Thanks for the amazing amount of reviews, you guys really spoil me, I don't deserve it, I made you wait so long. But not this time. I'm sick with the cold so I'm home and I can write.
2024 Sheldon and Amy
Amy and Bernadette were already sitting at a table with the menu in their hands. " Hi girls. I'm sorry, our little one is here, but I couldn't let her stay home alone. " Penny said walking into the restaurant with baby Maya in a carriage.
" It's fine. How are Nick and Dory? Was it easy to wake them up in the morning? " Amy asked.
" It was. But it was hard to make them go to bed. They are allright. " Penny assured.
" Weren't they suspicious? "
" Umm, not really. Nick seemed a little worried about you, but he calmed down when I told her, you just do science. So, Amy, how did it go? " Penny asked.
" Good. I guess. We mostly agreed on everything that matters. " she answered. She wanted to share with her friends what's going on, but it was easier telling this, looking at the menu than looking Penny in the eye.
" Oh my, did you? " Bernadette asked.
" Wow…. I mean… That's so sad. I'm sorry. " Penny answered.
" I just said that we agreed on everything. That's good news! " Amy said looking puzzled.
" But I always hoped that you'll work things out. I thought he'd change your mind about this. " Bernadette explained.
Amy was not ready for this. As she was looking to Penny's and Bernadette's face she saw the same disappointment she actually felt, but never wanted to say out loud.
Amy took a deep breath.
Penny bited her lips. " We're sorry. We didn't want to make you feel…"
" It's okay. " Amy said. " We all need time to get used to this situation. "
" Is there anything we can help you with? " Bernadette asked.
" Not really. But thanks. "
" Did he even try at least? " Penny asked.
Amy shook her head.
" Oh, honey…"
" Well, at least he made it easier. I guess I should be thankful for that. " she said. She was trying really hard to stay rational.
" And are you really thankful? " Bernadette asked.
Amy shook her head again. Now she was almost crying.
" Well, he hasn't been treating you well. We were really worried about you two. " Bernadette added.
" I know. I know that this was the only good choice. It's just hard. You know, I've always thought that him and me, that we are endgame. That we were meant to grow old together. But it's okay. It'll be. Now please change this topic and tell me about your life instead. "
After lunch with the girls she got back to her office to work. She was trying hard to focus. Somewhere around fifteen minutes later, when she was finally concentrating on her beloved monkey brains, her phone rang. It was Sheldon.
" Hi Sheldon. What's up? " she tried to sound normal.
" Umm, hi Amy. Everything's okay here. "
" Then why are you calling? Are you gonna be late? It would be important to get this over with today. " she told. She was nervous. She didn't plan talking to Sheldon now.
"No. I'm free after work and I'll go home around four p.m.. "
" Then why did you call? " She asked. She really wanted to hung up finally to get back to work. It was so hard that she wanted this to be over.
" I was just wondering, whether you had lunch already. And if not… Maybe we could go and grab lunch somewhere off campus… and talk a little. " He sounded insecure.
" Well, I just came back from lunch. I've had it with the girls. Sorry. Is it something about the kids what you want to talk about? "
" No. Actually no. "
Sheldon didn't say anything more, so she had to ask him again.
" Is it important? I'm kind of in the middle of something, but I'll stop if you think it can't wait. Or you could tell now in the phone. "
" No, it's fine. It's not that important. " he said.
" Okay, then see you in the afternoon. " she wanted to hung up.
" Amy… Are you sure you want to do this now? " he asked finally.
" I am. Why? "
" I don't know, I just thought, maybe we could wait a little to figure things out better…" He left the last part of the sentence hanging. Amy felt surprised and not just surprised, but those were feelings she couldn't act upon. At least not now. When she answered she tried to sound calm.
" I think I've waited enough. Is there anything I should be waiting for particularly? " she asked.
" I don't know…." Sheldon sighed and there was a long pause in the conversation again. " No. There isn't. "
" See you tonight. Goodybe Sheldon. "
" Goodbye Amy. " Amy hung up.
2024 Nick
The evening by the Hofstadters goes away quickly. After another long schoolday, Mom is waiting for me in the car after school. Dory's already sitting in the back seat, eating ice cream. Mom barely lets us eat ice cream especially in the car. Did Dory just win a Nobel too, or what else could she achieve to get that permission? When I get in, Dory gives me a caramel flavoured ice cream. That's my favourite, so this whole ice cream thing is not about her. I barely mumble thanks before I start to eat it. It tastes like heaven. Mom asks me about my day but I only shrug my shoulders and keep eating. Mom's usually pretty good at driving, far better than Dad but tonight she misses a green light and has to back three times to get into the garage. It's weird.
And it gets a lot weirder as we arrive and Dad's already home sitting in the living room without his notebook or phone, looking at the carpet tapping with his feet. Now I am scared. Mom asks us to sit down, as we have something to talk about. What the hell? I knew I was right when I felt yesterday that something bad happened when I saw Aunt Penny at the school's parking lot. At least it's not my parents. Or maybe they are? Are they sick? Or did just somebody die? I really hope it's not Meemaw. Dory sits next to me on the couch, and Mom next to her. Dad stays on his place, in a chair next to us.
Dory and I share a worried look and she holds my hand. I'm flattered that Dory thinks about me as someone who could protect or console her, but I hate that anything happens, I have to be the smarter, older brother who doesn't have the right to be upset.
Mom takes a deep breath and she shares a worried look with Dad too. So it's big. I could have guessed it from the ice cream thing. I still pray that it's not Meemaw which is absolutely weird because I don't even believe in God.
" Well there's no good way to tell this. We decided to divorce. " Mom finally says.
At least Meemaw's still alive. That's a relief. On the other hand, I don't really know what does this mean for us. I look at Dory. She is shocked. Mom waits for us to say something probably.
" You. " Dad says breaking the silence before we could react.
" What? " Mom asks.
" You decided to divorce. " he says.
Mom opens her mouth and closes it. She shakes her head slowly, her eyes sparkling from tears and gives Dad a killer look. If we weren't here she would be shouting and crying at the same time, I'm sure.
" So where will we live? " I ask before they start arguing again.
" We will live here, and your Dad's gonna move out. "
" So it's not up to us to decide? "
" No, or at least not yet. Maybe when you're older. But you can visit your Dad whenever you want to, and he can come too and you could spend the weekends there. "
Mom bites her lips and looks at Dad. Dad nods. We all look at Dory who still hasn't spoken at all.
" I don't want you to divorce. " she says with tears in her eyes.
Mom got herself together, so someone else has to do the big emotional part. I guess I could cry too. But it doesn't seem worth it. If strong affections displayed could change their mind, they would have never even come this far. It was predictable in a way. And people get divorced all the time. It's not such a big deal.
" It's okay. We'll make this work. We still love you. We both love you. " Mom says and silently begs Dad for reassuring.
" Yes, of course we love you. " he says.
" But don't you love each other anymore? " Dory asks.
That's a bummer. Long pause again.
" I've done the most of the talking to this very point. Now I'm wondering whether you'd mind to answer this question, Sheldon. " Mom finally says.
Dad clears his throat.
" Look, as you know, our relationship with Mom always have been based on mutual admiration, shared interests and intellectual partnership. These factors are permanent. "
Mom's eyes are red and she wipes away a single tear as she wraps her arms around Dory who cries even harder.
Dad and I look at each other. It's like we're strangers in this big family drama, like we don't even belong here.
" But if those factors are permanent, then why are you breaking up? " Dory asks. It's a clearly stupid question. She knows exactly that Mom and Dad can't get along and fight all the time. I mean she is smart like everyone in this damned family but even if she wasn't smart, she lives here and it's really-really obvious.
" We have a lot of conflicts you know. Certain topics we don't agree on. " Mom caresses her forehead.
I still don't know what to do. I'm gonna miss Dad. It's really unfair that he has to leave while most of the problems are basically mine. The certain topics my parents never agree on, the conflicts… I think I'm playing a lead in at least 95 per cent of them.
The rest of the evening is horrible. Mom cooks and he invites Dad to eat with us, but he refuses to do so and orders a pizza instead which he eats in the living room. Pizza sounds and smells more amazing than anything Mom could cook. So Dory barely eats dinner and rans away after it to ask for a slice. I'm staying in the kitchen and offer my help to Mom to wash the dishes, because I know how much this hurts her and how much is it my fault. But Mom shakes her head, then hugs me tightly and sends me away to spend time with Dad. She doesn't say out loud but we both know, it's because Dad won't be around here for long time now. I should be the one not living here. I'll figure out how to run away.
So you've got another dose of heartbreak from me in this chapter, but I'm happy to inform you, that finally, we've hit emotionally the bottom now in every possible way, so things will keep going. Other good news is that the next chapter is ready so I'll upload it tomoroow or maybe after that. :)