As Professor John Sturgis stepped onto the podium to begin his lecture, Little Sheldon turned his head and looked at Meemaw with genuine puzzlement. "Meemaw, did you know Professor Sturgis before today? I'm sensing a certain level of... intimacy between you two."
Sheldon had been observing their interactions and felt that "intimacy" was the most statistically probable descriptor.
"You're too young to worry about things like that. Just pay attention to the class..." Connie replied, trying to deflect. However, her eyes kept drifting toward the podium where John was organizing his lecture notes.
Clearly, Connie was intrigued by the professor.
In reality, they hadn't known each other before today. It was just that John's gentlemanly approach when he hit on her in the hallway earlier had left a stellar first impression.
As for John, his brilliant mind had always made academics and work a breeze. However, his hyper-rational personality and lack of social grace with women meant he had zero experience in the romance department. He had largely resigned himself to growing old alone—until he laid eyes on Connie. He was instantly captivated by her charm.
It just goes to show, love doesn't have an age limit.
Unfortunately, John was so captivated that he kept unconsciously glancing at Connie while he taught. This significantly degraded the quality of his lecture, much to Sheldon's dissatisfaction.
Sheldon's gaze darted back and forth between John and Meemaw a few times until the realization clicked.
He leaned over and whispered, "Meemaw, could you please leave the classroom?"
"Why? I think college is fun..." Connie whispered back. Her dating history was extensive, but she had never met a "boy" as pure and unfiltered as John. It was a refreshing change of pace.
But when she saw the look of genuine annoyance on her grandson's face, she quickly understood the problem.
Realizing her presence was indeed compromising the integrity of the lecture, Connie waited until John turned his back to write on the chalkboard. Then, hunching down, she quietly snuck out the front door.
When John finished writing and turned back around, the empty seat where Connie had been threw him off for a second. But, being a professional, he quickly rebooted and returned to normal.
Without the "distraction," the rest of the lecture went smoothly.
Two hours later, class was dismissed. John got his wish and saw Connie again as she came back in to pick up the boys. After a brief internal pep talk, John worked up the courage to strike up a conversation with her again.
Meanwhile, Sheldon, satisfied with the high-level physics instruction, had found a new goal in life: he wanted to learn more physics. Under these circumstances, his opinion of the knowledgeable Professor Sturgis skyrocketed.
"Mike, what do you think of Professor Sturgis?" A novel idea formed in Sheldon's brain. He wanted to set John up with Meemaw.
If they got together, not only would Sheldon have easier access to advanced physics, but the Cooper family would also gain another genius. In Sheldon's view, adding more brainpower to the family might help dilute the "mediocre" genes currently plaguing the Cooper lineage.
In a way, Sheldon was just looking out for the family's future.
"Professor Sturgis seems like a nice guy. But I think Meemaw can handle her own business," Mike said with a smile, his hand closing around two glowing orbs that had dropped from John: [Intelligence +1].
Yes, when John had approached Connie, the sheer brainpower of the moment caused him to drop Intelligence attribute orbs. Naturally, Mike had a very favorable impression of him.
However, Mike didn't plan to meddle too deeply in Connie's love life. Romance was personal and complicated; it was best to let nature take its course. Besides, Meemaw was a veteran in this arena. She knew what she needed better than anyone.
---
On the drive home, Connie was in an exceptionally good mood.
"Meemaw~ so, what's your assessment of Professor Sturgis?" Sheldon wasn't giving up on his matchmaking plan.
"John? He's a gentleman, and he's quite funny," Connie replied.
Thinking back to how awkward he was when asking for her number, she couldn't help but smile.
"Then how would you feel about adding Professor Sturgis to our family roster?" Sheldon pressed.
"Adding him to the family?" Connie paused, then realized what her grandson was getting at. "We just met the man, Shelly. It's a little early for that conversation. Let's just see how things go."
She didn't give a definitive yes, but given her demeanor, if John kept up the pursuit, he definitely had a shot.
---
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight hit the ground, an elderly man on a bicycle rolled up to Meemaw's driveway.
It was John. Having secured Connie's address, he couldn't handle the separation anxiety of the weekend and decided to make a house call.
He had learned that Connie had a taste for fine cuisine, so he arrived strapped with a heavy enameled Dutch oven and a bag full of specific herbs and wine. Years ago, John had attended a symposium in Paris and had developed a deep fascination with traditional French cooking.
"Oh! John, what are you doing here?" Connie opened the door, a look of pleasant surprise on her face.
"I heard you enjoy gourmet food, so I intend to demonstrate my culinary skills," John said, pointing to the heavy pot strapped to his back like a rucksack.
"You know, you didn't have to bring your own cookware. I have pots," Connie laughed, shaking her head.
Although John looked a bit ridiculous carrying a heavy cast-iron pot on his back, Connie felt the sincerity behind the gesture.
"Is that so? Well, that's wonderful news," John said. He didn't feel self-conscious at all. He was just happy to have a shared interest with Connie.
When Mike finally rolled out of bed, he walked into a scene of domestic bliss: two seniors bustling around the kitchen.
"Mike, you're up! Go get washed up. You're just in time to try John's signature Coq au Vin," Connie greeted him cheerfully.
John, who was busy chopping shallots, poked his head up. "Mike! Connie tells me you know your way around the kitchen too. We should exchange recipes sometime."
"Sounds good, Professor," Mike replied. He wasn't surprised to see John there. Given how smitten the man looked yesterday, it was obvious he wouldn't wait long to make a move.
Mike quickly washed up and saw the two of them still happily "playing house" in the kitchen.
Since Coq au Vin was a slow-cooked dish, it probably wouldn't be ready until lunch.
"Meemaw, I've got plans today, so I'm heading out. You two have fun~" Mike said, deciding not to be a third wheel in his own house.