The Alternate Dimension

N I N E

"You know Sheldon, you've sighed for about 10 times in the last 5 minutes." Amy looks at her husband the moment she puts twins down for the night. They had a couple of hours to themselves before Luke and Leia would get hungry again. She sits beside her husband and looks at him, "Talk to me..."

Sheldon turns to Amy and holds her hand, "Amy...what do you think of change? Not the coin kind of change but the drastic one?"

She looks at him "Well, I think change is good. We had a lot of good changes like getting married, starting a family, winning the Nobel..."

"How about a change of location?"

"What do you mean?"

He sighs "Leonard had an interesting proposal a few days ago. He said since our family is growing, it might be a good idea to buy a house rather than stay in this apartment where you might kill off both of your toes."

She gasps and looks at her husband who not too long-ago dreaded change, and now actually suggesting it "Do you want to move? I mean this would be a big step for you."

He smiles and takes his wife's hand. "I think this is the right time for us. New environment, new house, just a drive away from our friends."

"You mean we would not be living next door to Leonard and Penny?"

"That might be possible." He smiles and kisses his wife "Maybe this is a good idea after all."

She looks at her husband sinking into their bed, "Yeah, good idea."

****

"What the hell, Leonard???" Amy rushes in their friends' apartment.

Penny and Leonard were pouring themselves coffee when they see their friend suddenly barges into their apartment. Amy sits in the counter and they pour her a mug.

"Good morning to you too." Penny tells her best friend. "Are you cranky due to lack of sleep?" Before Amy could answer, they hear Angie cry.

"Sheldon told me last night that Leonard suggested us buying a house. Don't you want me anymore? Am I intruding too much?"

Leonard takes a step back "I think I need to check on our daughter." He then rushes towards his crying daughter.

Penny laughs and looks at Amy "Ames, wasn't this what you wanted? For Sheldon to plant roots and be responsible?"

Amy sighs "Yes, but that doesn't mean I have to change anything in my life right now." She holds her best friend's hand "You don't want us here anymore? I thought we would be neighbors...forever?"

"Amy, why do you keep disappearing in the morning?" Sheldon comes in pushing the twins' stroller. "I just had a call with the real estate agent, he said the house I looked at yesterday was ready and we could move in anytime."

"That soon?" Amy suddenly perks up and looks at her husband.

"Yes, actually Leonard and I looked into real estate when the subject came up and..."

Before Sheldon could finish speaking, Amy storms out of the apartment leaving everyone speechless. At the same time, Leonard goes into the living room as Amy slams the door. "What's the matter with her?"

****

Amy sinks into her blanket realizing that everything's changing around her. She knows that Sheldon was the one who usually has the anxiety attack but this time she couldn't understand why she's feeling that way. She was supposed to be happy, she was supposed to look forward to a lifetime with the family they are now raising. But why does it feel so empty?

She hears her husband go into their room and feels the bed shift under his weight. She peaks and sees him look at her. "Where are Luke and Leia?"

"Leonard and Penny offered to look after them." He says, and she continues to sink lower into the mattress. He touches her arm "Is there something wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

She looks at him tears welling "That's the problem, Sheldon." She sits upright to look at her husband. "You're not doing anything wrong. But is it wrong for me to feel this way?"

"Feel what?"

"Feel like an asshole? I know you mean well but I can't help feeling nauseated whenever I think of this big change that is happening in our lives."

"Well, I used to feel that way." He takes her hand firmly in his and looks into her eyes, "But you taught me that change is constant. That it's the only constant thing in life. That change is good. And if I didn't accept change then, we wouldn't be married, wouldn't be winning the Nobel, wouldn't even be parents."

Amy looks at a sincere Sheldon. This is one of those rare times where he shows his emotions and she regrets that it was the time where she's a blubbering mess. "I'm sorry Sheldon, it's not that I'm not happy. I think I was just taken aback by the fact that everything's happening so fast." She moves closer to snuggle into Sheldon's arms.

In the past, he hated someone being so unusually close to him but having his wife in this embrace is now comfort for him. "If you aren't ready, we could postpone the plan?"

She looks at him and shakes her head, "No, don't. When can we visit the house?"

"Tomorrow. Besides, Leonard is thinking of getting the house next door." He says tightening his arms around her.

Amy smiles.