Chapter Text
So, this is the missing moments sequel I've been talking about. This is going to jump around and will follow Sheldon and Penny from BEFORE News Article Significance to beyond. It's just a fun little scrapbook of their lives together. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
Every little girl tries to envision their wedding day. We try to imagine how our dress will look, what kind of flowers we'll carry and how we'll wear our hair. We dream about this day from the second we're old enough to understand what it is. We steal the clean, white bed sheets out of the linen closet and prance around the house with them hanging off of our heads in a vague representation of a veil.
We know exactly how we want our wedding day to be…
Until we actually plan it.
So, when I was a little girl, I imagined I was going to marry one of the Backstreet Boys (which one I married was negotiable, but preferably Nick.) I decided that Nick (or A.J., Brian, Howie or Kevin…whatever) and I would get married at Disney World, and I would wear a princess gown and he would sing me a song that he wrote for me…or whoever it was that wrote the Backstreet Boys' music.
Not the point.
So, you can imagine my surprise, when not only did I not end up engaged to one of the Backstreet Boys, but instead to a man who I wasn't even sure I liked when I first met him.
I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that Sheldon Lee Cooper was a big bag of crazy stuffed into a pair of plaid pants and a superhero T-Shirt. But somehow, the big, goofy genius made me fall in love with his patented blend of condescension and cluelessness, and nine months of dating and a two month engagement, here we are.
The first thing my mother said when I informed her that I was engaged and that we were going to get married in two months?
"You're pregnant, aren't you?"
"Oh my God, no!" I'd cried, turning an awful shade of crimson. I love my mother, but sometimes, she's about as thick as Mrs. Wolowitz's cankles. I carefully explained that Sheldon and I had decided to have a very low key ceremony and reception, only inviting family and close friends.
So, we planned our wedding in two months. Now, for those of you wondering, I don't recommend planning a wedding in two months. Long engagements are fine. Heck, at this point, I would have eloped if I wasn't terrified that between my mother and Mrs. Cooper, that they would hunt us down.
To appease the steel fortress that is Mary Cooper, Sheldon and I agreed that we would get married in a church (even though neither of us is particularly religious. And by that, I mean, Sheldon is a screaming atheist and I don't really know what I believe). It doesn't matter to us where it happens, as long as the end result is the same.
It amazes me how in tune he and I can be one minute, in complete agreement, and then, the next, we're at each others' throats, arguing. Of course, it does help now that our relationship has evolved into a carnal nature since Shelly Bean finally discovered sex is fun. We've kind of been making up for lost time. Thank Jesus for birth control, or else my mother may not have been far off by this point.
My sister, who is recently divorced, isterrified to get married again and told me she doesn't think she ever wants to "put a label" on the love she shares with Stuart. (He's the guy who runs the comic book store.) I'll put a label on that relationship right now.
Actually, I have no words for it. It's weird, it's goofy and it works for Darcy, so it works for me. After being married to the king of the morons for seventeen years, it's no wonder the poor girl is scared to death of it, even though her eighteen year old son, my nephew, keeps telling her to go for it. Since he graduated school and moved across the country to attend M.I.T., Darcy relocated from Omaha to California.
Ironically, she's working at The Cheesecake Factory, a delightful establishment that I was occupied by for eight years. Sheldon is tickled to death by this, since we go there every Tuesday night so he can get his usual O.C.D. cheeseburger brought to him by a trusted friend and future family member.
Yeah, Sheldon doesn't trust anyone with his food…or his laundry…or anythingreally.
I mean, he trusts me…but I get naked with him and sing to him when he's sick, so he has to love me.
And I really do love him. I mean, okay…when you first meet Sheldon, he can be a little…uh, I believe the word I'm searching for is arrogant. Sheldon loves himself. He knows he's brilliant and he can't ever admit he's wrong and if he doesn't get his way, it's like living with a toddler who never grew out of the terrible twos.
Or, in this case, the terrible thirty-twos.
But then, when you get past all of that…loony…there's another side to the man whose grandmother refers to him as "MoonPie." He's sweet, thoughtful and he is the most giving person I have ever known.
He's the best friendMI ever had. (Besides my girl Amy, of course.)
My apartment is full to the brim with women. Cooper, Austen, Landry, Hofstadter, Lee and Wolowitz. The weird thing is, I think I'm the calmest of the bunch. My mother and Mary Cooper have their heads huddled together as they discuss their future grandchildren (which is a frightening thought in itself).
I'm sitting atop one of my kitchen stools clutching a cup of coffee as I take it all in silently, feeling oddly at ease. Most brides are nervous on their wedding day, but I feel peaceful, relaxing against the tile of the counter.
"Crazy lot we've saddled ourselves with, Gingersnap, aren't they?" MeeMaw asks with a devilish grin, setting a plate of eggs and bacon before me.
"They'll do," I respond, wrinkling my nose affectionately down at Sheldon's beloved grandmother. "I can't believe it's finally here," I muse, taking a sip of my coffee.
"Honey, I can't tell you how happy I am to see this day, but I never doubted it would come," she informs me, moving around the counter beside me and pulling a folded piece of paper from her jacket pocket. "I want to show you this. I think you'll appreciate it." Taking it, I unfold it carefully and begin to read the small, masculine scrawl.
Dear MeeMaw,
Today I am faced with an interesting conundrum. A girl recently moved into the apartment across the hall, where Louie/Louise used to live, and I find myself confused by her. She's hardly a genius. I doubt that she's ever set foot inside a college, and she confirmed to Leonard and I that she puts stock in hokum beliefs such as astrology. But, even though I try to dismiss her as nothing but a frivolous, immature party girl, I find her utterly and completely interesting. She's an enigma I cannot solve, because I simply do not understand her. I have dedicated my life to science, yet the only thing on my mind recently is the fact that she has green eyes.
She sang me Soft Kitty, MeeMaw.
Her name is Penny.
How do I stop these thoughts?
-Shelly
This is mind blowing for several reasons, but mostly for the fact that it was written five years ago, when Sheldon was my skinny neighbor with no social skills. Back when I was a waitress who was picking up the broken pieces of my life and trying to find out where I belonged in the world. And I found it.
I belong right here with these six amazing people, who I love and who I could not have survived without. Especially the three tiny men and the giant Whack-A-Doodle, who I'm marrying in a few hours.
"You see?" MeeMaw grins, taking the letter back and refolding it. "I told you Shelly thinks the world of you."
"Yeah, but at the time, I didn't know you mean like that…why didn't you tell me?" I laugh, shaking my head as she puts an arm around my waist.
"Because ya wouldn't have believed me, little girl," she finishes, looking up at me and I'm kind of caught off guard for a second, choking up a little. MeeMaw frowns worriedly at my Lifetime Movie moment.
"My Gran used to call me 'little girl,'" I explain in a tight voice.
"Sounds like your Gran and I would have been good friends, eh?" She grins, squeezing my waist. "Now eat that food, before I have to force feed ya. I won't have ya walkin' down the aisle on an empty stomach." As she moves away, I laugh a little to myself and take a bite of eggs.
"Bestie," Amy says, moving beside me and leaning against the island, "I just want you to know that if you need help getting into your lingerie, I'm willing to take one for the team." I chuckle, reaching out and putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Thanks, Bestie," I tell her, "I'll keep that in mind."
"Sheldon just texted me," Amy adds, grinning, "He said Leonard is a nervous wreck. Look," she adds, holding her phone up for me to read.
Amy,
Please do something about Leonard. He is a nervous wreck. I should have known that someone with his disposition couldn't handle the pressures of being the Best Man.
"Oh, God," I sigh, rolling my eyes. Poor Leonard.
"Don't worry," Amy assures me, "I take my Maid of Honor position very seriously. I sent Leonard a few racy photos of myself via text, so I'm sure he'll be able to calm down soon enough." I almost spit out my mouthful of eggs and bacon at this, because she spouts this stuff off with such nonchalance, that it's crazy. "Oh, don't look at me like that," she grins, "you know as well as I do that Leonard can't function at the sight of a naked woman. It will get him out of Sheldon's hair…for a few minutes anyway."
"Oh, God," I repeat, cringing and grabbing my phone to dial my crazy fiancé, who picks up on the first ring.
"Dr. Sheldon Cooper speaking," he says and I have to bite back a string of sarcastic comments, but it is our wedding day. I should probably be nice.
"Um, yes, Dr. Cooper, I was just calling to ascertain your current state of emotional temperament and to make sure that you have consumed an appropriate amount of breakfast," I rattle off, rolling my eyes and smirking like a moron. My mother and Mary probably think I've gotten into Mrs. Wolowitz's valium or something.
"Penny?" Sheldon asks, sounding confused and making me laugh out loud.
"Yes, you butt! Who the hell answers their phone, Dr. Sheldon Cooper speaking?" I chortle, dropping my fork and clutching my sides.
"Hmm, yes…your relentless guffawing is rather becoming as well," Sheldon sighs dryly, but it kind of sounds like he's smiling a little.
"Oh, shut it, MoonPie," I reply, wiping at my eyes, "has Leonard calmed down?"
"Oh, that," Sheldon answers, dismissively, not even bothering to correct my calling him 'MoonPie,' "there was a slight panic when he thought he lost the wedding rings."
"What?" I shriek, panicking. We had those custom engraved and they weren't exactly cheap!
"Oh, Penny, Penny, Penny," Sheldon sighs, "When will you learn to let me finish?" I know he's smiling now, even if he is trying his hardest to sound exasperated with me. He does that.
"Oh, Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon, when will you learn that I will go Junior Rodeo on your ass?" I fire back, my heart still pounding, "so what happened?"
"It was a moment of momentary panic I will admit, but all for naught," he explains, calm as ever (all for what?), "Leonard had placed them into the inside pocket of his jacket."
"Oh," I breathe, sagging against the counter in sheer relief.
"Yes, he is now seeking refuge in the bathroom to calm himself down," Sheldon finishes and I wince, because I remember that Leonard is in the bathroom with naughty photos of his wife, who is currently having a full discussion with my sister about how male gorillas show dominance and how human men are similar. Darcy looks a little lost, but she seems to like Amy, so I don't need to intervene.
"Okay, well…I have to go get my hair done…I guess I'll see you in a bit."
"Very well," Sheldon agrees, and we both hang on the line for a minute. Looking around, I make sure I'm out of everyone else's earshot before speaking again.
"I love you, you know," I tell him, feeling both like a huge sap and kind of giddy too.
"I love you too, Penny. Goodbye," He tells me, hanging up. It's funny, because Sheldon always has to be technical and wordy with everything he does. (I'm not kidding. He tried explaining to my why I enjoy having oral sex done to me, whilehe was doing it.) But, when he says he loves me, it's never wordy or technical. He just says it. And it's nice.
I'm a pretty low maintenance bride. My dress is really pretty, but I didn't need to go through eighty other gowns to find it. It was the first dress I tried on and I fell absolutely in love with it. The bodice is off the shoulder and beaded, but the part of the dress that I love the most are the show stopping ruffles that are draped all around the skirt and the hem. It is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen.
It's really funny, because I used to love shopping when I didn't have money. Since I started working on Home Planet, and I actually make money, I don't want to spend it. So, when I found this dress for five hundred and fifty dollars, I was ecstatic. Amy was, of course, with me at the time, and we'd gone into the bridal salon on a whim. I just wanted to look.
Since I'm crazy and decided to get married two months after I was engaged, I had lucked out when the sales associate brought it out to show me. A bride had gotten the dress in and canceled her purchase when she realized she didn't like it. So, it had never been worn or taken in. Funny, because my horoscope that morning had read:
Sagittarius: A stroke of luck will make your day better.
It wasn't wrong…just sayin'.
It surprises me how emotional I get at the sight of myself in a bridal gown. I'm not wearing a veil, only a couple of white flowered hair pieces that are stuck prettily into the loose waves of my long hair. My hair is nearly to my waist now, so I figure, why hide it?
Since neither Sheldon or myself are really that into big, overdone events, we opted to keep it simple and invite just family and close friends. (Which meant my parents, my brother and sister and my nephew.) Sheldon's family is a little bigger than mine, but most of them weren't going to be taking the trip. Just Mary, George Jr., MeeMaw and Missy, who is still a little skittish after her horrible engagement exploded. I know she's been in therapy, but she told me she's still not ready for anything and she certainly doesn't want to try dating for a while.
I can't really blame her. Getting your ribs broken and having bruised lungs wouldn't make me want to jump back into the dating pool. I can tell you from experience, broken ribs are no fun.
It's not until Dad comes into the back of the church, however, that this whole thing hits home. It's right after we get back from the hair salon and I just get my dress on. Thankfully, the door opens before Mom can start blubbering over me and Dad walks in, looking a little uncomfortable in a tux.
"Hey, Slugger," he grins at me, making me smile.
"Hey, Dad!" I gesture to his suit, "Nice…you got somethin' going on, or you just feel like dressing up?"
"Ah," he waves his hand dismissively, "just something I had, you know, lying around." We share a snicker and he surprises me by pulling me into a hug. "Geez, Penny…I knew you were a pretty girl, but you are really beautiful." He tells me, and I'm glad he can't see my face, but I hold him tighter, making him chuckle. "Quite a grip you got there, kiddo."
"I love you, Dad," I tell him, my voice muffled in the front of his jacket.
"Love you too, Penny. I'm proud of you," he adds, patting my cheek.
"Yeah?"
"I'm always proud of you, hon. You're strong. You're not like your brother and sister…they both lost their way, but you always knew where you wanted to go. And you got yourself a good guy…even if he is a little…eccentric."
"It's okay," I laugh, nodding, "You can say it. He's crazy. But I'm crazy about him, so I guess it all works out."
"Penny, any guy who looks at you the way he does is just fine in your Dad's eyes," he replies, kissing me on the forehead. "Just one question, though?"
"Shoot," I tell him, watching him glance around the church bridal room.
"You and Sheldon…you guys aren't all into this Jesus-y stuff, are you?"
I can't help it, I burst out laughing.
"No!" I choke, holding onto his shoulder and clutching my side. "This is all purely to make Sheldon's mother happy. Since it didn't matter to either of us where it happened, we figured, why not let her have this?"
"Really?" Dad asks, skeptically and I nod in defeat, biting my lip to keep from giggling.
"Sheldon is terrified of his mother."
"She is a little intimidating," Dad agrees, "Like a steel fortress of Jesus loving stubbornness."
"Penny? Wyatt?" Mom sticks her head in the room, sighing in relief at the sight of us. "It's time."
"Okay," I nod, letting her pull me into a tight, watery hug that's both kind of adorable and awkward at the same time.
"I can't believe you're getting married!" Mom sobs a little (thanks Darcy, for giving her that shot of Crown Royal.), "You're my baby, and you're getting married…"
"Okay, Roberta, give the kid some breathing room," Dad says, trying to pry her off of me, "You're suffocating her."
"And I'm twenty-seven," I remind her, patting her shoulder. "Come on, let's go get me married to Dr. Whack-A-Doodle."
"Doctor Who?" Mom asks, mildly confused, making me shake my head.
"No, that's a different doctor," I reply, unable to hide my smirk.
A couple of minutes later, Dad and I are standing behind Amy, waiting to walk down the aisle of the church that looks kind of like Hallmark threw up all over it.
"Brace yourself, Slugger," Dad leans over and whispers, gently nudging me with his elbow as Amy starts down. I feel a little weird for a second, because even though I'm an actress and I'm on a T.V. show, I am not entirely comfortable with a bunch of people gaping at me like I'm a goldfish in a bowl. My mother is openly weeping into my poor brother's shoulder while Mary Cooper dabs at her own eyes. MeeMaw is just grinning.
I finally drag my eyes away from the crowd and look toward the front. And I forget about everybody else in the room, because the only thing that matters is Sheldon, who looks so amazingly good in the tuxedo he's wearing with the four button jacket and white vest and tie. But I'm not looking at any of that.
I'm looking at his eyes.
He looks frozen to the spot. I don't even know if he's breathing, but I notice Leonard subtly nudge his arm to catch his attention, making him let out a long exhale.
When Dad and I reach the front, I give him half a grin.
"Hi," I murmur quietly. He inclines his head a little, his lips twitching upward slightly.
"Hello."
"Who gives this woman in marriage?" The Pastor asks, looking straight at Dad.
"I do," Dad says, pecking me on the cheek and crossing to sit beside my mother, who has finally turned off the waterworks.
"We are gathered here today to join together Sheldon Lee and Penelope Elizabeth in the covenant of Holy Matrimony. Please join hands," he instructs us, and we turn toward each other and take hands. It's at this point I'm really glad I wore flat shoes, because we're going to be standing for a while.
"Sheldon Lee, do you take Penelope Elizabeth for your lawful, wedded wife? Will you love, honor and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her, for as long as you both shall live?" Sheldon almost looks like he wants to question the wording of the vows for a moment, but I shake my head in a silent plea for him to just cooperate.
"I do," he answers in a steady, strong voice. (That's when Mary Cooper lets out a loud sob, making both of us snicker a little.)
"Penelope Elizabeth," The Pastor says, turning to me now, "do you take Sheldon Lee for your lawful, wedded husband? Will you love, honor and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," I nod, hating the stupid, breathy tone of my voice. Another sob, this time from Raj.
Sheldon's mother insisted on doing a reading at this point. Some Bible verse that Sheldon tried to argue with her about. It's a small price to pay to get through this day unscathed. After this, the Pastor asks for the rings, making me give Leonard a pointed look as he fumbles into his inner pocket for them, before handing them to the officiate.
"May this ring be blessed so that he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in peace, and continue in love until life's end," He says, holding up my ring and handing it to Sheldon.
"With this ring, I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment," he repeats, and that's when my heart goes into overdrive. When that ring finds its place at the base of my left fourth finger, I feel something shift. Like everything is locking into place…in a good way. That'swhen my eyes burn a little and I have to swallow the giant lump in my throat. The Pastor holds up Sheldon's ring.
"May this ring be blessed so that she who gives it and he who wears it may abide in peace, and continue in love until life's end." He places the ring into my shaking hand and I carefully uncurl Sheldon's long fingers, slipping the ring easily on him.
"With this ring, I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment," I rasp, blinking rapidly against the onslaught of unbidden tears, praying no one can see them.
Too late.
Very slowly and deliberately, Sheldon reaches out and wipes the tear trailing down my cheek with the pad of his thumb. I stop breathing for a second and manage to give him a wobbly smile before we join hands again.
"Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, by the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce Sheldon and Penelope husband and wife," He looks up at Sheldon and gives a nod of encouragement, "You may now kiss the bride."
Placing the fingertips of both hands on my cheeks, Sheldon stoops down and presses a chaste kiss against my lips, and we both kind of sag in relief that it's over.
"It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Dr. and Mrs. Cooper."
Oh that's gonna take some getting used to.
After we sign all of our paperwork, we pile into the limo with the rest of the wedding party and relax as we ride to our reception.
"Let's have a drink!" Howard announces, pulling the provided bottle of champagne from the bucket that it's chilling in.
"I don't drink," Sheldon protests, looking at me for help.
"It's okay. One drink won't hurt you, Sweetie," I assure him. "You don't have to drink the whole thing."
"Very well," he nods, as Howard quickly pours everyone a glass. "To Sheldon Cooper…the luckiest S.O.B. on the planet. Seriously, buddy…nice work."
"You disgust me," I tell him, taking a swig of my champagne and sharing a look with Bernadette. "I'm telling you, we have an extra room. Our door is always open."
"Untrue," Sheldon protests, setting his untouched champagne aside and giving me a wary look, "we lock our door at night, so therefore the door is not always open, and furthermore—"
"It's an expression, MoonPie," I explain, giving him a look, but unable to hold back a grin.
"Ooh! Do the one where your babies will be smart and beautiful!" Raj adds, giggling and raising an eyebrow at a bright red Leonard.
"What's that?" I ask, meeting his dark eyes. He shakes his head vigorously.
"Nothing," he assures me, glaring at slightly buzzed Raj.
"On the contrary," Sheldon scoffs, "that's what Leonard said the day we met you."
"Who could blame him?" Amy cuts in, putting her arm around poor, horrified Leonard, "With her complexion and her wide hips, she is a prime embodiment of fertility."
"Yeah!" Raj interjects, laughing harder, "and then, Sheldon said, 'Not to mentionimaginary!'"
"Okay, that's enough…" I tell them, taking pity on poor Leonard.
The first person we see when we arrive at the hall is Zack, who is hanging out outside with Stuart and reading the sign at the door with a puzzled look on his face. (Of course, that's how Zack normallylooks, so he might have just wondered how airplanes fly or something…)
Sheldon and I are the last two out of the limo, and thankfully, he helps me, because this dress is heavy! Zack approaches us when Darcy meets Stuart halfway, kissing him on the lips. Which is still weird to me for several reasons, but she's happy finally, so who am I to judge?
"Hey, Penny…I have a question," Zack begins, pointing at the sign that reads:
Congratulations, Sheldon and Penelope!
"You and Sheldon are married now, right?" He asks, looking between us. Glancing up at Sheldon, whose brows are furrowed together, I nod, wondering where he's going with this. "So who is 'Pee-na-lope?"
"Pee-na-lope?" I ask, feeling my eyes widen in disbelief as he points to the sign.
"Congratulations, Sheldon and Pee-na-lope," he repeats again.
"That's me, honey," I explain as gently as I possibly can.
"Penny…" Sheldon moans, rubbing his temple as if he is barely suppressing the urge to make fun of poor, dumb Zack.
"Was the starfish wearing boxer shorts? Because you might have been watching Nickelodeon."
"Zack, that's Penelope," I say, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing, digging my fingers into Sheldon's arm to keep his hole shut.
"Well, who's Penelope?" Zack inquires, looking even more confused than before.
"Again, me," I sigh, patting his arm.
"Shelly," Missy says, coming toward us, "Momma's all riled up about y'all. Ya better get in there." I begin to pull Sheldon toward the door.
"Well, we'd better get in th—"
"Hi, Zack Johnson," he says, forgetting the whole 'Penelope' thing and turning his attention to Missy, who is quite a sight in pale yellow. Her dark hair is getting long again and she's starting to look more like her old self, though she's still fidgety.
"Missy Cooper. Sheldon's twin sister," she tells him, shying away a little..
"I thought twins were identical—" Zack begins and I drag Sheldon past them, leaving them to it.
"Penny, I consider myself a patient man—" Sheldon starts, to which I interrupt.
"Ha!"
"—but sometimes, I fear for that man's well being in a world with sharp objects." I snort, laughing and bury my face into the sleeve of Sheldon's jacket.
"There ya are!" Mary cries, pulling us both into a tight hug. "Rajesh, Darlin'!" She barks at Raj, who is mid-sip on what looks like some kind of fruity drink. "Go tell that nice disc jockey that they're here. Y'all were almost late for your first dance!"
"Mother, I don't see the point in—"
"And now, may I present to you, Dr. and Mrs. Sheldon Cooper!"
"No backtalk!" Mary hisses at her son, kissing him quickly, "Get your fannies in there." I smirk, following Sheldon into the dimmed room, seeing my still teary, slightly boozy mother flanked between Tim and Dad. Tim looks a little distracted, but he looks better than I've seen him look in a while. At least he shaved. I notice at least four women all eyeing him, and he looks like he could care less, staring around nonchalantly.
The song we agreed to dance to comes on and I let Sheldon lead me onto the dance floor.
"You ready to waltz me around, MoonPie?" I ask, trying to flirt with my husband. (Yeah, that's weird!)
"Penny," his voice is resigned, "You have to bow," he reminds me for probably the hundredth time. "And don't call me—" I flash my left hand at it.
"I now legally have the right to call you whatever I want," I laugh, winking at him.
"You still have to bow," he says, which I do, because Lord knows the song is already half over by now. This time, however, is far different from the first time we waltzed, right after I moved into 4A last year. Sheldon now has no problem holding me. He doesn't even race off to find the nearest contamination shower anymore.
The rest of the night is a blur of faces and well wishes and toasts. By the end of the night, we're staggering up to our honeymoon suite at a nearby hotel, with a bag full of unopened wedding cards. Sheldon swiftly opens the door, reminding me of the night he proposed not so long ago and we stand in the open doorway, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Carefully, Sheldon sets the bag of cards inside the room and turns to me.
"What are you doing?" I ask, as he stares at me, assessing.
"I'm pondering the best approach to lift you so that I can carry you over the threshold," he replies, quickly. I put my hands up, laughing.
"Oh, no…you don't have to do that." Thisis the same guy who threw his back out handing Howard a library book. I witnessed it. (One of the funniest things I've witnessed.)
"It's not optional, Penny," he insists, stooping down and carefully sweeping me up into his arms. To his credit, we don't fall and I hold my own weight, wrapping my arms around his neck as he moves us inside and shuts the door behind us, setting me to my feet. "What do you want to do first?" He asks, looking down at me. Filled with affection for the big Whack-A-Doodle, I lean up on my toes and press a lingering kiss to his lips, before a slow smile spreads over my face.
"Let's open the cards," I say excitedly. "See how much money we get!"
"Very pragmatic," Sheldon agrees, picking it up and locking the door behind him. "I'll let you begin…Pee-na-lope."
We crack up.
Thanks for reading.
S