"Is daddy coming to Theo's birthday again?" came Levi's voice from the backseat as the family drove home from work and daycare.

Sheldon and Amy agreed that with the twins' arrival imminent, they needed a bigger car to accommodate their growing family, and settled on an SUV with two back seats. He glanced over his shoulder at the boys in the far backseat and shook his head, "We can't go to Texas for Theo's birthday this year. Melissa and Sadie are going to be born soon and we can't go too far from home until they get here, but I promise we will go to Texas as soon as we can. We can let your dad know when we figure out when we'll be there. I don't know if he'll be able to see you whenever that is, but we can ask him."

"Oh, okay. When are Melissa and Sadie being born?" was Levi's next question.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later," groaned Amy from the driver's seat. "But it could be about another month until they're born. I don't think we'll be able to go to Texas before you start school."

Amy's comment was met with silence from the back of the car. She looked across at her husband, who was still looking over his shoulder. Reaching across, Amy placed her right hand on his left knee, subtly shaking her head when he turned his attention toward her. He sensed what she was silently conveying and changed the topic, "Leonard asked if I was free tomorrow to help him with the experiment he's been working on. I told him I thought that would be okay, but needed to double check."

"Yeah," she nodded, glancing in the rearview mirror and seeing Levi silently staring out the window and Theo was playing with a toy he'd found in the car. "That's fine. I'll see if Penny and Bernadette want to do something with the kids for the day."

It was a relatively quiet evening at the Cooper house with Sheldon working in his home office, Amy going through gifts from the recent baby shower in the twins' future room with Theo's so-called help, and Levi occupying himself in his bedroom. Or at least he was until he found his way into Sheldon's office. Dropping on the couch in Sheldon's spot, he let out a sigh.

The sudden noise snapped Sheldon out of the zone and he directed his attention to the seven-year-old across the room. "Hello, Levi. What can I do for you this evening?"

"Mom and Theo are in the babies' room," he stated matter-of-factly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. You can always ask me anything and I'll do my best to answer it for you."

Levi hesitated, prompting Sheldon to close his laptop and join the boy on the couch. It wasn't until the physicist rubbed his back reassuredly that he found his words, "Am I never going to see daddy again?"

"You'll be able to see him again," Sheldon immediately answered. "Amy and I will always let him know when we're in Texas if he wants to see you and Theo. And when you get a little older, you can call or text him yourself without one of us talking to him first."

"Why hasn't he wanted to talk to me when you've called him?"

Pulling the boy closer, Sheldon let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, "You didn't do anything wrong, but I haven't been calling your dad whenever you've asked the past few months."

"Why did you lie? You and mom always say me and Theo aren't supposed to lie," he was quickly reminded.

"I couldn't call him. Your daddy got in a little trouble earlier this year and has been getting the help he needs so he doesn't get in trouble again. He isn't allowed to have people call him while he's getting that help. Amy and I weren't sure about telling you what was going on with your dad and thought it would be better to tell you he wasn't able to talk to you whenever you asked to call him. I'm sorry we weren't honest with you," Sheldon apologized, hoping Levi would understand.

Levi took a moment to process his uncle's apology. "So, we can't see him for Theo's birthday cuz he's getting help? How much help does he need before we can see him again?"

"He should only have a few more weeks before we can call him, but that could change. We won't know he's able to get phone calls until he lets us know."

"Okay. And we can still see him when we go home?"

Sheldon confirmed, "Yes. We'll let him know when we're in Texas for Christmas, your mom's birthday in February, and any other time we're there. Can I tell you something that stays between us that I think might help you?" Levi quickly nodded his head, allowing Sheldon to shift the conversation away from Ricky. "I was eleven when I graduated high school and started college. I was terrified because it was a big change and change is really scary for me. I talked to your mom and she told me she was scared too because she was graduating from elementary school and going to middle school. She told me sometimes you just have to be scared and do it anyway. I've thought about that a lot since you and Theo came to live here."

"You were scared when we started living with you?" Levi twisted to see Sheldon's face.

"I was. And I'm scared now with the twins coming soon. And I'm going to guess you're a little scared with all the talk of us adopting you and Theo. I want you to know it's okay to be scared with everything that's happening, but I also want you to know the one thing that will never change is how much I love you."

Resting his head against Sheldon's arm, the boy replied, "Really?"

Tucking his arm around Levi, Sheldon confirmed, "Really. I have loved you since the moment you were born, which I was there for, by the way, and that love has only grown each day I spend with you."

"Dr. Jim told me that, too. He said you and mom will always love me but it's okay to be scared sometimes."

"You like talking to him?"

Levi nodded his head ever so slightly, "I guess. He tells me a lot of the same stuff you and mom say, but I like him saying it, too."

"Is Levi okay?" Amy asked hours later after Sheldon had tucked the boy in and was getting ready for bed himself.

Deep in thought, Sheldon heard his wife's voice, but didn't process what she had asked, "What?"

"Is Levi okay? I saw him talking to you earlier. Is he upset we aren't going to Texas for Theo's birthday?"

"He asked if he was never going to see Ricky again. I know we said since he's only in rehab for three months, we weren't going to tell him, but I felt he needed to know why we've been saying Ricky can't talk to him when he's asked to call him recently." Sensing Amy's panic begin to rise, he quickly continued, "I didn't tell him everything. I said Ricky got in trouble and needed to get help for a few months so he doesn't get in more trouble. I explained that we haven't been calling him when we say he can't talk to him because Ricky can't have people call him while he's getting help."

Amy shifted to sit up in bed upon hearing her husband's explanation. "How did Levi react to that?"

"He wanted to know how much longer it would be before Ricky could get phone calls. I said it would be at least a few more weeks, but we won't know until Ricky lets us know. I was thinking, maybe I could take Levi to Texas to see him once he's out of rehab."

"I am thirty-five weeks pregnant with twins," Amy firmly stated. "Were you not in the room last week when the doctor said she wouldn't be surprised if these babies came sooner rather than later? You're not going halfway across the country right now. I refuse to risk you missing the birth of your daughters. We can discuss the two of you taking a boys' trip to Texas after the babies are born, but not a day before."