"Delta flight four-three-seven with service to Houston is now in final boarding at gate eleven," came a garbled voice from the overhead speakers lining the terminal.

Amy groaned, digging through her purse as she rushed toward the gate. Approaching the gate, she noticed the chairs were empty and the gate agent was glancing down the jet bridge. "Are you on this flight?" He called out when he noticed Amy approaching.

"This is the Houston flight, right?"

"Yes. And it looks like you're the last passenger we were waiting for. Boarding pass please," the agent held out his hand for Amy's boarding pass. "You're in nineteen B," he commented after scanning the paper.

Hurrying down the ramp to the waiting plane, Amy found the gate agent was correct. There was no one waiting to board in front of her. Stepping aboard the aircraft, she was instructed by the flight attendant, "Please place your bag in the first open overhead bin and find your seat as quickly as possible."

"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen," Amy silently counted each row until she reached her assigned seat. "Seriously?" she muttered to herself upon seeing her seatmate was someone she knew. "Hi, Sheldon," she changed her demeanor as she took her seat and fastened her seatbelt.

"Amy, hello," Sheldon looked up from his phone at the motion beside him and a familiar voice greeting him. "Is everything okay? It's unlike you to be the last person to board a flight. You're usually much more prompt."

Amy silently arranged her purse under the seat in front of her while the flight attendants made their safety briefing. "I was in Phoenix for a conference and was originally booked on a later flight. There wasn't anything on the schedule for this afternoon that I was interested in, so I decided to change to an earlier flight. There was an issue with my ticket to get through security so I had to go back to the counter, but the line took forever." Amy glanced to her left and noticed Sheldon was gripping the armrests, "Are you okay?"

"I hate flying. Can we not talk?" Sheldon mumbled as the plane picked up speed on the runway.

Halfway through the two-hour flight, Sheldon quietly asked, "How do you like Houston?"

"I've only been there for three months, and everything is still so new, but I'm enjoying it so far. Are you visiting your mom?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "Meemaw's birthday is this weekend. I can't miss Meemaw's ninetieth birthday. I try to book direct flights when I can, but I had to book a layover this time so Missy doesn't have to leave work early to pick me up from the airport."

What would have once been a comfortable silence between the pair was now anything but until Sheldon blurted out several minutes later, "I know you broke up with me because I wasn't a good boyfriend, but would it be okay if I emailed you from time to time? If I see a paper you've published or read one I think you might enjoy?"

"That'd be nice. You can call or text me, too. My number is still the same. Penny and Bernadette keep me updated on what's going on with you and the guys. They mentioned that you, Leonard, and Howard are working on something for the military. They try to keep me from feeling like I'm missing out on everything just because I'm halfway across the country. Bernadette said she'll be sure to have her baby shower on a weekend I can come out to California."

The former couple caught up on the past three months of one another's lives for the remainder of the flight and walked to collect their baggage together. "I'll admit, I wasn't thrilled when I boarded the plane and saw you were in the seat next to me. We haven't spoken since New Year's Eve, but we agreed to be friends. I think ending up next to each other for this flight was a good thing."

"I agree," Sheldon offered Amy a small smile. "Would you like to get dinner before I leave on Sunday afternoon? Meemaw's birthday dinner is tomorrow; other than that my schedule is open. Or we can get coffee or tea if you're not interested in dinner."

Amy nodded, "I guess. I know your mother always has your visits planned out, so why don't you let me know what works for you after you talk to her."

Sheldon stepped out of his Uber at the restaurant of Amy's choosing two days later to find her pacing outside the door. "Amy," he called out. "I'm sorry I'm late. It took almost fifteen minutes for an Uber to show up. When I requested it, the app said it would be less than five minutes. You could've waited inside for me."

"It's nice out, I'd rather be outside than inside a stuffy restaurant with the waiter looking at me like I got stood up." Amy entered through the door being held open by her ex-boyfriend.

"Two, please," he held up his index and middle fingers to the host just inside the door. "Do you have any tables outside?"

The host checked the chart on the podium in front of him before nodding and motioning for the pair to follow. "Outside?" whispered Amy, "Are you sure?"

Silently nodding, Sheldon led the way behind the host to a table on the patio on the side of the restaurant. Having sat down, and being left alone until the server approached, he explained, "You mentioned you'd rather be outside than inside a stuffy restaurant."

"Thank you, so how's work? How are the guys? Penny and Bernadette tell me the basics, but I want to hear your viewpoint."

Sheldon shared what he could about their military project as their entrees were delivered to the table until he changed the focus of the conversation to the woman sitting across from him. "What about you? How's Houston been treating you?"

"Honestly?" Amy asked, Sheldon's eyes boring into her as he nodded. "I don't know how much Penny shares, but I've been lying to her about how much I love being here. I don't exactly hate it, but I don't love it like I've been telling her I do. It's just okay. My life is a lot like it was before I met you and everyone else back home. I go to work. I go to the supermarket. I stop at the library. I go home. It's lonely." Sheldon opened his mouth to reply when he was cut off by Amy inquiring, "Where did you tell your mother you were going when you left? I imagine I'm not her favorite person after what I did, so I doubt she'd be thrilled to hear we were having dinner together."

"I told her I was having dinner with an old co-worker who recently started a new position in Houston. Close enough to the truth that she didn't suspect I was lying, yet far enough from the truth that she won't be asking me a lot of invasive questions about my evening when I return." Sheldon pushed the few pieces of broccoli around his plate as he asked, "Did you tell the girls we were having dinner?"

Amy shook her head, confirming, "No."

"Good."

"Good? Should I not mention this to them?"

"What if they think us having dinner together means we're getting back together? That's not what this is, is it?" Sheldon suddenly doubted the intended outcome of this meal.

Again, Amy gently shook her head, "That's not what this is. We're friends. Friends frequently meet for a meal when they happen to be in the same city. I'm sure it's all Penny and Bernadette would want to talk about if they knew."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Sheldon, startling the woman sitting across from him. "I'm glad we can be friends, Amy."

"Me, too," she agreed, offering a smile.