Upon arrival in Houston, Sheldon did as instructed and woke Lily up. He did so by kissing her eyelids delicately.
"Wake up, we're here."
Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before opening, revealing doe-like orbs that were glazed over with sleep. She smiled softly and stretched.
"Hm?"
"We have arrived in Houston."
"Oh, okay."
Almost childishly, she toddled over to where their bags were being held and picked up her duffel bag. Sheldon smiled and took it from her, picking up his own bag as well. They headed out onto the platform and were met by his mother. She looked appraisingly at Lily, nodding to herself. Once they were close enough, she smiled.
"Shelly! I hope you had a safe trip, as I prayed you would. And you must be his new girlfriend."
"Yes ma'am, I'm Lily. Nice to meet you."
"So polite," she smiled approvingly at Sheldon, "I like her already."
This relaxed him a bit. At least he knew that one of the women in his family would like her. Now all he had to worry about the most important person… They got into his mother's car, sitting together in the back seat, and headed off toward her home. Mary kept stealing glances at them in the rearview mirror as she drove. Eventually this caught notice from Sheldon and he stared back impatiently.
"Yes?"
"I just can't get over how pretty she is! And wholesome too. Not like that Penny girl your little friend is engaged to."
He gave Lily, who was too enthralled in the new sights to notice their conversation, a once-over and shrugged. She was wearing what she usually wore: Jeans and a t-shirt that flattered her figure. Her hair was in a high ponytail that left her slender neck exposed. Smiling mischievously, he kissed directly below her ear. She squeaked softly and a light blush ghosted over her cheeks. His mother's eyes narrowed disapprovingly at such antics. Of course, she wasn't without sin either so she held her tongue. It was a well-known fact that he had no qualms about airing her dirty laundry if she crossed him.
They arrived at the house shortly after and were greeted at the door by Missy. She eyed Lily the same way their mother had, but seemed less satisfied. If anything, she looked a bit threatened by the model's appearance. Her scrutiny continued when they reached the door.
"Hello Sheldon, nice seeing you again. And you must be Lily," she greeted with fake enthusiasm, "I must say, you are nothing like I thought you'd look."
"Hello Missy, you are looking well. How is your family?"
"Good. I'm actually heading back home now. I just stopped by to meet your girlfriend."
"Well, here she is. She exists. You may leave now."
She scowled, but reluctantly went to her car and drove away. They continued on into the house, the smell of food wafting through the air.
"It smells wonderful in here, Mrs. Cooper," Lily said softly.
"Why thank you, sweetheart. I thought you kids might be hungry after such a long trip and threw something together. Meemaw should be home soon, so we'll eat when she gets here. Just make yourself comfortable while you wait."
"Come on Lily, I'll show you my room."
Sheldon nodded to his mother respectfully before leading Lily down the hall by her hand. He led her into his childhood room, setting their bags down neatly by the door. She looked around with a soft smile.
"It's like a smaller scale version of your room back home."
"I like consistency. I tried to keep my room as identical to this one as possible, with a few variations added much later on."
She sat down on the bed, leaning back on her hands casually. He smirked to himself at this.
"I never thought I'd have a girl in my bed."
"Ever?"
"Young me wasn't interested in girls, remember?"
"Oh, right," she giggled softly at her own forgetfulness.
He leaned forward to kiss her, gently pushing her on her back. Their fingers interlocked, held above her head. A soft cough alerted them to a presence at the door. They glanced up in surprise, immediately catching sight of an elderly woman. She was short and stout with curly white hair, a scowl upon her face. Sheldon immediately jumped up and ran to pick her up in a hug. The woman smiled, quickly returning his embrace.
"Oh Moonpie, I've missed you like the sun misses the moon."
"I missed you too Meemaw!"
They laughed, hugging for a little longer before he set her down.
"So, are you gonna tell me who this lovely girl you were slobberin' all over is or not?"
"Well," he started, blushing a deep shade of scarlet. "Meemaw, I would like you to meet my girlfriend. Lily, this is my Meemaw."
The model stood, keeping her head bowed respectfully while she held her hand out for a handshake. Much to her surprise, she was pulled into a vicelike hug by the old lady. She was released only to be held out at arm's length for inspection.
"Let me get a good look at you," she said softly.
Lily stood still, doing as she was told. It wasn't long before a proud grin spread across Meemaw's face.
"The girl you picked is pretty as a picture, Moonpie. And I can tell you love her dearly."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"You're welcome. You have my blessing. Just, don't pull any more disappearing acts. My baby ain't no plaything."
"I know and I won't run away again. I learned my lesson."
"Good. Let's go eat. I'm starved!"
She walked down the hall, an air of grace surrounding her. Sheldon didn't hesitate to catch his girlfriend in a sweet kiss. It was returned with the same amount of eagerness. Reluctantly, she pulled away and started down the hall. Her boyfriend trailed behind like a puppy dog. They went into the kitchen where his grandmother and mother were waiting. Fried chicken, potato wedges, biscuits, and greens were laid out on the table. The couple sat down and quickly dug into the grand feast. While they ate, the older women exchanged glances.
"So," Meemaw started. "When can I be expectin' some great-grandbabies?"
Lily choked and started coughing violently while Sheldon patted her back.
"What? What did I say?"
"Meemaw, we haven't even had coitus yet. Let alone considered the possibility of children!"
"Well I'm sorry Shelly. I just assumed by the way you guys were slobberin'-"
"I am not Missy or George. I have self-control…"
"I know, I know. I must apologize to you as well Lily."
"It's quite alright ma'am. I understand your worries."
"Thank you. You know Moonpie, you could learn from this girl."
"I already have Meemaw," he said with a soft smile. "I've learned a lot."
Lily blushed, sipping her soda nervously. Once they finished eating, he bid both his elders goodnight and led her to his room. They laid down on his bed together, her curled up in his arms. His long fingers ran through her hair as he gazed down at her. She smiled back, leaning into his chest. Their breathing was perfectly in sync as they enjoyed this peaceful moment alone. Unfortunately, it couldn't stay that way because something was gnawing at Sheldon's brain.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your opinion on children?"
"I-I don't know…"
"Are you against ever having them or…?"
"I mean, I'd like to have them one day. Just not right now."
"That's all I wanted to know. Thank you for being so polite toward my grandmother."
"It's was really no big deal. She is so sweet!"
He nodded in agreement, smiling at her compliment. His biggest fears were vanquished for the moment, but new ones quickly arose. Would his Meemaw live to see great-grandbabies? Would Lily be ready? Even if she was, would he be? Sure, he had the financial capability and drive, but he was still a child maturity wise. He wore a pair of Hulk hands on a date for crying out loud! Movement from beside his chest snapped him back to reality and he looked down once more. Lily's arms were around him, her head against his sternum.
"Relax," she mumbled. "You have plenty of time to worry about offspring later."
"How'd you-"
"I could read your body language, Sheldon. Just relax and sleep with me. Then, tomorrow, I'd like it if you showed me around town."
A soft smile of resignation spread across his face and he whispered one thing before falling asleep with his living dream.
"Okay my love. Sweet dreams."
Sorry for taking so long everyone. I've been busy with school and trying to perfect Meemaw. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your reviews help encourage me to do better.