Finally, here is the last chapter...

Chapter 7 : Admitting Her Relief

Amy and Bernadette left Penny's apartment around 11 PM, not mentioning Leonard (not that they didn't want to... but they had promised to give Penny a break tonight) and having totally forgotten about the mysterious letter. Penny, obviously, hadn't. As soon as she had closed the door, she ran in her bedroom and opened the first drawer of her nightstand. The letter was where she had left it, waiting for her. Penny really wanted to know what could be inside, but she savoured the last moments of uncertainty. With her right hand, she slowly touched her name written on the enveloppe. For a second, she wondered, worried : 'What if it's not from Leonard, after all ?' But she quickly gave up on that idea when she remembered the quick glance Leonard gave to the letter when she ran into him earlier. And it was definitely his writing.

She turned the letter : it wasn't glued, Leonard only had put the up part behind the rest. Penny slowly and carefully opened it, not wanting to ruin the enveloppe ('Why do I even matter ?!' she couldn't help but asking herself). There was only a sheet of paper in it. In a way, Penny was happy : it wasn't too long, she remembered his letters from when they dated and they were sooooooo much longer. On the other hand, it means Leonard hadn't much to say to her, right ? She unfolded the sheet and smiled when she saw Leonard's name at the end of it. She already knew, but now it was 100 % sure the letter was from him. She smiled again when she noticed that her name in the up part of the page was the most well written word of all the page. Whether it was because it was the first word and he was still writing slowly, or because he put an extra care to her name, she found it cute.

She took a deep breath and started to read. The first sentence sent chills down her spine, she didn't expect that. She knew at the time her words were important to him and must have been well chosen, but she didn't expect them to be THAT important and to change so many things in Leonard's evening and view of his situation. She then felt a pinch in her heart when she read the part about their own relationship. Does he apologize ? Does he take full responsability ? One day, she really should tell him that he wasn't the only one responsible... That it was mainly her, not being ready and being scared. But not right now. She didn't have the strenght to talk about it. It still hurt just thinking about it.

He then wrote about how his friends reacted, and Penny wasn't surprised. She already knew what he said about her being the only one that could have helped him, but she was glad to read it and to see he was thinking the same thing. She got to the last part of the letter and... Oh my God, he was going to make her cry... She fought really hard to hold back her tears when she read that she made him feel better about himself, and when he wrote that he slept well thanks to her.

But the tears couldn't be held anymore when she got to the sentence where he says he's glad to have her as a friend, and when he thanks her. Some tears rolled on her cheeks, it was as if she could hear him say those words, in the soft voice he uses almost only for her. Finally, she got to the P.S part and laughed slightly out loud. It definitely was ok for him to write this letter... Though he didn't have to, that's for sure. But she was pleased he did. In a way, she now felt more comfortable thinking of the next time they will see each other. This chapter was closed by the letter. They wouldn't have to talk about it again : Priya is gone, they talked, he thanked her, he feels better, end of the story.

She read the letter once again, still feeling a lump in her throat when she got to the part that made her cry earlier. She read this part more slowly, reading carefully each word, hearing him like he was actually speaking to her. She then folded the letter and put it back in the enveloppe. She got up and opened her closet. At the bottom, hidden, there was a box. The "Leonard box", as Penny called it. Penny grabbed it and put it on her bed. She quickly put the letter in the box, not looking on purpose at all the things Leonard gave to her during their relationship. She didn't want to spend time watching at all these souvenirs, once again. She knew too well everytime she was doing so, she then felt nostalgic and sad. She put the box back in its place and closed the closet.

Sitting on her bed, she remembered Bernadette's question about how she was feeling. She felt... relieved. It was the only word that came to her mind. She couldn't say she was happy, because she wasn't. Leonard had his heart broken, she couldn't be happy about that. But when she thought that Priya was now gone for good, that Leonard was single again, that he wasn't in this serious relationship anymore... Yes, she felt relieved.

It was confusing her a little bit : why this relief ? Because Priya couldn't really get along with her (even if it was better towards the end) ? Because Priya was a better girlfriend for Leonard than herself ? (that's what Amy had said anyway...) Or just because Leonard was now single ? This last thought scared her a little bit. Why would she be relieved that Leonard is single ? No. No. It can't be that. Right ? No. It probably was only the Priya thing. That they didn't really like each other and everything. Yeah. It must be that. She convinced her of that. But deep down, Penny knew exactly what really relieved her...

I hope you liked the ending, it can lead to more thinking from Penny, until the moment she agrees to go out again with Leonard in 5 x 13 :)