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Amy and Sheldon walked through the familiar halls of Caltech, side by side, as they made their way to the cafeteria for lunch. Amy’s 12-week pregnancy was still supposed to be a secret at work, but keeping it under wraps was proving more challenging than expected—thanks to her very talkative husband.
Sheldon, his pace brisk, was mid-sentence, oblivious to Amy’s growing exasperation. “I’ve been doing some calculations, and it seems that our baby has a statistically significant chance of inheriting our combined intellect. Imagine, Amy—a child with both our brains! The scientific community will surely take note.”
Amy glanced around nervously, shushing him for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. “Sheldon, would you keep your voice down? We agreed not to talk about this at work.”
Sheldon frowned, genuinely puzzled. “But why not? Leonard, Penny, Bernadette, Wolowitz and Koothrappali already know. Who else matters?”
Amy sighed, struggling to stay patient. “Because not everyone at work needs to know just yet. I don’t want people staring at me or asking questions until I’m ready.”
Sheldon tilted his head, as if processing this new data. “But people are going to notice your bigger boobs soon. That’s a telltale sign of pregnancy.”
Amy stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in disbelief. “Sheldon!”
He blinked at her, perplexed. “What? It’s a simple biological fact. Breasts enlarge during pregnancy to prepare for lactation. It’s only logical that people will notice.”
Amy put a hand to her forehead, feeling the onset of a headache. “Sheldon, people don’t stare at my boobs.”
Sheldon looked around as if checking to make sure no one else could hear their conversation, then leaned in slightly. “Raj does.”
Amy’s eyes narrowed. “Raj knows I’m pregnant, and he’s an idiot. Now, can we please not discuss this in public?”
Sheldon sighed, clearly not understanding the big deal. “But I’m just stating facts. You know how much I love facts.”
Amy huffed, pulling him by the arm as they continued walking. “I know you do, but this is a fact that needs to stay private for now, okay?”
Sheldon grumbled but nodded. “Fine, but it’s only a matter of time before people figure it out. Your midsection will soon expand, and then there’s no hiding it. You might as well make an announcement.”
Amy shook her head, trying to keep her irritation at bay. “Sheldon, not everything needs to be a grand announcement. Sometimes, people just want to keep things to themselves until the time is right.”
Sheldon considered this, his brow furrowed. “But if we tell people now, it gives them time to adjust to the news, thus reducing the shock when you start to show.”
Amy rolled her eyes. “Or, we can just wait until I start showing, and people will naturally adjust without us having to say a word.”
Sheldon didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he nodded anyway. “If that’s what you want, Amy, I’ll respect it. But don’t be surprised if someone with good observational skills—like Raj—figures it out sooner rather than later.”
Amy smiled, grateful for his attempt at understanding. “Thank you, Sheldon. I appreciate that.”
They finally reached the cafeteria, where the familiar buzz of conversation filled the air. As they entered, Sheldon scanned the room, spotting their usual table where Leonard, Howard, and Raj were already seated.
“Ah, there’s the gang,” Sheldon said, his tone lightening. “Let’s go join them.”
As they approached the table, Raj immediately looked up, his eyes briefly flicking down to Amy’s chest before he quickly looked away, trying (and failing) to be subtle.
Amy caught the look and shot him a glare. “Rajesh, stop staring at my boobs.”
Raj’s face turned bright red as he stammered, “I-I wasn’t staring! I was just, uh… admiring your necklace?”
Amy rolled her eyes. “Right. Because that’s totally believable.”
Leonard and Howard exchanged amused glances, clearly picking up on the tension. Leonard leaned in, smirking. “So, what’s going on?”
Sheldon, oblivious to the subtext, took his seat and announced, “Amy doesn’t want anyone at work to know she’s pregnant, even though it’s obvious that her physical changes will soon make it impossible to hide.”
Amy closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she felt the entire table go silent. She could practically hear the gears turning in everyone’s heads.
Howard was the first to break the silence, a grin spreading across his face. “Wait, are you guys still trying to keep that a secret? We all know!”
“Yes, you all know,” Sheldon said, leaning forward earnestly. “But I wanted to point out that others might start to figure it out, too.”
Amy let out a resigned sigh, feeling both exasperated and amused. “Well, it’s not like it’s going to be a secret forever. But I was hoping to keep it under wraps a little longer, Sheldon.”
Leonard grinned, raising his drink in a mock toast. “Congratulations, again! How’s everything going so far?”
Howard nodded, giving Amy a thumbs-up. “Yeah, congrats, Amy. And don’t worry about Raj—he’s just jealous he’s not getting the attention.”
Raj, still red-faced, muttered, “I wasn’t staring at her boobs…”
As the conversation shifted, Amy finally began to relax, thankful that the initial awkwardness was starting to fade. Sheldon, however, still seemed deep in thought, processing the nuances of their situation.
After a moment, Sheldon turned to Amy with a serious expression. “You know, Amy, if it’s this stressful for you to keep the pregnancy a secret, maybe we should just make an official announcement to the department.”
Amy groaned internally, knowing Sheldon was only trying to help, but she wasn’t ready to make such a public declaration yet. “Sheldon, I just need a little more time. It’s not about stress; I just want to enjoy a few more weeks of normalcy before everyone knows.”
Sheldon nodded thoughtfully. “I understand. It’s like Schrödinger’s cat—you want to keep the box closed a bit longer before anyone knows for sure.”
Leonard raised an eyebrow. “So… your pregnancy is like a quantum state?”
Sheldon looked at Leonard with a hint of superiority. “Exactly. As long as Amy wants it to be, the pregnancy can exist in a state of public secrecy and private knowledge simultaneously.”
Amy couldn’t help but smile at his attempt to relate everything to physics. “That’s one way to put it, Sheldon.”
Howard leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Well, when you do open that box, let us know. I’m sure the department will be thrilled… or maybe just very confused.”
Raj, still avoiding eye contact with Amy, muttered under his breath, “I just hope there are no dead cats involved.”
Sheldon shot Raj a look, clearly missing the joke. “There are no cats, Raj. It’s an analogy.”
Amy rolled her eyes, giving Raj a sympathetic glance. “It’s okay, Rajesh. No dead cats. Just… keep your eyes on the horizon, not on my necklace, okay?”
Raj nodded quickly, his face flushing again. “Absolutely. Eyes on the horizon.”
Sheldon, still looking puzzled, turned back to Amy. “Speaking of announcements, have you considered when you’d like to tell the Nobel committee? It’s only fair to give them time to prepare for the birth of a potential future laureate.”
Amy stifled a laugh, realizing that, with Sheldon, there would never be a truly normal moment. But that was okay—normal was overrated.
“Well, Sheldon,” she said with a grin, “how about we wait until after the first ultrasound?”
Sheldon nodded, looking satisfied with the compromise. “Agreed. After all, it’s important to have all the data before making a formal announcement.”
With that, the group settled back into their usual rhythm of banter and shared jokes, Amy feeling a mix of exasperation and affection. It wasn’t the most conventional way to navigate pregnancy, but with Sheldon by her side, she knew it would never be boring.
The End