Long distance relationships are hard to manage. It must be especially hard when one of the participants is a whack-a-doodle genius who sometimes gets wrapped up in his work.

Sheldon looked at his phone and sighed. He hadn't heard from Penny in two weeks. Even worse? He hadn't even noticed until last night. Sheldon ran a hand through his hair and slumped against his seat. What was he going to do? He knew why he hadn't heard from her. He had gotten caught up in his work again and neglected her.

Raj and Fritz walked into the living room with some pizzas. Raj looked at Sheldon and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Sheldon looked up from his phone. "Raj, how long have we been here?"

Raj frowned and sat down. "12 weeks."

Sheldon nodded. "Twelve weeks, three days and 16 hours." He looked back down at his phone. "I told Penny we would be here for two months. Four weeks ago I told her we were going to extend our visit a few weeks. She called me three times two weeks ago and I neglected to return her calls."

Fritz set out some plates. "You're sweetheart? Surely she would understand, the life of a scientist is an uncertain one. Our work, it takes time and attention."

Raj looked at Sheldon worriedly. "Sheldon, when did you last talk to her?"

He looked back down at the picture of the two of them from the cruise ship. "Three weeks ago, right after she went home from her visit."

Raj shook his head. "Not good, dude."

Sheldon sprang up and began to pace. "I didn't do it on purpose! She knows how important my work is too me. She will understand." He looked at Raj. "Won't she?"

Raj looked worried. "I don't know what she'll say, Sheldon. But I can't imagine any woman would be happy being ignored for weeks by the man she loves."

Sheldon walked back to his bedroom. He took a deep breath and dialed Penny's number.

Penny looked up from her notebook when her phone rang. Slowly she reached over and picked it up. She knew by the ringtone who it was. She took a steadying breath and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, Penny." Sheldon sounded worried and a bit sheepish. Penny bit her lip to keep from softening. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," she said blandly. She closed her eyes and tried to keep her emotions under control.

Sheldon sighed softly. "I am so sorry," he said gently. "I got caught up in our work, Penny. Please forgive me."

Penny stood and walked over to the window. She could see Meemaw pruning her roses outside. "Sheldon, I have always known how important your work is to you. It's a huge part of who you are. You shouldn't have to apologize for that."

His voice was barely audible. "But?"

Penny brushed away the tears threatening her vision. "But I can't be in another relationship where I don't matter. I'm tired of coming in second, or even third."

Sheldon tried to suppress the panic rising within him. "Penny, I love you. It's just that this work is so important. It is crucial that I concentrate on it."

Penny shook her head. "You forgot me when I came to visit. You found the time to call Meemaw last week. You found the time to video chat with Amy four days ago. I love you, Sheldon. And I believe you love me. But there's something about me that makes even the best of men overlook me. To put everything else first. I can't live like that Sheldon. It hurts too much to be ignored. I wish you the best." Penny paused for several seconds, but Sheldon didn't respond. She hung up and took a deep breath. Pain lanced through her heart and she sank down on the rocking chair. "Goodbye, Sheldon," she whispered to herself.

Sheldon hung up his phone and sat it beside him on the bed. Penny had broken up with him. He laid back on the bed, rolled over and drew his knees up to his chest. He had lost the one woman he loved.

Meemaw came in from the garden and found Penny curled up in the rocker. "Penny, dear? Are you okay?"

She looked up at Meemaw with teary eyes. "Sheldon called me," she said softly.

Meemaw sat on the couch. "Oh dear. Is he extending his visit again?"

Penny shook her head. "Meemaw, it's the first time he has called me in three weeks."

Meemaw looked at her with surprise. "But he just called me last week. Why wouldn't he have called you also?"

Penny looked down at her hands. "I talked to Amy last night. Sheldon spent almost an hour video chatting with her earlier this week. I called him a few times a couple of weeks ago, and he never answered or returned my calls. He also didn't answer any of my messages. He called a little bit ago and told me he was sorry, and that he got caught up in work." She looked up, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I broke up with him, Meemaw. I can't do it again. I can't come in last anymore. He says I am important to him, but he can't even take a moment to answer my calls. He can find time to call his family or friends, but not take a minute to call me back."

Penny sobbed softly. "Am I so forgettable, so easy to overlook, Meemaw? Why can't I be important to anyone?"

Meemaw moved over to embrace the young woman she had grown so fond of. It broke her heart to see Penny's heart breaking, too. Oh Moon Pie. What am I to do with the both of you?

Sheldon threw himself into his work. When Raj tried to question him about his relationship with Penny, Sheldon just clammed up and gave him a succinct reply. "There is no relationship."

When they returned to Pasadena 16 days later, Sheldon refused to discuss it with anyone. Not even Amy could get him to talk. Howard and Bernadette tried several times to get him come to dinner. Sheldon spent all his time either at work, or in his apartment. He was closing himself off from everyone and they were starting to get really worried.

Penny wouldn't talk about it, either. If any of them brought up the break up, or Sheldon, she would make an excuse and quickly hang up. They tried to stay out of it, like Penny and Sheldon asked, but they were beginning to get desperate. Their friends were hurting and they didn't know how to help.

Sheldon was looking out the window in his office when the door opened behind him. He turned and looked at President Seibert in surprise. "May I help you?"

Seibert sat down and smoothed his trousers. "Yes. You can go away."

Sheldon's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

Seibert looked at Sheldon and shook his head. "You are quite possibly the smartest man in the country, Cooper. Maybe even the world." Sheldon nodded watchfully, suspicion written across his face.

"The odds are in my favor," he agreed.

Seibert smirked. "You are also the stupidest man I know."

Sheldon's expression turned to anger. "You are contradicting yourself, sir. Which is it? Smartest or stupidest?"

"When it comes to physics, or any of the sciences, I would put you at the top of the list, Cooper. But you screwed up and let the woman you love go. Do you have any idea how rare it really is to find someone who loves and accepts you? To find that one person who can make you truly happy, and content? Every year approximately 2 million people get married. Every year approximately 900,000 marriages end in divorce. Nearly 50% of marriages are failures, Cooper. But you had a woman who loved you. A woman who supported you. And you let her go. You are an idiot."

Sheldon looked away. "How did you know?"

Seibert sighed. "I know because I'm not an idiot. You left here to search for a woman. When you came back you were pleasant, even cheerful. Then you went to the CERN institute. You extended your stay twice. When you came back, you were more surly and unreasonable than I have ever seen you." Seibert shrugged. "Also, I asked Wolowitz and Koothrappali. My advice? Go talk to her. Fix this. Because for all your arrogance and insults, I like you Cooper. Go find Penny and tell her you love her."

Sheldon's temper, rarely seen, exploded. "She left me! She didn't give me a chance to make it right. She didn't try to fix things. She just left! I didn't leave her!"

Seibert stood and clasped his hands behind his back. "Yes, you did. You left her alone for weeks. Did you try to change her mind? Try to fix things? Or did you just let her walk away without a word? It takes two to be in a relationship, Sheldon. It also takes two to make one work. If you aren't willing to fight for it, why should she?"

Sheldon felt as if he had been punched in the gut. President Seibert was right. He hadn't tried. He had just given up. He grabbed his messenger bag and jacket. He rushed out of the room without another word. Seibert watched him hurry away with a smile. He turned off the light and locked the door as he left the office.

Sheldon took his seat on the plane and fidgeted. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he got to Galveston, but he knew he had to do something. He was utterly miserable. He needed Penny. She was the most important thing in his life. He had to win her back. He had to convince her to give him a second chance.