Thank you again for all your reviews!
I was not able to post yesterday, as I was very busy with my move and a few other things. The move is progressing well, but there is so much to do. We should be mostly finished by next Saturday, but there will still be a lot of work to do at the new house until everything is settled. Therefore, I am not sure if I will be updating next week at all. I hope you understand. Moving with three little children is a bit of a challenge and I need a little time to help them adjust to all these changes.
Now to this chapter: It is a bit shorter than the previous ones and, as you can see by the title, it is about Amy's fortieth birthday. This chapter was not in my first draft at all, but after making her birthday such a big deal for Amy, I just did not want to pass over it. So, it really is mainly a sweet chapter to celebrate Amy, without moving the plot along very much. Although, once you've finished reading, you might be guessing what small drama is awaiting our favorite couple next.
To those who keep wondering where Sheldon and Amy will end up living: I really love reading how passionate you are about this question. This decision won't be made for quite a few chapters, and a lot will be happening until then. I cannot promise that you will like the outcome I came up with. There might not be a perfect solution, and both sides will have to make compromises and sacrifices. Both, Sheldon and Amy mean a lot to me, individually and as a couple. I did my best to write a conclusion that is fair to them both and I hope you can trust me a little bit with the process.
Balancing Heaven And Earth
Chapter 12 – "Happy Birthday"
Sheldon's POV:
"Good morning, birthday girl.", Sheldon chanted, as he sat down on the bed.
He was holding a tray with freshly made breakfast on his lap, balancing it with one hand while lovingly stroking Amy's cheek with the other to wake her up.
She slowly blinked her eyes open, yawned then glanced at him and the tray. Her expression lit up with surprise and delight and she put on her glasses for a clearer view before she sat up.
"Oh, Sheldon.", she breathed out and beamed at him. "You made me breakfast in bed? Wow, that's incredible."
"Obviously.", he said, rolling his eyes at her playfully. "It's your birthday. Of course you're getting breakfast in bed."
While birthdays had never held much significance for Sheldon, this was Amy's first birthday since they had become a couple and the last one before they would get married. He was determined to become the best husband he could possibly be for her, which was just one of the reasons why he wanted this day to be perfect.
"Now blow out the candle and make a wish.", he suggested, gesturing to the slice of pecan pie his mother had made the day before, a single candle glowing atop of it.
Amy's eyes glistened with emotion, and she covered his hand with hers. "Sheldon, this is… too much.", she murmured. "You have already given me the perfect gift. You did not have to make breakfast for me on top of that."
Sheldon's heart swelled with pride. It pleased him, knowing how good he was at making Amy happy.
"So, does that mean, you liked my present?", he said cheekily, as he recalled how challenging it had been to find the right gift.
Especially since neither his siblings nor his friends had been helpful with their suggestions of jewelry or concert tickets.
For once, Amy hardly ever wore jewelry. And they went to concerts at least once a month, so this would not have been very special.
His gaze shifted to the artwork hanging on the wall above their bed. A piece he had commissioned especially for Amy.
On first sight, the painting appeared as a vibrant canvas of colorful waves, but beneath its surface, it held profound meaning and more emotion than he could ever put into words.
"Of course, I like it. I still cannot believe you transformed the song I wrote for you into this beautiful piece of art.", Amy whispered in awe. "It's so thoughtful and… perfect."
Sheldon swallowed deeply. He was genuinely pleased with his idea. The song 'Fly with Me', translated to soundwaves, which were now captured in this mesmerizing painting with an inscription in the corner.
'Fly with Me' written by Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler for Dr. Sheldon Cooper
For a second, he couldn't help but think that, while the painting was exceptional, it was nothing compared to the sight in front of him. His sweet Amy sitting in their bed, looking at him like he was some sort of superhero.
The inspiration for the idea had struck him some time ago while he sat at the piano in their living room, playing a few chords, contemplating the differences between Medford and Pasadena.
For more than a year now, music had been his sanctuary, helping him navigate through challenging times.
Lost in his thoughts, he unintentionally found himself playing the song Amy had written for him so many months ago.
Fly with me
Playing that song had made him reminisce about the night she sang it to him. The night when Missy had finally left Robbie.
Emotions overwhelmed him, as he remembered the feelings he had finally allowed to surface. This song had changed his life then. Radically. It had given him the courage to act on his emotions and let Amy know how he felt about her. And in the end, it had also led to their first intimate encounter.
Both not knowing how inexperienced the other really was, they had fumbled their way through making love for the first time, their hearts filled with anticipation and vulnerability.
He realized that, even then, he had loved Amy deeply. She had been everything to him. And she had become so much more since then.
Her song had touched his heart and soul, but the following morning, Robbie's cruel attack overshadowed everything, and he had not thought about the song in a very long time.
Having a reminder of it now, directly above their bed, felt fitting.
"I cannot take all the credit.", he said. "I wouldn't have been able to gift you this if you hadn't written the song in the first place."
"Still.", she said softly and leaned her head against his shoulder. "It is an amazing gift. Thank you, Sheldon."
He leaned in to place a tender kiss on her cheek.
"You already thanked me at midnight when I gave it to you.", he winked at her.
Amy blushed deeply, and Sheldon assumed she was thinking about the way she had expressed her gratitude to him.
Oh yes, she had thanked him. Repeatedly. Profusely.
It was a shame that she had to leave for work on this beautiful morning, or else he would have put away the tray and showed her his gratitude for the way she had thanked him.
"Eat your breakfast now.", he gently redirected her attention. "You will have to leave for work soon."
He served himself a plate as well, and together, they relished their delightful breakfast of waffles and fresh fruits, while talking about her lesson plans for the day and then about the theory he was working on.
All too soon, he had to kiss her good-bye, before watching her drive off for work.
He sighed deeply then and went into their office room to start his workday, but he found himself distracted from his theories.
Although Amy had seemed happy this morning, he knew that turning forty felt like a big deal to her. That was part of the reason why he wanted this day to be perfect.
He wanted to take her mind off her worries.
Sheldon had tried to reassure her before. Told her that forty wasn't that old. So many women still had children at that age. They would get to have their little family. Of that he was certain.
But where would they have this family?
More and more he was wondering about this exact question. And today, maybe because it was Amy's birthday, or maybe because he had been thinking of the song she had written for him, it was even more on his mind.
He remembered the promise he had given himself back then.
The promise to make this woman as happy as humanly possible. To take the opportunity to fly with her. Wherever she wanted to take him. Because he had realized, then already, that his happiness was connected to hers.
Could they keep living like they were right now? Raise their children here in this house in the town where he grew up in?
There were many upsides to this possibility, he had to admit that, and it felt very tempting.
He had settled into this life. It was familiar to him by now. And little by little, he had figured out that there were many things here that he preferred to his old life.
But there were also upsides to living in Pasadena. Not just for him, for Amy too. Opportunities that she did not have here. Opportunities she wanted to have, by her own admission.
It was strangely calming, knowing she had not made up her mind either. That she was struggling with this decision just as he was. Even if it did not bring him any closer to an answer, it meant that maybe he and Amy could solve this puzzle together.
Sheldon had barely gotten any work done before it was time to prepare his food and take his virtual seat at the CalTech cafeteria.
"Hello.", he greeted his friends as he took the first bite of his sandwich.
"Hey. What happened to your lunch? This does not look delicious at all", was the first thing Howard said. "Did you and Amy have a fight? What did you do to upset her this much?"
Sheldon huffed. "It's just a sandwich, Howard.", he said. "And, no, I did not upset Amy. She's got other plans today and I am perfectly capable of preparing my own lunch."
That was technically the truth. But he had to admit, Amy's pre-prepared lunches tasted better. Much better.
"That's strangely disappointing.", Howard answered and started picking at his own food. "I've been getting used to watching food porn and getting jealous over lunch."
Sheldon gently rolled his eyes. It had become a habit of his friends to comment on the food Amy prepared for them both.
"If you must know, Jared is taking Amy out to a special birthday lunch, and I told her not to worry about me. Also, I was busy planning the rest of her birthday, so I did not have time to prepare more than a sandwich today. Which is fine, because there will be plenty of food later on."
"Right. It's Amy's birthday. Penny mentioned something.", Leonard nodded. "She was a bit disappointed in you two for still not making another trip here. She and Bernadette really wanted to take her out."
"We just had so much to do.", Sheldon said apologetically. "With the wedding. Plus, December is a very busy month for the choir."
He took another bite of his sandwich and scrunched up his nose. It did not taste bad, but it was not what he was used to.
"I should have planned this better. This is no adequate lunch.", he mumbled more to himself than to the others.
"Well, it looks better than that green stuff on Raj's plate.", Howard sneered.
"Hey, leave me and my vegetables alone.", Raj protested. "I'm going on a date tonight and I want to be in good shape."
After the chorus of 'uuh's and 'aaah's had died down, Leonard asked Raj to elaborate.
"Her name is Anjali. She's a law professor at UCLA. I met her at the planetarium, and we are going to have dinner tonight."
"Really?", Howard asked. "I thought you weren't interested in dating more women that saw you on stage there."
"Well…", Raj shrugged. "She seemed nice. And I think it's best to at least try to move on from… to uhm, move forward with my dating life."
Sheldon nodded. He had sometimes thought about Raj and the things he had said during their gaming day in Medford.
Even if dating random women would never have been a solution for himself, Sheldon did genuinely hope it would work out for Raj.
"Well… now we know about Raj's plans.", Howard said as he took a forkful of his pasta salad. "Leonard and I will be playing board games and watching all our kids together because Bernie and Penny are working late again. That leaves you, Sheldon. Any big plans for Amy's birthday?"
"It's Monday, that means, we're going to choir practice. Or so Amy thinks, but we are really having a surprise party for her at the practice room. My mother's currently busy finishing the cake and Missy is already there, decorating the room with some of our friends."
"I never thought I would see the day when you are throwing a surprise party.", Leonard said and shook his head amused. "It seems like yesterday when you explained to everyone why we should not be having these kinds of parties at the apartment."
Sheldon grinned in response. He was really proud of himself for pulling this off. Although he had never cared about birthday celebrations or parties in general, he felt, he did a good job, making this day special for Amy.
The rest of the lunch break was spent talking about the next upcoming movie out of the Star Wars franchise.
Sheldon sighed when he ended the call. His stomach felt weird at the thought of everyone watching that movie without him.
He would go see it with Amy next week and he loved her for doing this for him, but even if he tried to fight it, even if he knew it might seem juvenile to others, he did sometimes miss having his friends close to do these kinds of things together.
Over the afternoon, he received numerous calls from the people that were already at the practice room preparing everything, asking his opinion on several details, and all too soon, it was time to get dressed.
Amy was grinning from ear to ear when she came home.
Apparently, all her students had sung 'Happy Birthday' for her. In her hands, she was carrying a big box filled with little presents she had been given during the day. Little boxes of chocolates, flowers, handwritten cards.
"This is the best birthday ever.", she said and kissed his cheek. "First your thoughtful present. Breakfast in bed. Birthday lunch… I've never been celebrated like this."
Sheldon bit his lip. She had no idea how much she would still be celebrated today.
A little later, it was time to go to 'choir practice'.
Amy kept looking at him strangely as they were walking from their house to the practice room at the church and before they could enter, she stopped him.
"Sheldon… you look… very handsome today.", she told him.
He smiled at her. It was her birthday, and he was getting a compliment? Maybe he should be wearing dress shirts more often.
"Thanks. And you look pretty as always.", he told her and reached for the door.
"Wait.", she said and grasped his hand.
He turned to her, curiously.
"You look… very handsome.", she repeated. "You are not dressed for a simple choir practice."
Drats.
"What are you saying, Amy? Do you not usually find me handsome?", he asked, raising his eyebrows, hoping to divert her suspicion.
"You know that's not what I meant.", she said impatiently. "Sheldon… is it possible that… we are not going to choir practice at all?"
He blinked. He knew he could not lie to her. But maybe he could answer evasively.
"We are standing in front of the practice room on Monday evening. What else would we be doing here?", he asked, although he could feel his right eye starting to twitch.
She gasped. "You are throwing me a surprise birthday party? Are you for real?"
Sheldon sighed deeply.
"Well… I guess the cat's out of the bag now. I should have thought this through."
He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. Of course Amy would notice his unusual attire. How could he not have thought of that.
Too late, he realized he could have just told her he would be taking her out for dinner later and that's why he had dressed up. And just when he thought he had it all figured out…
Amy squealed and threw herself into his arms before planting a kiss on his mouth.
"I can't believe you did this.", she said. "Sheldon, seriously. It's too much."
"I just wanted you to be happy today.", he said softly as he held her by her elbows. "It's your first birthday since we started our relationship. I can't believe, I ruined the surprise."
Amy grasped his cheeks and kissed him again sweetly, which, for a second, made him forget why they were here in the first place.
"You did not ruin anything, Sheldon. You have no idea how much this means to me. I am used to… feeling lonely at my birthday and wishing for the day to be over. But with you… Sheldon, I keep thinking my life cannot get any better, and then you go and do something like this. Your whole presence in my life is the best possible surprise I could have ever gotten."
His heart did a little flip.
"I feel the same way about you.", he told her. "I don't even like surprises, but you… I am still baffled by the way I feel about you."
He had hardly finished the sentence, before he felt her lips on his again. This time, he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss.
The others could wait a few minutes, this was more important.
He allowed himself to dwell in this tender moment for a while longer, until Amy pulled away breathlessly.
She smiled at him brightly, and his heart missed another beat. He couldn't wait to get her home and resume their own private celebration.
This time, she did not stop him when he opened the door to the practice room. They were met with the sight of their friends and family who had been waiting for them.
"SURPRISE", they all shouted, much too loud for Sheldon's liking.
To her credit, Amy still acted surprised.
Sheldon was proud of her. There were even tears in her eyes as she took in the scene in front of them.
He had to admit, it was impressive, what their friends and family had done.
There were balloons and posters everywhere. A beautiful tablecloth on the table they usually sat at after practice, a buffet with all kinds of little snacks. And then, in the middle of all of it, there was a delicious looking three-layered cake.
There was also a little table in the corner of the room, with a pile of neatly wrapped presents in various sizes.
He was so occupied looking at everything that he had not even noticed how the choir had assembled, until he heard the sound of an electric guitar, played by Jared's husband Greg.
He turned around and grasped Amy's hand tightly as they listened to their friends sing a Beatles-song in honor of Amy's birthday.
You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
While he and Amy were listening, Joshua ran up to Amy and hugged her tightly.
"Happy Birthday, Aunt Amy.", he squealed and handed her a card he had apparently drawn himself.
Sheldon felt a wave of affection for the boy as he looked at it.
It was a drawing of them at the zoo. Joshua in the middle, Amy and Sheldon holding his hands. Ellis was in her stroller next to them, and two koalas were sitting on a tree in the background.
Sheldon was used to getting drawings like that. They were all over the fridge at meemaw's house. But it was the first time Joshua had drawn one specifically for Amy.
"Thank you, Joshi.", Amy breathed out and there were even more tears now gathering in her eyes.
Although Sheldon did not particularly enjoy parties, he had to admit, this was one of the best he had ever attended.
The food was delicious. The music was bearable and not too loud. There were no ridiculous party games, but there was dancing, which he always enjoyed very much, as long as it was with Amy.
Georgie stopped by a little later, gifting Amy a voucher for new tires and a new book from a series that she had started reading recently.
For a second, Sheldon just stood there and took in the scene.
All those people, that loved Amy enough to help make this night happen. And Amy in the middle of it all. She looked so happy.
One by one, their friends from Pasadena called to wish her a happy birthday. Everyone except for Raj, who was probably busy with his date.
A small part of Sheldon wished they could all be here tonight as well, mingling with the members of the choir, and he wondered, if Amy thought the same thing when she was answering their calls.
The night flew by quickly and one by one, their guests left. The opened presents were already in Missy's car, and most of the mess was cleaned up.
It was already late, when Sheldon was sitting at the big table next to Amy. His siblings were still there, and so were Jared and Greg. Soft music was still playing from the stereo and Sheldon enjoyed being part of this group of unlikely friends that had become so important, not just to Amy, but also to him.
After a while, the conversation shifted to his and Amy's wedding plans.
"No, we still haven't decided on a venue.", Amy answered Greg's question. "The ones we looked at are either too far away from Medford or much to big and fancy for the small ceremony we have in mind."
Sheldon nodded in agreement. "Plus, the ones that we liked have a long waiting list for every weekend in May. Just like our friend Raj has warned us."
Missy seemed to choke on her drink for a second and Amy patted her back while Sheldon looked at her questioningly.
This statement could not be a surprise for her. As maid of honor, she had been at every venue they had looked at.
"Well, we're still looking.", Missy remarked as she finally got her coughing under control again. "Amy and I will be looking at four more venues in January. Plus, what does Raj even know about venues here in East Texas?"
"Hey, why don't you just do it here?", Jared suggested then. "The church is beautiful, and if the weather is good, you could have the reception outside."
Sheldon shuddered. It was a question his mother had asked several times already and he was glad to have Amy back him up in this.
"We are not so keen on getting married in a church.", she answered for both of them. "We will find something else. There's still time."
With that, the topic shifted again. To Jared and Greg's situation.
"Our application to adopt is still pending.", Jared said sadly. "We have submitted all the documents and went through a very thorough background check. Our case worker says it all looks good. But our chances would be much greater if we weren't living in our small apartment. It is barely big enough to raise a child there."
Amy furrowed her eyebrows.
"But I thought you were going to make an offer on that house on Peach Street. What happened?", she implored.
"We did.", Greg nodded. "We offered the full asking price. But it was refused right away."
"I'm sorry to hear that.", Sheldon said sincerely.
"Sorry?", Missy exclaimed. "This is outrageous."
"Why would it be outrageous?", Sheldon wondered. "Someone probably offered a higher price."
He felt sorry for Jared and Greg, especially because Jared had told him about their plans to adopt when they had met up last to talk about the choir's progress. Because of recent events, he understood the urge to become a father.
But he did not understand why everyone looked so unhappy. There surely must be other houses on the market.
Amy nudged him gently.
"Sheldon, there's a reason why all their offers are getting denied. The house on Peach Street… if you ever looked at it, you knew there is no way anyone else would bid anything close to the asking price."
"Yes, and remember that other house on Cypress Lane?", Georgie chimed in. "I know the couple that got it. They offered less than Jared and Greg. Sheldon, you must understand that this is not adding up. Right?"
"Oh."
Sheldon finally understood and his face hardened.
He enjoyed living in Medford so much. He and Amy had this amazing group of friends and the people from the choir were all so wonderful. Sometimes, it all made him forget the uglier side of this smalltown life in East Texas.
"I can't believe some people here are still so narrow minded.", he admitted. "Who in their right mind would not sell their house to the highest bidder?"
It truly baffled him. If even a Baptist church choir could accept them, then why were other people against Jared and Greg buying a house and starting a family?
"Probably the same kind of people who saw what I went through and would call me a whore or tell me to leave.", Missy said sadly.
"Are you still getting these messages?", Amy asked her softly.
Missy nodded.
"At least twice a week, yes. I'm just glad that Joshua hasn't seen any of them."
Sheldon agreed with that. The little boy really did not deserve to worry about his mother.
"Maybe you should install a security camera.", he suggested. "Or… and I know I have told you that often before… call the police."
Missy just shrugged him off.
"Oh Shelly. I did call the police. They said it's probably just a stupid prank and I think they are right. We've never had a security camera at mom's house, and I don't want to be bullied into changing this. Those messages will stop eventually if we stop paying them attention. Let's not make a big deal out of it."
Maybe Missy was right. Maybe he was just so much on alert because of everything that had happened the year before. Still, Sheldon couldn't help but feel helpless.
For the past months, he had started thinking about Medford as this idyllic, safe place. Unlike during his childhood, he loved being here now. Everything felt calm and harmonious. It bothered him greatly that there were people out there, trying to make Missy's life harder. And Jared's. And Greg's.
He wished there was something he could do. Something to protect this little sanctuary.
"Well enough of that.", Missy shouted, after everyone had been silent for a while. "It's still Amy's birthday. Come on, birthday girl, let's kill that last bottle of champagne before we leave."
The girls went over to the fridge to fill the glasses and Sheldon watched them, shaking his head amused. He made a mental note to prepare some pain killers and a glass of water for the morning. So Amy would not have to go to work with a headache.
He was snapped out of his thoughts though when he heard Amy's phone ring.
Trying to locate the sound, he figured out it was in her purse that was – as usually – draped over one of the chairs around the table.
"Amy? Your phone's ringing.", he called out as he went to retrieve it.
"Can you answer it for me?", she asked him, as she was still standing at the fridge. "It's probably just someone calling to wish me a happy birthday."
At that moment, Missy turned up the volume of the music again, and so, Sheldon quickly went outside to answer Amy's phone.
"Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler's phone. This is Dr. Sheldon Cooper speaking."
"Hello. Uhm…", he heard a male voice. "I'm sorry. Uhm… Is Amy not available?"
The voice sounded caught off-guard. Who was that, Sheldon wondered. A man whose voice he did not recognize called Amy on her birthday. And addressed her by her first name.
"No, she is not. Dr. Fowler is having an important conversation right now. May I ask who I am talking to this late?"
There was a short pause on the other end of the line. The mystery man seemed to hesitate.
"This is Larry Fowler. Amy's father. I tried calling before, but no one answered. May I ask why you are answering my daughter's phone so late? Who am I talking to?"
Sheldon's blood ran cold.
He chastised himself. Way to make a good impression on his future father-in-law.
"I am sorry, Mr. Fowler, I did not realize.", he answered quickly. "This is Sheldon. And may I say it is so nice to finally talk to you. You have an extraordinary daughter."
There was another pause.
"Sheldon who?"
What did he mean, Sheldon who?
"Sheldon Cooper, sir.", he said gently. "Amy's fiancé."
There was an audible gasp on the other line.
And then yet another long pause before the line disconnected.
Sheldon stared at the phone in his hand.
How strange.
How could Amy's father not recognize his name?
Oh no. Was he suffering from some kind of dementia? Was that why Amy had never introduced them?
Or…
Sheldon gasped.
Was it possible that Amy's parents did not know about him?
Raj's POV
Raj nervously took a sip from his wine glass, as he studied the woman sitting in front of him.
It had been a nice surprise, when the beautiful lady had approached him after his last planetarium show and asked him if he wanted to have dinner with her.
He had no choice but to say yes to her.
Anjali, that was her name, had caught his eye the moment she had sat down in the audience.
She was very pretty. A little bit taller than he was, but that was okay. He kind of always had a thing for tall women.
Her eyes, the color of dark chocolate, were captivating and seemed to sparkle with every word she spoke.
And her smile. Playful and sweet. It complimented her soft, melodious voice, as she told him about herself.
Going out with her tonight was exactly what he needed.
For once, because it distracted him from his unwelcome feelings for the woman who he knew would always be unreachable for him.
And of course, also, because it was one less lonely evening.
The fact that his parents would approve of her, was only a small bonus.
The evening was going well. Very well.
Hell, he might be taking her to his apartment later.
They shared stories about their childhoods and how it had been like, moving to America, far away from their families.
She told him about her interest in hiking and nature and classical music.
And he told her about his love for the stars and his cooking skills.
They had been making loose plans to go on a hike together someday soon, somewhere they could watch the stars together.
She mentioned that her favorite movie was 'Eat Pray Love' and he told her how much that movie had changed his own life.
Well, he had to admit… maybe he was swooning a little too much about Julia Roberts and how much he loved all the movies she was in. And yes, it was probably not wise to mention how Sandra Bullock was even more astonishing. But he just couldn't stop himself.
Before he knew, he was telling her in detail about everything he adored about her movies. The romance. The comedy. The settings. The outfits. Oh, there was so much to talk about.
But after a while, he noticed how his date was looking at him differently. The spark was gone from her eyes, and her smile had vanished.
Raj started second-guessing himself. Maybe he should have saved this talk for their second date.
Just before he could change the subject, Anjali received an emergency call from a friend who was apparently at the hospital after an unfortunate accident that involved stumbling over a pet rat.
His offer to drive her to the hospital was brushed off, as expected, and all too soon, Raj found himself sitting at the table all by himself.
Which… he probably should have seen coming.
Another ordinary date night for Raj.
"What the hell is wrong with me?", he asked no one in particular.
It was not fair.
Was he really so much harder to accept and love than all his friends were?
Or how come they all were settling down with women who sometimes rolled their eyes at their antics but otherwise loved them exactly how they were?
Amy's face entered his mind again.
Deep inside, he wished, he could spend her birthday with her. He would not have brought her to some small stuffy choir practice room at the backside of a church with creaking floorboards and a bunch of smalltown people.
No, he would have taken her out to an upscale restaurant. Or better yet. He would have surprised her with a trip to Paris or Rome. You only turn forty once in your life after all. Maybe he would have taken her to see an opera and afterwards he would have taken her home, scattered a trail of rose petals on the floor and…
Oh God, this was wrong on so many levels.
He really, really had to stop thinking like this about Sheldon's fiancée. Or about the fact that he hadn't even called her to wish her a happy birthday tonight.
It was better this way. Better to not hear her voice. To try not thinking of her.
He smirked when he realized that Missy would probably kill him for still having these thoughts in the first place.
For a moment, he thought about calling her. To find out how Amy's birthday party went. Tell her about his failed date. Ask her how she and the kids were doing.
Although Missy surely wasn't interested in hearing anything from him. Not after the way he had humiliated himself in Texas a few weeks ago.
Missy had every right to be mad at him because of his feelings for Amy.
It was horrible. He knew that.
Raj just couldn't help it. The way Amy tolerated all of Sheldon's behaviors. She was a saint. Surely the most patient woman on the planet.
He wanted that too. A woman to cherish him even if she did not agree with his interests. Even if she found him ridiculous at times. But still loved him for who he was.
Raj waved for the waitress and paid the bill before he went home.
It was still early, so he stopped on the way and got himself a huge can of ice cream to eat while watching Bridget Jones.
Screw the calories.
He needed at least one good thing tonight.