Chicago.
The MacArthur Genius Grant awards gala was about to begin.
Sheldon had put on the formal suit he had carefully bought for himself.
Because he had owned a similar style when he was six, and he disliked change, twenty-year-old Sheldon saw absolutely nothing wrong with wearing this style again.
On the contrary, he thought it was perfect.
"You bought that yourself, didn't you?"
Adam smiled. "And it was the first time you ever bought your own clothes, right?"
"Yep."
Showing off his taste, Sheldon said smugly, "My mother always bought my clothes before, but it looks like I can totally buy them myself now."
Emmm.
In the future, Leonard would want to get beautiful neighbor Penny out of her pants, only for Sheldon's pants to be unexpectedly pulled off instead.
Those pants were a perfect example.
Sheldon would even demand that Leonard explain to his mother where the pants had gone and tell her to buy him a new pair.
A glimpse was enough to reveal the whole picture.
All of Sheldon's clothes had been bought by his mother.
"You should still let Mrs. Cooper buy your clothes."
Paige offered the reminder lazily.
"Why?"
Sheldon froze.
"Because Mrs. Cooper has good taste."
Suppressing a laugh, Adam chimed in, "She picked clothes for you when you were six, and you still love them now. Doesn't that say it all?"
"That's true."
Sheldon pursed his lips and tilted his head.
"Let's go."
Adam led the way, Paige in his left hand and Sheldon in his right, looking especially high-spirited.
Back then, in order to raise his intelligence, he had done everything he could to curry favor with Paige, hoping to gain her friendship so he could add points to his wisdom.
But who could have known Paige was such a monster?