New chapter time! I've been working a lot, so haven't been able to update much. Same old, same old.

And if anyone's interested, Roxanne and I are recording our finale podcast tonight, so check the big bang buzz dot com this weekend to listen! /personal endorsement

Also, I only own the babies, as per usual.

"Mommy," Savannah said, "when Thanksgiving gets here, does this mean that it's the holidays?"

"That would be a good question to ask your Uncle Sheldon," Penny said, picking up a turkey and placing it in the shopping cart.

"I haven't seen Uncle Sheldon in a Brazilian years," Savannah said, letting go of her mother's hand to inspect a sticker another child had left stuck to the side of the shelf.

"It's been four days," Penny said, "and you get back over here, Missy."

"And Brazilian isn't a number," Leonard said, reaching over, grabbing Savannah's hand with his free one, and getting her to follow her mother.

"Uncle Howie Wowie said it was," Savannah said. "And he has a mass degree."

"I'm pretty sure that was a joke," Leonard said. "And it's not a mass degree."

"Well, it's certainly not a height degree, am I right?" Penny said, giving a short laugh at her own joke.

Leonard and Savannah looked at her. Ada, from Leonard's arms, burst into giggles.

Penny pointed her tube of dinner roles at the brunette girl. "Avorite-fay ild-chay, little Nevada."

"Mommy's spakeing nonsense," Savannah said to Leonard in a stage whisper.

"Om-meh-meh-meh," Ada said thoughtfully.

"Mmmma! Ma-ma-ma," Penny said, still holding the cart, leaning over to put her face inches from Ada as she enunciated.

"Don't listen to her, Ada," Leonard said, turning his body so the baby's back was to her mother. "Da-da. Da-da."

"That sounds like absolute nonsense," Penny said. "Even if she says that first, there's no way of knowing that she's talking about you."

"Come on," Leonard said, "you already got Savvy, give me this one."

Penny would always be proud of the day Savannah said her first word. She'd brought her home from playing with Raj and Cinnamon, and the girl had been sad to leave the small dog behind. "We will see her again on another day, sweetie," she'd told her daughter.

Inside the apartment, Penny set Savannah down in her playpen and began to get dinner ready – her signature pasta dish – and left in the middle of the process to use the bathroom. While washing her hands, she heard a crash – and then a screech.

Running out into the living room, Penny saw that some pots had fallen from the counter and were the source of the terrific sound she'd heard in the bathroom. The other sound, also a result of the crash, was her little girl, leaning up against the side of the playpen that was farthest from the kitchen, her eyes wide, and her mouth wider as she screamed.

"Savvy," Penny said, using her best soothing tone, ran over and scooped the girl up. Savannah kept screaming, her little fists balled around Penny's shirt, her face buried in her mother's chest. Penny dropped to the floor and leaned against the wall, cradling the little girl close. "Soft kitty, warm kitty," Penny started, "little ball of fur…"

Sheldon would hate that Penny was using his sick song to comfort Savannah, but she figured it was better than him coming up there to yell about her crying. "Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr," she finished, relieved to see Savannah had calmed down a bit. Every new challenge she and Leonard were facing as new parents terrified her; she was always paranoid that she wouldn't know how to keep her children happy and safe, but one thing she could never doubt about Savannah was the baby's trust in her, the way she'd held out her arms when she saw her mother come toward her just moments ago, and the way she clung to her now. "It's okay, Savannah," Penny said, kissing the girl's head." "Mommy is right here. Mommy's not going to let the pans hurt you. Mommy's gonna hold you just like this."

"Mommy."

Penny froze, much like she had the first time Raj had spoken to her sober. Then she drew her daughter outward slightly, and looked at her. The girl looked up at her mother with her big eyes. "Did you say Mommy?" Penny asked. Mommy wasn't a babble that could be misconstrued as a word but was in fact just a chance saying – like the Ba Ba Da Da Ploo Disagreement of July – but an actual, coherent word. "Mommy?" Penny said again.

Savannah put her hand up on Penny's mouth, still not looking entirely content, but no longer in a panic. "Mom…my."

"Oh my God," Penny said, pulling the baby back into her tight embrace. "Oh my God, Savannah."

"Penny!"

Penny jumped, shocked back into the present, and realized she was standing by an empty shopping cart, ten feet from their car. Leonard had the girls in their booster seats and was holding the passenger door open. "You wanna join us? Or did you want to be the second member of our group to spend some time in space?"

"I'm coming," Penny said. "I was just reminiscing, that's all."

"So question for you," Penny asked Leonard as they put the food away. Savannah was down in 4A making cookies with Raj and Missy, and Ada was asleep in her baby carrier, and she figured it was as good a time as any to have the conversation. "Would it be weird, or corny, if I wrote an email, or put a note in Amy's mailbox, saying I'm thankful for her? You know, on Thursday?"

"You're asking me if something would be weird?" Leonard asked. 'Is this a situation where if I think it's a good idea, you don't do it?"

Penny gave an amused smile. "I'm actually asking."

"That's tough," Leonard said. "You don't want to come across as trying too hard, or being condescending. But you don't want her to think you don't care."

"This is so hard, I've never been resented before," Penny said, looking down at the countertop. "Or, at least, by someone that I care about."

Leonard gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."

Penny shrugged. "It's just hard, you know?"

Leonard put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her gently. "I know." He kissed her on the temple. "I'm sure Amy just needs some time. She…"

He broke off as Ada began to fuss. Penny put a hand on the one Leonard had on her shoulder before breaking away and picking up the baby. "Are you hungry, little girl?" Penny asked, the end of her sentence turning into a yawn.

"Here, let me feed her," Leonard said. "You're tired."

"And you don't have boobs," Penny said bluntly. "You insisting on feeding her last night and this morning means we're out of stuff in the fridge."

"We're still out?" Leonard asked, looking confused.

"I'm not a machine!" Penny said, pretending to be offended as she shed her shirt and kissed Ada's forehead before repositioning her. "So Leonard, my Amy problem, let's focus, here!"

"Right. Did you invite her to Thanksgiving?"

"Again, focus," Penny said. "Howard and Bernadette are doing Thanksgiving, I'm just making the turkey since Bernadette has to work. I have no idea if Shamy's coming, though. My guess is no."

"Well, maybe an email after the dinner, if they don't come? Just that you missed seeing her?"

Penny bit her lip. "I guess."

"Have you talked to Bernadette about this?" Leonard asked.

"A little," Penny said. "It's just…it's almost the Holidays. I don't want to drag everyone down with me. It's not Bernadette or Missy or Raj or Howard's fault that Amy resents me. It's not yours either, but you kinda come along with whatever goes on with me."

"And I'm happy to do that," Leonard said. "You know it."

She smiled. "I do. Leonard…" she trailed off. "I can't imagine us getting married without Amy there."

Leonard nodded. "Being completely honest…neither can I."