her finger on it though, it might have something to do with the bespectacled brunette he brought with him.
"Amy seems like a mighty fine girl, Shelly. She did not hesitate to jump right in and help me and Missy in the kitchen." Mary tells him and Sheldon tilts his head and looks at her.
"Just so you know, and you can quit scheming, Amy and I aren't sleeping together." Sheldon tells his mother.
"Sheldon Lee Cooper! I have no idea what you are talking about!" Mary says scandalized but it does not fool Sheldon.
"Don't think ,I don't know what you are up too, making us sleep in the same room. You are prying mother, but if you wanted to know the nature of our relationship you could have just asked." Sheldon says.
"Sheldon , I have not been able to just ask you about anything, since you were a very little boy." Mary sighs.
"What do you want to know?" Mary looks over at him to see if he is joking but he appears to be in earnest.
"Honestly honey, anything would be nice at this point. I know she is your girlfriend now and not just your friend. Sheldon honey though you are a grown man, do you have plans with her? Or are you just diddling around?"
"Mother, I assure you that I am not just diddling around with her." at this he makes disgusted air quotes. "I am very serious about Amy, and I know this may be hard for you to hear but I am in love with her." Sheldon sighs knowing he is about to face an onslaught of questions. Mary surprises him though by asking none.
"Shelly! I think that is wonderful! Just so you know what you are telling me is not news to my ears. Honey, we have all known that you were in love with that girl, despite your claims otherwise."
"How did you know ,when I only recently became aware myself?" Sheldon asks her.
"Shelly, I have known since I had to fly to California to try and nurse your broken heart, over her." Mary says.
"I did not love her back then, very fond yes, missed her greatly yes, but I did not believe in love back then."
"You may not have believed in love, but love believed in you!" Mary crows, and Sheldon rolls his eyes at such a soppy sentiment. "Roll your eyes all you want! Even Memaw knew how you felt about her, talked all the time about how your letters went from science mumbo jumbo, to Amy did this, Amy said that."
"Speaking, of Memaw, why did no one tell me that she was sick? I could have been down here earlier." Sheldon says angrily.
"Honey, she told us not too, she knows hospitals make you nervous. The doctor diagnosed her with pancreatic cancer about six months ago. They told us it was very treatable with chemotherapy and that they could get her into remission. Then about a month ago we discovered that the cancer had spread, but they told us that it was still very treatable. Then about a week ago they said that we should start making arrangements. Shelly ,honey I was going to call you this weekend and see if you couldn't make time to come down. Then she passed, and I just feel awful, that you did not get to see her before." Mary says hanging her head trying to stifle the tears that are building.
"Don't cry mother, you had no way of knowing. In fact Memaw had sent me a letter just last month and she made no mention of any illness. She told me about the church bake sale, how George Jr. was coming back into town soon, and wouldn't it be nice if we could all get together. Now I am left to wonder if that was her way if telling me I should come. All I could think when I read it was, why would I want to see George Jr?"
"Why wouldn't you want to see Georgie?" Sheldon gives her a look and Mary sighs. "I know you two gave never been the best of friends but your brothers."
"Mother he made my life a living hell ,while I lived under your roof. I was subjected to daily taunts from everything from my intelligence to my looks. George has attempted to steal or destroy nearly every possession that ever meant anything to me. That's not to mention the physical abuse I suffered at his hands."
"Honey, ya'll were just kids! Brothers mess around and fight like that."
"He chased me down in school and pulled my pants down. He gave me Indian burn so severe I had a mark for a month, he gave me a swirly almost every day and you know how awful that was given my germ phobias. If we are being honest mother, Leonard is more of a brother to me than George ever was." Sheldon says bitterly
Mary sighs and supposes she can not refute that, a mother wishes her children would grow up and be close. But like the old proverb says, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.
They pull into the parking lot of the lawyers office. It is a plain brick building with tinted glass doors. Mary leads the way and Sheldon follows, the lobby is gray and drab with industrial carpets and uncomfortable wooden chairs. There is a wide reception counter with an unpleasant looking woman at its helm. Her hair is a garish red and piled on the top of her head, looking like a bird of prey perched there. The woman looks at Sheldon and Mary with thinly veiled disgust.
"Appointments?" she says in a scratchy voice.
"Yes, my name is Mary Cooper, I am here to see about my mother's, will and arrangements, he is expecting me."
"Very well, have a seat." the woman says indicating the chairs and rising from her own. Sheldon sits down and Mary thinks how he is still all legs just like when he was young. He used to remind her of a newborn foal all gangly ,clumsy, legs. Mary sits beside him and crosses her legs looking around the stuffy office taking it all in.
"You want some of her candy, sugar?" Mary asks indicating a bowl of ribbon candy that has a thin layer of dust on top, Sheldon snorts.
"I'd wager that candy has been here longer, than that calendar." he says nodding his head at the wall. Mary looks up and sees a Cathy calendar showing it to be March 1996. Mary laughs behind her hand, this is nice she thinks, him being playful. Not too long ago his response may have been "Mother I do not think that candy is fit for human consumption." or some other fancy way ,of saying do not eat the candy.
In a few minutes the unpleasant woman emerges from the back bringing with her a small nervous looking man. His head is shiny and bald with a few black strands swept over top. He is wearing a rumpled brown suit, with cowboy boots and a bolo tie. He makes his way over to them and holds his hand which Mary shakes and Sheldon just stares at until he drops it limply by his side.
"You must be Mary, Elizabeth spoke very highly of you! And you must be Sheldon, her grandson? Come on back and let's get this started, I know this is a difficult time for ya'll but Elizabeth did everything in her power to make it easier." They follow the man back into his office , which is just as drab as the reception area. The walls are wood paneled and the carpet is a burnt orange that looks run down and worn. There is a smoky haze in the air like someone has been sneaking cigarettes. Mary takes a seat in a giant leather chair which makes dreadful sound like air being let out.
"Excuse me." Mary says turning red and trying to adjust in her seat without any additional sound effects. Once everyone is settled the lawyer pulls some documents out and slides them across the desk.
"This is Elizabeth's last will and testament, she names your son here the executer of the will. I think you will find everything pretty cut and dried though. Elizabeth knowing her time might be coming soon already made the majority of her funeral arrangements. Her casket has already been purchased, and her headstone is just waiting to be engraved."
"Yes, she is being buried next to my Father so there is already a headstone in place." Mary says.
"As far as other assets, she wanted that to be split evenly between her grandchildren. I am afraid there is not much, a few savings bonds, and a small life insurance policy."
"Missy and George can split my share, I already have all the money I need." Sheldon says picking up the papers and perusing them.
"How altruistic of you " Mr Melton comments.
"Altruism has nothing to do with it, I make enough money to pay my bills and save money comfortably. While my brother and sister have struggled to find jobs to support them the same way." Sheldon says matter of factly.
"There was one thing that Elizabeth wanted bequeathed specifically to you, I think she had an inkling about your attitude to her other assets. In fact she named each grandchild each one specific item." Sheldon looks at him curiously and he reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out three boxes. "To Missy she wanted to leave her pearls, that have always brought her luck, to George she wants to leave Pops purple medal, because she knows how much he admired it, and to Sheldon she left this her wedding ring because he is going to need it more than she will where she is going."
"Oh, Missy, is going to have a fit! She really wanted that ring it meant a lot to her." Mary says picking it up and looking at it. " Pop made it with emerald's and diamonds… "
" Because emerald's reminded him of her eyes and every girl worth loving deserves a diamond. " Sheldon finishes impatiently " Memaw used to say that all the time." although it looks like the color has drained from his face." When did she put the ring into the will? Was that fairly new, or has it always been in there?" with a slight edge to his voice.
"Shelly I hardly think that matters." Mary chides
"Now normally I am not privy to comment, but since you are executer I can tell you that she added that a month ago. Prior to that she had planned on being buried with it." Mr. Melton days smoothing down what is left of his hair.
"I see , that changes things then." Sheldon says absently as he takes the box from his mothers hands. He takes the ring out and holds it up to the yellowish fluorescent light and sighs. " Memaw always had a way to get what she wanted didn't she?" he says to no one in particular.
" She was a formidable woman." Mr. Melton agrees.
"Sheldon, what are you talking about? Did you ask Memaw for the ring?" Mary asks.
"Of course not, now let's conclude or business here and stop going on about some old jewelry." Sheldon says grumpily as he continues to peruse the papers in front of him. Mary Cooper is nobody's fool, and as smart as Shelly thinks he is, she knows when something is up. Mary knows there is something he is hiding from her and she plans to get to the bottom of it.
Amy is sitting alone in Mary's living room, Missy left a little bit ago to go buy some supplies for Ayden. She offered to take her with her, but Amy declined, she wanted to be home when Sheldon got back. It had been a long time already, almost three hours. Amy had no idea how far away the lawyers office was or how long it would take them when they got there. If there is one thing that Amy does not mind, it is being alone. Most of her adult life has been spent alone, and Amy found solace in the quiet. Although she had to admit she was getting kind of bored waiting.
Amy had already cleaned everything there is to clean in Marys already tidy home. So she gets the book she brought along from her bag and sits down to read. Suddenly though she gets the uneasy feeling of being watched and she looks up to see George Jr. standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. He is holding two cola bottles one in each hand, he takes a deep drink from one and then spits wetly into the other. Amy had forgotten that he was still in the house, and startles when she sees him.
"Did I scare you? Whatsurname? Annie?" George slurs hanging on the doorway. His stocky build fills the doorway completely, his head grazing the door jamb and his shoulders filling the narrow opening. The way he swings forward with his large forearms reminds Amy of the gorilla's in her lab. In fact everything about him seems rather ape like.
"Its, Amy, and yes ,you did startle me." Amy says looking back at her book.
"So you and Sheldon huh… that's funny!" he says then be lets out a big belly laugh.
"I fail to see what is so humorous about our relationship." Amy says still not looking up. Amy learned long ago that when confronted with a bully it is best not to make eye contact.
"Its just that, Shelly, doesn't, well, you know!" George slurs staggering into the living room.
"I most certainly do not." Amy says not looking up.
"So are you two knocking boots, doing the no pants dance, making whoopie!" George tells out whoopie like a sound effect and flops on the couch beside her. Amy can smell the alcohol coming off of him, he is pretty deep in his cups.
"I have never heard so many vulgar adages used for coitus before." Amy says averting his gaze which is fixed on her.
"Vulgar a-what for do what? George asks and Amy looks at him. His brown eyes look blank as he tries to process what she just said. Amy thinks she could use these two brothers in a case study on the adverse affects of tobacco and alcohol on the body. Where Sheldon still looked so young people mistook him for years younger than his thirty four years. Amy had a hard time believing that George was only four years older than him. His whiskered cheeks were ruddy and heavily jowled. His teeth have the brownish stains indicative of someone who dips tobacco, and his eyes are dull and bloodshot.
" Boy, you know a lot of rude terms for sex. You know For brothers you and Sheldon look nothing alike."Amy says annoyed.
" People used to say I got the looks and he got the brains." George says wiggling his eyebrows.
"I bet they don't say that anymore." Amy muttters under her breath.
"I wonder why you stay with a sexless robot like him? What is wrong with you? I mean, I see why he likes you, little ugly mousy thing, that talks just as fancy as he does." Amy ignores him, she is used to insults.
"I find Sheldons verbal skills to be one of his most attractive quailities." Amy tells him
"Used to call Sheldon professor, cus' he liked to use them big ole words. Not as funny when he became a professor of string cheese, or whatever."
"For your information, your brother is an acclaimed theoretical physicist, and his focus used to be string theory, which he has since moved on from." Amy says her ears turning bright red.
"What are you his secretary or something?"
"No, I am Doctor of neuroscience, I work at the university with him."
"A lady doctor! Well LA Dee DA!" George says letting out a whoop.
"You want to play doctor with me! Find out what a real man his like?" George says slinging his arm around Amy sloshing some foul smelling liquid from his bottle on her arm. George hastily wipes it off and sets the bottle on the table beside her.
"No thank you, for your information ,Sheldon is twice the man that you are." Amy retorts goaded beyond return and shoving his arm from around her. Amy looks at him and sees his eyes have gone dark and it frightens her."
"Every one loovvveees Sheldon!" he says throwing up his hands and drawing out the syllables of the word love mockingly.
" Sheldon is brilliant, Sheldon is special, Sheldon graduated high school at only eleven and you are a twenty year old senior! I was born in November! Its not fair! " George stammers; Amy rises to go but George pulls her back down by her arm roughly.
" Diddya know Memaw made him executer of the will! I am older dammit!" George yells.
"Well it makes sense, Sheldon knows a lot about law, I dare say he could pass the bar exam if he wanted too." Amy tells him attempting to pull away again.
"I could pass any exam about any bar! That little fucker gets whatever he wants! What do I get? jack shit!" George is breathing heavy and he chugs what is left in his cola bottle. Crushing the empty plastic bottle in his hand and wiping his mouth nosily afterwards.
"Not an exam about bars, I am sure you would excel at bar is the test you must take in order to become a lawyer. " Amy says getting frightened as the grip on her arm tightens
" They don't know the truth about him! But I do, I will get even someday! Maybe, I will just take, something that is his!" George says pulling Amy closer
Just then the door swings open and Mary and Sheldon walk inside. George releases from his grip finally trying to look innocent. Amy jumps up and hugs Sheldon tightly around the middle not caring what he or anyone else thinks. At this moment he is her knight in shining armor, saving her from the evil ogre. That thought makes her think of their racy dungeons and dragons session and she turns redder than before. Sheldon pats her on the back and returns the hug.
"What has gotten into you?" he asks.
"I just missed you, I was worried, you were gone awhile." Amy says not wanting to tattle on his brother in front of Mary.
"Oh don't worry about her, we were just getting to know each other a little better." George says drunkenly.
"George Cooper Jr.! have you been drinking! You know this is a dry house!" Mary shouts pointing an accusing finger at her son.
"Oh God! what did he do to you, have you been violated in any way! " Sheldon says wrapping a protective arm around her shoulder.
"Don't worry Shelly! She is frigid just like you!" George says giggling.
"Come on Amy let's go " Sheldon says leading her out of the room and steering them into his bedroom.
They hear Marys continues her verbal assault on George. If he makes any reply to her tirade it is not audible.
"You know we have the wake tonight! You best sober up pal, because I am not bringing a drunken oaf." Mary pauses presumably to take a breath. "You would dishonor, the memory of your grandmother, who loved you, by getting shit faced!"
Sheldon closes the door blocking the rest of the argument out, Amy collapses on the chair by his desk. She almost feels like crying, she had been truly frightened, but she does not want to cause problems in the family.
"Boy she is mad, I have only heard my mother swear a handful of times in my lifetime ."
"Well he dereves it." Amy says huffily
"Amy, did he do anything to you?" Sheldon asks.
"No" Amy says but one look at him and she can tell he knows that she is not being honest. "He called me ugly and mousy, then he grabbed my arm kind of rough when I tried to leave. He was really drunk, I don't know if he meant anything by it." Amy says feeling ashamed and she doesn't know why.
"It was a mistake bringing you here." Sheldon says statement hurts worse than anything George had done.
"I'm sorry, do you want me to fly back home?" Amy says really trying to stop from crying now.
"No, I want you here with me, I guess I am being selfish." Sheldon says.
"Selfish?" Amy asks surprised.
"Yes, I knew my family is, difficult, at best. Yet I still dragged you out here for my own selfish need for comfort, I am sorry."
"No need to be sorry, remember what you told me before. We are a couple, and I like you for who you are, quirks and all. That includes your families as quirks as well." Amy reassures him.
"You may want to hold on to that thought, have no idea just how many quirks, this family has. But over the next couple of days you are about to find out" Sheldon says solemnly.