Opening the door to apartment 4A, Leonard entered, announcing, "You got a package. I think it's from your mom. It's from Texas."
Sheldon snapped up from hunching over his computer, spying the box in Penny's hands as she followed Leonard inside. "Weird. She hasn't mentioned sending me anything. Thank you." She passed him the package before he scurried toward his bedroom with it.
"That's not from his mom. It's from Amy," Penny waited until she thought Sheldon was out of earshot.
"What? Why would Amy be sending Sheldon something? They've hardly spoken since Thanksgiving as far as I know. Should I tell him I didn't know it was from Amy? He practically skipped to his room thinking Mary sent him a surprise package."
Penny reached out, placing her hand on her husband's shoulder. "I'm sure he's figured out that box is not from his mother. Let's give him some time; I'll check on him in a little while."
Sheldon set the cardboard box on his bed before reaching for the pair of scissors resting on top of his dresser. Opening the scissors, he swiftly sliced through the tape sealing the package. That was when he noticed the return address. "Huh, that's not Mom's address," he mumbled, beginning to unpack the mystery box. The first item he extracted was a well-worn t-shirt. "This is my shirt." Underneath the shirt was a neatly folded sheet of paper.
Unfolding it, he sighed, "Amy," before reading her carefully penned words.
Dear Sheldon,
Enclosed are a few items I found as I was packing my apartment. I know I could've brought them over and dropped them off myself, but I couldn't bring myself to bring the box in when I was there for New Year's Eve. In case you're wondering, the T-shirt is one I borrowed when you went on your train trip last summer. I kind of put it on a large bag of rice and would cuddle it when I was missing you.
"That explains why she had my shirt. What else did she still have of mine?" A smile spread across the physicist's face as he peeled back the bubble wrap from around the next item.
I know you'll say I could have kept the mug from the zoo, but koalas are your favorite animal. It felt wrong to keep it longer than I already have.
The mug's removal from the box allowed Sheldon to have a clear view of the next items in the box. A pair of plaid pajamas in a gallon-size plastic bag and the train he'd bought for Amy during their trip to Travel Town Train Museum.
Apparently, you had a second emergency kit at my apartment that I was unaware of when I collected your things after our breakup. I found this one on the top shelf of the linen closet, tucked in the middle of a pile of extra blankets. The train is lovely, but my new apartment is quite small and I won't have anywhere to properly display it. I thought it would be better to return it to you so it can be displayed and enjoyed as it should be.
I was given the brisket jerky as part of a welcome gift when I arrived. I know it's not your Meemaw's brisket, but I thought you might like it.
Realizing the emergency kit and train weren't the last items in the box, he removed them, placing them on the bed, revealing a package of beef jerky at the bottom of the box. Holding it to his nose, he took a whiff. "Mmm."
We talked very briefly in the weeks leading up to my leaving, mostly about the university and my new position. Polite small talk, I guess, as neither of us said much. I wish we'd been able to talk about us before I left. I tried at the New Year's party, but I chickened out.
I want you to know it wasn't the plan for me to move permanently when I applied with Rice; there was a semester-long fellowship open. I thought it would be good to try something different for a little while. When they offered me a full-time position, I spent many hours weighing the pros and cons. It was not a decision I made lightly.
While I regret how I ended our relationship, I'm glad we could part as friends.
I'll miss you, Sheldon.
Take care,
Sincerely,
Amy Farrah Fowler
Sheldon tucked his leg under himself as he sat on his bed, staring at the remnants of his relationship with Amy. He was reaching for the letter again when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in."
"Hey, what was in the box?" Penny quietly asked, having opened the door about a foot, only allowing her head to peek through.
"Would she have stayed if I agreed to be her boyfriend again?"
This question prompted Penny to fully enter the room that people weren't allowed in. "I don't know, sweetie, and I can't speak for her. What I do know is that she didn't accept the position until after Thanksgiving."
"She said she wishes we'd been able to talk about us before she left. You're her best friend. What does she wish we'd talked about?" Sheldon stared at Penny standing in front of him
Penny crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't know. She might have been hoping you would give her a reason to stay. You would need to ask her that."
"A reason to stay?" he stammered. "Why would she need a reason to stay? She didn't have to move if she didn't want to. She had a great job here."
"I don't know for sure, but what I think happened is it was difficult for her to be at work every day, knowing she might run into you. But again, you would need to ask her. You guys are friends. Call her. Let her know you got the box and her letter. Maybe it will open the door for that conversation," Penny briefly studied the man's body language, noting he was hunched over, staring at the letter in his hand. "Other than giving you a bunch of questions, are you okay?" Silently, Sheldon nodded. "Okay. I'll be in the other room if you need anything."
Rereading the letter multiple times, Sheldon reached for his phone from the nightstand next to his bed. Selecting the name that was at one time almost always near the top of his recent calls list, he felt his heart race faster with each ring. "Hi, you've reached Amy Farrah Fowler. I'm sorry I missed your call. Leave me a message."
"Hello, Amy. It's Sheldon, but I'm sure you already knew that. I wanted to let you know I received the box you sent. Thank you. I'd like to talk about your letter when you have time. Have a good evening."
I'm gonna try posting on Tuesdays movning forward. I'll keep you updated if I need to change that again.