Leonard finally thought he may be getting through to Penny. He hoped their romantic and heartfelt lovemaking had made her realize, he was the best thing she had going for her.
On another note, Sheldon was upset Amy was helping Kripke with his Light-cone quantization paper. He just couldn't let it go. He went over to Penny's apartment to ask her how she let things go when Leonard upset her. She threw it right back in his face, "Aren't you the one who says there's nothing more important than the advancement of science?"
He scoffed, "No, I said there's nothing more important than me advancing science."
"Well, if I'm understanding this and all she did was help another scientist, I'm thinking you might have to let this one go."
Ugh, Let it go!" I have heard that my whole life. Every time something upsets me, someone says, "Let it go." Like it's my fault and it's not okay to feel the way I feel."
"I don't know what to tell you, Sheldon. Why don't you talk to her?"
Leonard and Raj were helping Stuart put the finishing touches on his comic book store before re-opening after the fire.
Howard and Bernie went in and Howard went through the roof when he saw his mother gave Stuart some of her old furniture for a sitting area in the store. "Is that my mother's furniture?"
Stuart came up beside him, "Yeah, she said I could use it. Doesn't it look great?"
Howard went bananas, "Not as great as it looks in the den, where it belongs."
"What is your problem? She said it was okay!"
"Well, I'm her son, and I say it's not okay."
Bernie came over to him, "Why don't we leave so you can cool off."
Stuart nodded, "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Take him out of my store."
Howard blew up, "YOUR STORE? My mother gave you the money to reopen. I'm not going anywhere!"
Back at Penny's apartment, Penny taught Sheldon how to let it go, until she heard that Amy was using her and Leonard in an experiment to test their skills compared to chimpanzees.
Sheldon turned her lesson back on her and told her to "Let it go".
The entire group met up at the comic book store and Howard was still upset. Bernadette followed him out of the backroom, "I'm sorry Bernie, but it's making me crazy."
She stopped him, "Can you please just let it go?"
Just then Howard's cell phone chimed, he reached into his pocket, "Hello?" He went back into the backroom to listen to take the incoming call.
Bernie went over to Stuart, "You could have warned him about the furniture."
Howard came out of the backroom in shock.
Leonard saw him and asked, "Hey, you okay?"
"No."
"What's wrong?"
He nearly broke down and in barely a whisper he replied, "My mom died."
Bernadette came rushing over to him, "What?"
He cleared his throat, "That was my aunt. Ma took a nap. She never woke up."
She threw her arm around him and cried out, "Oh, my God, Howie."
Penny started crying too and Leonard stepped over to him, "I'm so sorry."
Raj stared at him, "What can we do?"
He sat down in his mother's sofa, "I don't know?"
Sheldon came over, "May I say something?"
Leonard thought he was gonna say something insensitive, "Not now Sheldon."
"But I think it would be comforting."
Howard looked up at him, "No, it's okay."
"When I lost my own father, I didn't have any friends to help me through it. You do."
Howard and Bernadette left for Florida where his mother was visiting. She was cremated there and he was going to bring her urn back to Pasadena.
A couple days later the group was having dinner at Leonard and Sheldon's place. Amy began speaking, "I just read about an experiment designed to see if you can make two people fall in love in just a matter of hours."
Leonard chuckled, "That doesn't sound right. My research has shown that it takes three to five years of shameless begging."
Penny shook her head, "Honey neither of us comes off good in that story."
Raj pulled his smartphone from his pocket, "Yeah, I saw that article you're talking about. The participants ask each other a series of questions designed to promote intimacy."
Amy cut in, "And they finish it off by staring into each other's eyes for four minutes."
Sheldon rolled his eyes, "Oh, that's nonsense. I proclaimed my love for you and the last time I looked into your eyes was when you thought you had conjunctivitis."
She chuckled, "Other than the fact that I had it; that was a magical night."
Penny looked to Raj, "Would you try an experiment like that with Emily?"
"I don't need science to win her heart. I have my family's wealth for that."
Leonard was still skeptical, "I'm telling you, you can't create love in a few hours, right?"
Penny shook her head, "Careful, you're poking at the whole foundation of "The Bachelor."
Sheldon retorted, "Yeah, well, we don't have to debate this. We're scientists. We can conduct our own research. I propose that we imprison two street people-"
Amy cut in, "NO!"
"You didn't even let me finish."