CHAPTER 33

"No... I... I'm not ..." Amy hesitated for a while. Mary Cooper could discover the truth, just by looking in her eyes and it made no sense trying to hide it. "I'm three and a half months pregnant. My due date is late December or early January" Amy finally admitted.

"You're saying that I'll be a grandmother in a little more than six months? When were you going to tell me? When my grandchild goes to college, probably at twelve?" Mary questioned Amy with her unmistakable Texas twang.

Amy couldn't say another word; she sighed very deeply and quickly walked to the couch where Sheldon remained focused on his video game, keeping his eyes on the screen. Sheldon missed playing video games with Leonard.

"Sheldon... your mom knows it." Amy whispered in his ear.

Sheldon froze; a shiver ran down his spine. He paused the video game and suddenly rose from the couch, before the puzzled looks of Leonard and Penny. The theoretical physicist stood in the middle of the living room, in complete silence, his face was pale and expressionless. His eyes met his mother's sight, who was watching him without blinking. After five seconds, Sheldon grabbed Amy's hand and ran to his room, closing the door with a single blow.

The silence in the room was broken only by the calm and serene voice of Sheldon's mother.

"Well, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm having a private conversation with my son and his girlfriend. You understand, right?". Mary Cooper told Leonard and Penny, as they were struggling to understand what was happening.

"No problem, Penny and I had plans for the evening. So… Good night! See you tomorrow" Leonard said goodbye to Sheldon's mother.

"Good night! Sleep tight!" Penny said goodbye too.

Penny and Leonard walked to her apartment. "She knows everything! Sheldon's mother knows everything" Leonard exclaimed.

"How could she know? They didn't say a word. How could Mrs. Cooper possibly know?" Penny asked Leonard.

"Oh, trust me! You can't keep a secret from Mary Cooper" Leonard shook his head.

Sheldon was breathing heavily as if he had just run a marathon; his pulse was accelerated to the maximum, his facial muscles twitched spasmodically. "Amy, how did she know? You told her?". The question sounded more like a complaint to his girlfriend.

"Sheldon! I don't know how... but she knows. I didn't say anything. She just figured it out" Amy trembled, very nervous. "What do you want me to do? I couldn't lie. I just couldn't deny it, that didn't feel right."

"No, of course not! You can't hide anything from my mom; that's why I'm such a bad liar. She is like a human lie detector. That's her super power. What do we do now?" Sheldon strongly held Amy.

"For starters, you should get out of that room and stop hiding from me." Sheldon's mother opened the door abruptly and stared at them.

Amy and Sheldon bowed their heads in shame, like a couple of kids caught in trouble. They left the room with their cheeks completely flushed; it was time to face the anger of Mary Cooper.

Mary crossed her arms and looking at the future parents with severity, she began to say: "So ... you are having a baby. And that baby is my first grandchild, to be precise."

Sheldon and Amy looked at each other; the theoretical physicist gulped and timidly sought the hand of his girlfriend to gain courage. Their hands felt cold because of the shock. "Yes, Amy and I are having a baby" Sheldon finally managed to say.

"Well, I've noticed that by myself. To be honest, it was pretty obvious. The minute I saw you, I knew there was something different. Something new about you… Amy" Mary Cooper pointed at the neurobiologist.

"Different?" Amy asked, placing a hand on her belly.

"Yes, I've been in this place for a little more than two hours and you've put your hands on your belly, at least once every ten minutes, just like you're doing now." Mary Cooper was right; Amy had a strong tendency to place her hands on her belly, protectively. It was her way to make their baby feel loved. Sheldon also used to do that every time he had the chance.

"You're hiding a little baby bump behind your sweater and I could hardly notice it but… you've uncontrollably thrown up just by looking at the food. On the contrary, Sheldon's the one who seems to be eating for two. I know you think it's silly but I was raised in a farm and since I was a little girl I can tell when cows and sheep are having an offspring, just by looking into their eyes. And that glow in your eyes is unmistakable."

"Mommy! Amy's not a cow or a sheep and we're definitely not having a calf." Sheldon felt somewhat offended by the comments of his mother.

"Calm down Shelly, and don't use that tone with your mother. That was just an example. The point is you've tried to hide it from me and that's very wrong", Mary Cooper disapproved their behavior.

"I'm sorry! We weren't ready to tell you, we didn't know how you would react." Amy spoke haltingly and ashamed.

"Who do you think I am? Some kind of monster? Sheldon, what did you tell this poor girl about me? It seems that she's afraid of me". Amy's words outraged Sheldon's mother.

"Well, I thought you'd be angry… because I've failed you." Sheldon couldn't hide his shame.

Amy remained silent listening to that awkward conversation, she felt as if her throat began to close and breathing was increasingly painful. She knew that at any moment she'd start crying, it was a matter of minutes.

Mary Cooper had a totally inscrutable look, even when he to tried to find out what she was thinking, Sheldon was confused to the max.

"Believe me when I say that this situation doesn't make me happy... but… hmm" Mary looked away, to her right side, and sighing deeply she wiped a tear falling down her cheek with a flick of her hand, so that Sheldon and Amy wouldn't notice it. She failed in her attempt to hide that tear.

"But... your baby's my grandchild, isn't it?. How could I not love this baby with the same intensity I love you? Oh! For this child I prayed and the Lord has granted me, the desires of my heart." A sweet smile curled up the corners of Mary's mouth.

"Is that in the Bible?" Amy questioned Sheldon.

"Yes, it is! 1 Samuel 1:27" Sheldon replied. The combination of eidetic memory and Sunday school had left their marks in Sheldon's mind.

For the first time, Sheldon knew that his mother, who had always tried to be tough and strong, probably because of the pain she'd had to face in her life, wasn't as inflexible and severe as she sometimes looked. His little homo novus had gained a place in her heart. "Thanks mommy!" Sheldon got up from the couch and hugged her mother warmly.

Amy felt as she was released from a heavy burden in her chest, she began to breathe again, freely and easily. "Yep, it looks like your granny loves you, just like we do." Amy said quietly to her tiny son or daughter.

"Now, we need to discuss a very important issue. As much as I love my grandbaby from the minute I knew about your pregnancy; he or she deserves a home, with a father and a mother. I won't accept the fact that you just sign one of those crazy agreements that you usually do. No, that's not enough! I won't allow you to live in sin." Mary Cooper addressed them in a very serious tone.

Sheldon and Amy didn't have the courage to confess that they had been living together in sin for almost two months. They sat in silence, sitting close to each other on the couch, and avoiding eye contact with Mary Cooper.

"You kids have heard me. My grandbaby will have a father and a mother and you're going to be legally married, and in a Church… God willing! So ... when's the wedding?" Mary questioned them.

"We... wedding?" Sheldon stammered nervously, not knowing what to say. Of course he'd considered that option but he never made a decision. He knew with certainty that he loved Amy and perhaps the idea of marriage wasn't as preposterous as he thought before. Maybe, marrying Amy was a logical action after all. That would be the right thing to do, he thought. "Dr. Amy Farrah Cooper? That doesn't sound half bad" he stated. That actually sounded great for him.

"I... don't want a wedding. I don't need to get married. I... don't believe in those social conventions. What you and I have now, is perfectly fine for me. And that's how things will remain." Amy quickly explained them.

"Why do human relationships have to be so complicated? If we were a couple of spider monkeys in the Amazon jungle we'll just mate for reproductive purposes, without any social norms or impositions". Amy thought to herself.

Nevertheless, Amy had to admit that the day she was a maid of honor, at Howard and Bernadette's wedding, was one of the happiest days of her life. She loved wearing her dress and the tiara that Sheldon gave her. Being the bride, holding the groom's arm, certainly sounded like a dream come true. But... something wasn't right.

Amy had imagined so many times that if Sheldon ever proposes, he would do it spontaneously and not obligated by the social pressure that a pregnancy imposes. No, she didn't want it that way; with Mary Cooper demanding them to get married. At least for the moment, they should maintain the status quo of their relationship.

Amy couldn't stand the idea that, within a few years, Sheldon regrets a hasty decision. The wedding she had imagined as a little girl suddenly wasn't as essential as she thought. What she had with Sheldon was more than she had dreamed.

Sheldon swallowed hard, feeling a lump in his throat; he'd always thought that if the issue of marriage was ever discussed between Amy and him, she would immediately say: Yes!. Perhaps she didn't consider him husband material for some unknown reason. Sheldon felt a little bit hurt in his pride. In what universe would Amy reject the idea of marrying him? Well, apparently, in this universe.

"But ... Amy" Sheldon couldn't say another word in that uncomfortable circumstances.

"Sheldon, I think I've made myself clear. I don't want us to reach an impasse; if you'll excuse me I think I'll spend this night at my apartment". Amy concluded.

"What do you mean by this night? Have you spent some nights at this apartment? So, you're living in sin as I thought" Mary Cooper was shocked.

"Mom, what's wrong with that? Amy and I are adults, we're having a baby!. I know George lives with his girlfriend in Houston. And don't get me started with Missy!" Sheldon shouted, he was feeling rather upset by the disappointing turn of events.

"That has nothing to do with the fact that my baby's living in sin" Mary Cooper replied, pretty offended.

"Amy, please tell my mother that we don't live in sin, we live together because we love each… other" Sheldon looked around the room. "Mom, Amy's gone!"

Amy took advantage of the discussion between Mary and Sheldon, to leave the apartment when they didn't notice. She needed some space to breathe, and a moment by herself would help her to clear her thoughts. Amy rapidly ran down the stairs, she was ready to go home.

"Shelly! Why are you just standing there? Go get her!" Mary encouraged him to look for Amy.

When Sheldon rushed out of the apartment, Mary Cooper smiled because she'd confirmed her suspicions. What Sheldon and Amy had was real love. She'd never seen her son caring about someone in such an unselfish way, and the feeling was mutual.

The look in Amy's eyes was a proof of the existence of a kind of love most people will never find. Sheldon and her child lived deeply in her heart and soul. "Oh, we should give them some time" Mary thought aloud.

Amy was sitting in her car; she really needed a moment alone. She fastened her seat belt and when she was ready to go, she heard a distinctive knock on the car's door; it could only come from a person.

Knock , knock, knock , Amy . Knock , knock, knock , Amy . Knock , knock, knock , Amy . She opened the door for Sheldon to get into the car; he sat in the passenger seat.

"Ha ha! I've never knocked on a car's door before" Sheldon smiled. Amy melted every time he smiled.

"Sheldon, I need some time alone, don't worry! A couple of nights in my apartment and I'll be fine" Amy insisted.

"Amy, first of all, I must say, you shouldn't have run down the stairs like that, it's dangerous! Second… I want to apologize for what happened with my mother a few minutes ago. As you could notice, she tends to meddle in their children's lives, especially in mine. But she means well" Sheldon stated.

"Okay, I know I overreacted" Amy told Sheldon. "However I'd like to make it clear that we don't need to get married, what we have is the best that could've happened to me. I don't want you to feel social pressure. Besides, this isn't time to plan a wedding. Can you imagine? In a few weeks, I won't be able to fit in any wedding dress. At this time we need to worry about our baby, that's the most important."

"Yes, you're right princess!. Now, why don't we go to your apartment? You need to pack." Sheldon added, with a sincere smile.

"I need to pack?" Amy inquired him.

"Yes, I think it's time for you to move in with me!" Sheldon admitted.

"Are you sure? Your mom is at your apartment, I don't want you to have problems because of me" Amy mumbled.

Sheldon nodded, he leaned down to kiss her on the lips, as he gently caressed her belly. "I don't know if you've noticed but your grandmother's quite peculiar" he told his baby.

Mary Cooper spent five days in Pasadena, and then, one morning she returned to Galveston. During those five days she acted surprisingly supportive and caring with Sheldon and Amy.

Mary realized that, although living together without getting married wasn't right, Sheldon and Amy's love had materialized in the baby they're expecting, and that was a miracle that came from the Lord. Mary was so glad to have a grandchild.

After the initial surprise Mary's visit caused them, and the even greater shock they experienced when she put on the table the disturbing subject of marriage, Sheldon's mother visit was an opportunity to learn from her. Even though Amy and her boyfriend had read all the books they could find about pregnancy and baby care, they still had many questions that only a mother could answer. Mary Cooper gave them several helpful tips and had promised to be with them when the baby comes.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us. We'll miss you" Amy said goodbye to Mary with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Somehow the presence of Mary helped her overcome the rejection of her mother.

"You're welcome honey! You know you can count on me anytime! Take care of my grandbaby and my Shelly" Mary Cooper held Amy kindly.

"Good bye mommy! See you soon. Say hello to Meemaw, Missy and George. I love you" Sheldon hugged his mother.

"I love you too, my Shelly Bean" Mary pinched Sheldon's cheek. "God bless you and your little family"

"Mom, you know that Amy and I don't believe in God." Sheldon sternly remarked.

"I know it baby, but that won't stop God from blessing you if I ask Him" Mary Cooper grinned.

A. N: Thanks for your reviews! It's nice to know you like this story.