"If you flee from the things you fear, there's no resolution."

-Chuck Palahniuk

"Ready?" Penny whispered into Sheldon's ear with a low voice.

Earlier that morning, Sheldon refused to leave his room and get ready in time for his Meemaw's funeral. It took a while for the Cooper women along with Penny to coax him out of bed, but they managed to succeed after trying everything they could. He was told that this was his last chance to say goodbye to his grandmother and he would regret skipping her funeral afterwards.

Sheldon had helped out with contacting the floral shops in town and picking out the best picture of Meemaw for the memorial service. He backed out on going the last minute after realizing that people would see the more vulnerable side of him that he has hidden for a long time. Penny promised to be right by his side throughout the event and in order to cheer him up a bit, she also promised to buy him the Flash comic he had been eying for some time.

They approached the tall wooden doors, and Sheldon let out a shaky sigh. Clenching both of his hands, he drew in a lungful of air which seemed to calm his nerves.

"Yes," Sheldon tentatively reassured Penny and grasped the handle in front of him.

There was a small pause of hesitation before he pulled the handle down and pushed the door open. His eyes shut for a moment as he listened to the subtle soothing music playing in the background. Once his eyes opened, the portrait of his Meemaw was the first thing that caught his attention.

It was a picture of her sitting by a grand piano dressed in a white beaded dress that made her glow and appear younger. Her grey hair, curled slightly at the ends, framed her aging face, but what stood out in the framed image was her piercing blue eyes; the ones Sheldon had inherited. She looked beautiful and full of life, and Sheldon wasn't sure that he would stay composed for the rest of the evening.

He lifted his head and saw the familiar faces around him. All were dressed in black as some murmured in their conversations while others weeped and dabbed their teary eyes with a handkerchief. The room was decorated by white gladioli flowers that he specifically picked for the funeral. He read online that the gladiolus embodied strength of character, sincerity, and moral integrity, all of which his Meemaw had in her.

Taking one step forward, Sheldon and Penny began their way to the front where the white coffin laid surrounded by more flowers. It was quiet enough inside that they were able to hear their footsteps, and it made Sheldon anxious.

When they reached the coffin, Sheldon's eyes couldn't leave the sight of his Meemaw's peaceful body lying inside. It made him more emotional when he saw her hands clutching a photograph of him and the rest of his family. He heard muffled cries from around the room, and he tried his hardest to mask the sound of his.

It was painful and heart-wrenching to see someone he cared so much about leave his life forever, and the thought of not hearing the nickname "moonpie" coming from her again tore him apart. Overwhelm by the knowing of her gone, Sheldon cried to himself for the tenth time that day but the first in public. His salty tears stung his eyes, and he wanted to dash out of the room as fast as he could.

When he finally willed himself to start running, Sheldon felt a small soft hand slip into his and he instantly looked over to Penny.

"Sweetie, it's okay to let it all out. You're not the only one who feels this way and there's nothing to be embarrassed about. We cry when we're sad, and it's because we're humans," Penny comfortingly said as she gave his hand a squeeze. She reached her fingertips up to his face and swiped the tears away. Sheldon cupped her cheek and smiled at her in which Penny returned. "Do you want to be alone for a moment or are you good right now?"

Sheldon dropped his hand to brush a strand of her blonde hair away. "Will you please give me a moment? I promise it won't be for too long."

"Of course. Anything you need, Sheldon."

He watched her walk away and sit on one of the chairs a few feet behind him. Sheldon turned his body to face the coffin, brushing the surface with the tips of his fingers before giving out another soft sigh.

"Hello, Meemaw. It's your Moonpie here. As you know, I'm not comfortable with prolonged good-byes and maudlin displays of emotion, but this is necessary right now and I am fine by this. I can guarantee that most people here have already told you similar messages such as how much we will miss you and that we are saddened by you being gone."

"You know I will miss you, and I do not need to say that again because you've heard it twenty-three times already judging by how many people are here today. I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for helping me become the man I am today and letting me realize that I could be a better person. You may or may not know that Penny and I are ready to pursue a relationship together. I will live my life without regrets, and willing to explore outside my comfort zones. Right now, Penny makes me the happiest and I understand happiness is what you wanted me to have. Say hello to Pop-pop for me. Tell him that I'm now successful in the field of physics, just like I told him."

Sheldon started to walk back to Penny, but he quickly came back to where he stood. "And Meemaw, you were right," he added as he looked to Penny who was glancing at him.

He had never felt so complete now that he had Penny with him, and his heart fluttered as she gave him an adoring gaze. "I do love Penny."

Penny was snoring lightly on the seat beside Sheldon as he read the journal in his hands. The plane took off two hours ago and with Penny asleep, Sheldon was forced to entertain himself for the time being. He had a little over an hour left until they finally land in Pasadena, and truthfully, Sheldon was relieve to be almost back home. He couldn't wait to sit on his spot again and continue working on the paper he recently began to write.

Texas had been eventful, and it caused a frown when he recalled all of what had happened. It was painful thinking that his grandmother was now six feet under but during the tragic time he had spent there, something good came out of it. He was able to realize during his visit that life was too short to make the wrong decisions.

Although Meemaw had passed away, she had lived a good life. She did the things that she had wanted and dreamed to do and she never looked back at her past mistakes. She died happy and feeling that she had achieved almost everything she could have, and Sheldon wanted the same thing for himself when his time comes.

The funeral had occurred quicker than what Sheldon had expected. The last time he had been at a funeral was twenty years ago when his father passed away. He remembered standing outside at a cemetery in the pouring rain as he watched the coffin lowering down to the ground. Two different people gone in his life, and each service were a different experience to him.

At his father's funeral, Sheldon had only cried once when his mother broke down in tears as she read the eulogy. His father was an alcoholic and often went off on Sheldon while intoxicated. Sheldon was very much afraid of those moments when his dad drank too much. It always led to trouble afterwards. Even with those painful memories of being scolded at and occasionally getting hit, he was still Sheldon's father at the end of the day. He helped the family by making a living to support them and though not as often, offer advice on how to overcome the bullies.

With Meemaw, he found himself always at the brink of crying. Sheldon had never felt so emotional in his life than now, and he had cried more that week than he did his entire life. What comforted him and soothed his nerves were Penny's encouraging and kind words as well as her hand holding his from time to time. Sheldon knew that she was the most loyal and caring out of his group of friends, but that week in Texas, he saw her in a new light.

He realized that he cared about and needed her more than he thought. He would have probably been a train wreck without her, and he couldn't thank her enough for coming back. Penny was important to him, and she had been there with him when the others weren't. It felt good to have someone to lean back to.

I do love Penny.

Those words flabbergasted him. Sheldon had never loved another person in a romantic sense before, and he wasn't sure if this actually was love. He knew that the definition of love was a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Yes, he had strong feelings for her. He even stated that he was willing to change for her. It was an unusual experience for him and he had to get used to it, but what made him nervous was the possibility of Penny not loving him back.

She liked him and cared about him, but he wasn't certain that both of those meant love. He knew that his next step was to tell her that and learning whether or not she reciprocated it. To do so, he must ask her out on a standard date to avoid rushing into things.

Sheldon started to plan an evening out for the two of them. He went back and forth between a nice dinner and a movie date. They could also have an afternoon together at the California Science Center or go up to the astronomy lab and use the giant telescope that looked up into space. He debated with himself before eventually settling down with a final answer in his mind.

As he made a mental note of what he devised and when to ask her, Sheldon couldn't help but feel a little excited about their upcoming tryst. They deserved a stress-free outing after all they went through, and hopefully everything will go as planned.

By the time he got to the front door of apartment 4A, Sheldon was exhausted and out of breath from climbing up four flights of stairs. He had brought along fifteen of his research journals from Texas and the added weight in his luggage bag did no good.

His arms felt like they were about to give out, and after a short period of rest, he tiredly inserted his key into the lock. He could hear the television playing from the other side of the door and wondered why Leonard would be awake at three in the morning. Sheldon didn't think that Leonard would actually wait for him to come home at a late hour.

He yawned as he pushed the door open and the bright lights in his apartment blinded him for a moment. As his eyes readjusted, he could make out the figure of a woman standing up from the leather couch and slowly approaching him. When he could finally see clearly, he noticed that it was Amy in front of him with a facial expression that he could not decipher.

Was she upset? Angry? Both?

"Where were you?" Amy asked with a hint of concern and displeasure laced in her voice. Sheldon tried to side step a bit but Amy prevented him from leaving her stern stare. "I've been worried sick about you and not once did you have the decency to get in touch with me. Please explain yourself to me, Sheldon."

"I was in Texas," Sheldon answered truthfully.

She crossed her arms on her chest. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I- uh..." Sheldon could not find a response to her question. He was already having trouble keeping his eyes wide opened and he couldn't think straight due to his weariness.

Amy waited until Sheldon's mind tried to look for an answer. She sighed and stepped backwards. "Go brush your teeth and sleep. I expect us to continue this conversation later in the day. Have a good night, Sheldon."

He watched as she vacated his apartment and shook his head. Sheldon immediately headed over to the bathroom and brushed his teeth before changing into his pajamas. Slipping under the covers, he wondered what would happen the next time he spoke with Amy. He would have to inform her about his interest in terminating the Relationship Agreement, or in simple terms, break up with her. Their meeting may end in peace and reverting back to being just friends. It may also end in tears and dejection on Amy's part.

Closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, Sheldon decided to let nature run its course and not think any more about it.

A/N:

Sorry that this took longer than expected but I was fortunate enough to have spare time after a busy week. I'm also aiming to have the story finished before the end of August and then I'll try to finish my other one which I'm currently stuck on. Update for this will hopefully come next week if I'm able to.