Chapter 25 — Mary Cooper
The afternoon light softened, but "loom operator Sheldon" was still going clank… clank… at his weaving setup.
The pattern emerging from the fabric looked majestic. Its purpose, however, remained a mystery.
Ethan sat by the window with a cup of coffee.
His mind replayed the old Azerothian sayings about Light and Shadow.
Natalie Seline once said, "We are all touched by the Light and tested by the Shadow. Only by understanding both can we see the truth."
Calia Menethil: "The Light is not pure white, and darkness is not pure evil. True goodness is choosing compassion after understanding pain."
Anduin Wrynn: "I no longer beg for the Light's mercy, nor do I fear the whispers of the dark. I simply move forward—for those who still believe."
Three "great figures" from another world. All tangled with Shadow. All with very different fates.
One got driven mad by faith.
One got educated by death.
One got hit by suffering so hard he didn't have time to be emotional about it.
Ethan took a sip of coffee, reviewing their life outcomes like case studies.
Natalie said to understand Light and Shadow… then went insane. Somewhere along the road of "understanding both," she upgraded to "I am the Shadow."
Calia said to understand pain… transcended, died, and came back as a Light-wielding undead. Dead, but still glowing.
Anduin? Pure action build. No theory crafting. Belief equals execution.
Ethan leaned back and reached a conclusion.
"…Right. Natalie understood—went crazy. Calia understood—died. Anduin didn't overthink, just acted… and he's still alive."
He raised an eyebrow at himself.
"So the correct answer is: don't overanalyze. Just do the thing."
From the loom came a particularly loud CLANK, as if Sheldon's textile operation approved.
---
Just then, the lock clicked.
Mary Cooper—Sheldon's mom—walked in with Leonard, carrying a big bag of homemade cookies.
"Well, bless my soul!" Mary gasped at the doorway, shocked—though only for about three seconds.
Then she opened her arms wide and hugged Sheldon tight.
"Hey there, Shelly!"
Before anyone could escape, she pulled Ethan into a hug too.
"Hey, Ethan."
"Lord have mercy, look at you boys. You're paler than church candles!"
After a brief moment of surprise, Ethan broke into a delighted smile.
"Aunt Mary! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to New York? I could've picked you up!"
"Oh, Ethan, you're always so thoughtful." Mary patted his back warmly. "I heard you and Sheldon haven't been yourselves lately. Didn't want to trouble you boys, so I just came on over."
"Hi, Mother," Sheldon replied stiffly, then immediately whipped around to glare at Leonard. "You called my mother?!"
"Leonard told me you haven't left the apartment in three weeks! Not even the building!"
Mary cut off Sheldon's outrage, setting down her bag and casually tidying the yarn scattered across the couch.
"And Ethan too—always cooped up, not even going to his clinic, just sitting around staring into space."
"Sheldon, sweetheart, you can't stay inside forever working on… um… 'interesting' inventions.
And Ethan, you too. Young men are supposed to have some spark."
Sheldon lifted his chin. "Mother, I am mastering a lost craft."
"There's usually a reason things get lost, honey," Mary said gently but firmly. "You're going back to work tomorrow. And you—Ethan, back to your clinic." She turned to him with a look full of undeniable, motherly authority.
"I do go to the clinic, Aunt Mary," Ethan said with an embarrassed little smile.
Aside from Sheldon, this was the first time anyone had seen Ethan look even slightly shy.
Because of… unusual life circumstances, Ethan had befriended Sheldon very early on—arguably Sheldon's first real friend, back when Mary worried constantly that her son had none.
As a devout woman, Mary treated neighbors like extended family. And when she realized Ethan wasn't just smart but socially gifted, she'd been astonished.
He knew when to be serious and when to be funny.
He could quote theory in a physics debate and still make everyone laugh at the dinner table.
Ethan had this natural way of putting people at ease. He didn't stubbornly cling to being technically right like Sheldon did, nor did he weaponize logic.
He listened. He understood. Then he'd crack a joke that smoothed everything over.
Over time, Sheldon discovered that listening to Ethan made life easier. He even started discussing problems with him willingly.
Mary's other children—Missy and Georgie—adored Ethan too. Missy, perhaps a bit too much.
Eventually Mary came to believe this sweet boy next door might just be God's answer to Sheldon's "social difficulties." She loved him like a son—later even becoming his godmother.
---
While Ethan and Mary chatted, Sheldon rounded on Leonard again.
"Why did you call my mother?"
Leonard sighed. "Because one of the greatest minds of the 21st century is currently devoting all his energy to glowing fish and knitting shawls!"
"This is not a shawl!" Sheldon protested, lifting his creation. "Shawls don't have unified edge construction—this is a cloak! And whatever it is does not justify tattling to my mother!"
"Sweetheart," Mary said, pulling the focus back, "your friends are worried about you."
"I am an adult!" Sheldon argued. "I can live however I choose! I absolutely do not need an informant calling my mother!"
"Wait—where are you going?" Leonard asked as Sheldon shot to his feet.
"To my room! No one is allowed in!" Sheldon declared, clutching his unfinished "cloak" and marching off.
Mary watched the door close and sighed. "Temper like his daddy."
She paused. "Eyes like mine."
Leonard nodded solemnly. "I see."
"And his scientific mind—that's a gift from the Lord," Mary said, turning her gaze toward Ethan, who had been quietly trying to make himself invisible.
She walked over to him and studied his face, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
"You look… well… tired, honey."
"Are you alright, child?"