Best Steak in Texas

The days went by, and Sheldon had finally finished designing the propulsion engine capable of landing without needing to be discarded.

Alex knew, in his previous life, that this project had been developed by Elon Musk. But in the TV series, it showed that Sheldon was largely responsible for the idea.

So before Sheldon sent the data to NASA, Alex advised Mary and George to register a patent for the project first.

After explaining the pros and cons, it took a bit longer for Sheldon to submit the information.

Sheldon didn't want to register the patent — he just wanted to prove he was right. But after a few persuasive arguments, Sheldon agreed to file it.

Once the data had been sent to NASA, Sheldon waited anxiously for a response. Unfortunately, he received none from the space center.

Seeing that Sheldon was in a bad mood, all members of the Cooper family went to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. After resolving the situation, things settled down again in the Cooper household.

…

It was the weekend, and Alex was tired of being cooped up in the lab. After leaving home, he wandered through the neighborhood. It was close to lunchtime when he decided to head back.

As he walked past the Coopers' house, Alex noticed Sheldon's grandma, Connie. Grandma Connie, who was heading toward her grandchildren's home, spotted the solitary figure of Alex.

Watching the scene unfold, Grandma Connie spoke up.

"Alex, right? Would you like to have lunch with us?"

Alex, walking silently, paused and looked at Grandma Connie. "Thank you for the invitation, ma'am, but I'll have to decline."

He didn't want to be a bother, which is why he refused — but Connie seemed determined to bring him along.

She approached him, holding a giant casserole dish wrapped in aluminum foil.

"Oh, don't say that. Come on, I'll let you try the best barbecue in Texas."

The smell of grilled meat wafted toward Alex, and his stomach let out a growl. He lowered his head, a bit embarrassed.

"See? Your belly agrees with me."

After saying that, Grandma Connie tugged Alex along, and he followed obediently. Truthfully, he was curious — he wanted to know if it really was as good as described in the TV show.

"Thanks," Alex said.

"Ha ha, you won't regret it," Connie replied.

…

Once they arrived at the Cooper house, Connie introduced Alex as her guest. Mary greeted him warmly.

After Alex spoke with everyone, Mary let him watch TV with Georgie, Sheldon, and Missy while the final meal preparations were underway.

Alex asked permission to call home and let his parents know he'd be eating out. After the call, he returned to the living room and sat on the couch to watch TV.

Missy was thrilled by Alex's arrival and kept trying to make conversation. Alex answered all her questions politely while continuing to watch.

At that moment, Star Wars was on.

"Kids, lunch is ready. Turn off the TV and come to the kitchen," Mary's voice called out.

Everyone gathered at the table, and Mary and Connie began serving the food.

"Let's hold hands for prayer. I hope you don't mind," Mary said to Alex.

"It's fine, ma'am. My mom likes to pray before meals too," Alex replied.

Mary smiled and said the blessing: "Bless, Lord, the meal we're about to eat, nourishment for our bodies, and the hands that prepared it. Amen."

Then everyone dug in. Judging by everyone's satisfied faces, the food was delicious.

Alex took a bite of his steak, and his eyes instantly lit up. It was truly tasty. But more than that — just by tasting the meat, he could identify the seasonings, their quantities, the fire temperature, and cooking time.

Alex suspected this might be a new ability, but for now, he simply chose to enjoy the meal — because the steak was that good.

Connie noticed the happy expressions around the table and beamed with pride.

"This steak is so good, grandma," Georgie Jr. said, mouth full.

"Good? You're spitting the best steak in Texas onto the table!" Grandma Connie retorted.

"Close your mouth," Mary scolded Georgie.

"Or at least face the other way," Sheldon added.

"Connie, one of these days you've got to share that recipe," George said.

"Count on it — someday," Connie replied playfully.

"Come on… you can't keep it secret forever," George added, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Does it mean that much to you?" Connie teased.

"Mary and I had only been dating for a month when she took me to dinner at your place. I took one bite of that steak and knew I was in love with your daughter," George said.

"Wow, thank you," Mary said with a smile.

"It's like Sleeping Beauty — only dad kissed the steak," Georgie joked.

Alex listened silently through it all. Not once did he stop eating to talk.