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3rd POV
"Veronica, girl! Are you joining us for dinner tonight?" Connie called out as she placed the brisket in the kitchen.
George had already spotted the brisket and attempted to sneak a bite, only to have his hand smacked away—hard—by Connie.
Veronica smiled shyly. "I hope you guys don't mind me joining… Georgie invited me."
Connie raised an eyebrow before grinning. "Well… welcome to the family then."
"Mom…" Mary, who had been listening, looked at Connie in shock. Veronica was just as surprised, her face turning red at the unexpected statement.
"What?" Connie shrugged. "I like this girl. Georgie has damn good taste in women."
"Thank you… Memaw," Veronica said shyly, her cheeks still flushed.
"Haha, that's it! Let's get dinner ready, alright?" Connie said, clearly pleased that Veronica had called her Memaw.
Mary sighed. "Veronica, could you help me?" she asked, handing her a potato.
Veronica nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Cooper." she replied, taking the potato.
"Haha, Mrs. Cooper," Connie laughed, teasing Mary.
Mary's mouth twitched as she shot Connie a sharp glare. Veronica, realizing she may have said something wrong, looked apologetic.
"Forget about her," Connie said, waving it off. "Her face always looks like that."
"MOM!" Mary yelled, glaring at Connie, who was still laughing.
"See? No fun, right?" Connie whispered to Mary.
"Oh, I am fun!" Mary shot back before turning to Veronica. She pointed the knife in her hand at her and declared, "You better call me Mary from now on, or I won't approve of you being with my son!"
Veronica swallowed nervously and quickly nodded.
Meanwhile, Connie chuckled and leaned toward Veronica, whispering, "See? No fun, right? She didn't even say you could call her Mom… I'm kidding!" Connie laughed, quickly raising her hands as Mary brandished the knife at her instead.
Missy, who had been watching the exchange, nodded eagerly. "I want to call you Sister too!" she announced, leaving Veronica completely baffled.
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{To us Americans, dating in high school is just something you do. To me, I'd rather be alone, unraveling the secrets of the universe. The first time my brother brought Veronica home for official family dinner was also the first time I ever told my family that I had no intention of getting married.}
— Adult Sheldon
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Georgie's POV
Listening to the conversation in the kitchen, I couldn't help the goofy smile on my face.
"Stop smiling like that!" George muttered from his spot on the couch. He and Sheldon had been listening in on the women's chatter just as I had.
"What? Am I not allowed to smile when I'm happy?" I grinned at him.
"So, tell me… are you saying you're gonna marry Veronica?" Sheldon asked, looking at me skeptically.
I glanced at him. "I didn't realize you were interested in this kind of conversation."
Sheldon made a face of pure disgust. "I don't see why I should get married when the universe is waiting for me to unlock its secrets."
George nearly choked.
This was the talk. The one every father had with his son.
"So, you're telling me you're never gonna get married and have kids?" George asked, staring at him.
Sheldon shrugged. "That's right. I don't see the point if it would only hinder my pursuit of knowledge."
"What about children? You don't want kids?" George pressed, clearly getting frustrated.
Sheldon scrunched his nose. "Children? Those loud, smelly, annoying creatures that test your patience at every turn? No, thanks."
George looked absolutely baffled.
I could tell he was getting genuinely concerned and angry but he can't yell at him right now. "Sheldon, there is more than science in this world. You don't have to make a rash decision about this." George said and glanced at me.
"Sheldon," I finally spoke up, jumping into the conversation. "I believe you'll have someone in your life."
Sheldon looked at me. "Why?"
"Because I believe you'll meet someone," I replied simply, holding his gaze. "I believe you'll meet someone who makes you passionate about something other than science."
"I believe I'll be there at your wedding someday."
Sheldon muttered under his breath, "I don't understand why my future self would do such a thing…" but I heard him.
"We're just specks of dust in this universe, Sheldon." I said with a knowing smile. "We can't master time. Hell, we can't even master our own hearts," I continued, pointing to his chest.
"You might think everything will go exactly as planned. That life will unfold the way you expect it to. But the universe doesn't work that way. It'll slap you in the face so hard that you'll start questioning the very reason we exist. Don't be discouraged."
"That's why—I'll wait for you."
Sheldon looked confused, probably thinking my words made no logical sense. He had planned his life, every detail accounted for. Still, he just shrugged.
{It took a long time… but I found her, brother. I found them all.} — Adult Sheldon
I glanced at George, who was now looking at me with an awkward expression.
"Now, tell me—how long has it been since you last tried to get Memaw's brisket recipe?" I asked, smirking.
He grumbled. "Shut up."
I knew there was something deeper behind why George never got that recipe.
It was because Memaw still saw him as an outsider.
"Why are you so obsessed with Memaw's brisket anyway?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Why not make your own recipe?"
Sheldon nodded and added, "I understand that Memaw's brisket is exceptional. But why not create your own version?"
"It's not the same," George grumbled. He glanced toward the kitchen, then muttered under his breath, "Your Memaw's brisket is the best in all of Texas. I don't think anyone could make one like hers…"
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3rd POV
"You hear that?" Connie said, sipping her beer. "That's what he does in this family."
She raised an eyebrow at Veronica. "The old man of the house."
"Georgie is not old," Missy retorted, raising her own eyebrow.
"Not on the outside," Connie smirked, patting her chest. "But old on the inside."
"Stop talking—we need to get dinner ready," Mary huffed, but there was the slightest hint of a smile on her face.
Of course, they had all overheard the boys' conversation in the living room.
And for once, Mary was proud of Georgie.
Because instead of judging Sheldon, he understood him.
And better yet—he was teaching him.
Veronica glanced at the family before turning her dreamy eyes back to Georgie. The way she smiled at him was so radiant that even the Cooper family couldn't help but notice.
"I told you—she's absolutely smitten with Georgie," Connie whispered to Mary, watching Veronica closely.
Mary sighed and whispered back, "I just hope Georgie doesn't ruin her life."
"Like… knocking her up?" Connie smirked before walking away, leaving Mary glaring at her, the jab hitting harder than she would admit.
Missy also glanced at Veronica and, for some reason, nodded to herself—as if coming to a silent conclusion that only she understood.
"Alright, girls, let's set the table!" Mary said, snapping Veronica out of her thoughts.
Realizing she had been caught daydreaming about a future too far ahead, Veronica's cheeks turned bright red. She quickly grabbed some plates to escape Mary's gaze.
"I'll help set the table, Mary." she said, her voice a little higher than usual.
Mary shook her head with a small smile as she returned to her final touches in the kitchen. Connie, observing the two of them, couldn't help but grin—they already look like mother-in-law and daughter.