It was the morning of the first day of Jim’s internship, having arrived in Phoenix yesterday afternoon. He was nervous beyond belief, but also thrilled to be starting his new career. He landed his dream job just weeks before, but had to spend 4 gruesome weeks in Phoenix doing an internship to prepare him for the fast-paced office he’d be going back to in Philadelphia. Being in Phoenix in the middle of the summer and spending weeks in an intense and highly stressful internship was going to take it’s toll on him, he knew, but nothing was going to be harder for him than being away from his family for an entire month.

Jim walked out of his hotel room and into the morning heat. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed that oh-so-familiar number.

“Hello?“ Even after 5 years, her voice still sent shivers down his spine.

“Good morning.” He couldn’t help but smile to himself, just at the thought of being able to talk to her.

“Hi, honey! Are you on your way to work?” Pam asked.

“Yeah, just getting in the car. How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good, I’m just glad the morning sickness is over. I’m like a whole new woman!”

“Is your mom going with you to your appointment today?”

“No, she decided not to fly out here until next week. I’m just going to drop Jackson off at Debbie’s for the afternoon so I can get some cleaning done before the appointment.”

“Not that it’ll really matter, Jack will just have our house looking like a pigsty within 5 minutes.” Jim smiled at the all-too familiar image of their little monster messing up Pam’s perfect organization.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s too bad he’s so cute, or else I would have shipped him off with you for the month.”

“Are you implying that I’m ugly, Pam? So rude…” He loved to tease her like this, it’s what kept their relationship healthy.

“Yeah, you’re pretty repulsive. So repulsive, in fact, that I may not even let you come back home.”

“You’re all talk, Beesly. I’ll have you begging for me to come home within the week."

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” The thought of having him gone for an entire month made her sick (or maybe that was the pregnancy…), and joking with him like this made her feel slightly better. “Hey, I gotta run, I just heard a crash coming from Jackson’s room. Have a good day at work. Make us proud!”

“Thanks, Pam. I will. Hey, be sure to send me the ultrasound pics when you have a chance. Give Jackson a kiss for me?”

“I will. I love you."

“I love you, too. Bye Pam.”

“Bye Jim.”

Jim put his phone in his pocket, started the car, and pulled out of the hotel parking garage and onto the busy city streets. His thoughts eventually drifted away from the perfect little family he missed, and onto the reality of his current situation. The nervousness that had drifted away was back in full-force, and as he pulled into the parking lot of his new employer, he couldn’t help but say a silent prayer for himself, and for the family he wished he was with instead.

By lunchtime, Jim was regretting ever having taken this internship. He was tired, confused, and afraid of screwing up. It’s not like he didn’t know what he was doing…he did, probably more than half the people there, but he just wasn’t fitting in. Granted, it was only his first day, but he was a hard worker and didn’t like feeling useless like he currently did. He was grateful when the clock struck 12, and he practically ran out of the building and out to his car. He wanted to call Pam, but he knew her doctor’s appointment was soon, and he wasn’t sure if he’d catch her in time.

His thoughts drifted to his wife and their unborn baby. Today was the day that they found out if they were having a boy or a girl. ‘I should be there, with her, watching that baby on the monitor, holding Pam’s hand as we find out if Jackson gets a little brother or sister.’ he thought. This is exactly why he didn’t want to take this internship, but Pam-always his voice of reason--reminded him of the time so long ago, that she didn’t go for the internship she wanted, and how much she regretted it. Yeah, 4 weeks will probably be tough, she added, but it’s something that will make all the difference for us in the long run. He tried to remember her wisdom, but it hadn’t even been two days and he was already miserable.

He leaned his head back on his headrest and closed his eyes. "Please just let this get over with." He said outloud to no one.

-----

Pam dropped Jackson off at her neighbor Debbie’s house around noon. Her three-year-old was rather attached to his mommy, so Pam spent a good 10 minutes trying to calm down her wailing son before finally heading back home. “Oh, baby, I hope you’re a little calmer than your big brother.” She said, smiling, while rubbing her swollen stomach.

She missed Jim terribly, but was grateful that she had Jackson to keep her company and take her mind off of his absence. For the last 6 years they hadn’t spent so much as a night apart. They’d spent enough time apart before they started dating, and it was almost as if they were still making up for lost time. Even when Jim traveled away to the paper conventions, she went with him. They had talked about Pam and Jackson joining him in Phoenix, but in the end they decided it was best if they stayed in Philadelphia. Pam was going to fly out to Arizona for the last weekend of his internship, and thinking about it was all she could do to keep from going insane.

Pam cleaned up their house for a few hours before heading off to the doctor. She wished he could be there for this. It was a big moment for them, and she didn’t want to have to go through it alone. Her mom was going to fly out to spend some time with them, but those plans fell through, and she found herself sitting in the waiting room alone.

“Pam Halpert?” The nurse called out.

Pam grabbed her bag and followed the nurse through the door. After being weighed (‘Do I really weight that much?' she thought), she had a seat in the chair next to the ultrasound machine.

Minutes later, Pam watched the monitor in awe as she saw their baby moving around on the screen. Seeing that perfect little angel brought tears to her eyes, and her emotions went even more out of control when the doctor spoke:

“Would you like to know what you’re having?”

“A baby…I hope?” She tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood. “I’m sorry…yes, please.”

“Say hello to your beautiful baby boy.”

“A boy?” She had tears streaming down her face now. “Another little Jim.” Jim…her tears increased as she though about this magical moment, and how he wasn’t here to witness it.

“Is he healthy?” She managed to whisper, between sobs.

“Yes, he’s perfect and right on schedule. Would you like me to print out some pictures?”

“Yeah. For his daddy.”

----------

Jim had had it. His boss, Keith, had given him an assignment that he had finished a hour ago, and now he was trying to fix a mistake that his coworker, Chris, had made. He was just about ready to snap at Chris when a new email popped up on his computer.

From: Pam Halpert

Subject: It’s a….

BOY!

Congratulations, daddy! Wish you were here. Your wife and boys miss you.

Love, Pam

“My boys.” He said outloud with a huge grin plastered to his face.

Jackson James Halpert was the kind of kid that, on first impression, made you feel sorry for his parents. He came into this world kicking a screaming, and hadn’t stopped since. Jim’s mom said that he was EXACTLY like Jim was when he was a kid, right down to the floppy hair and playful temperament. But despite his ability to wear you out in a matter of minutes, Jackson was the pride of Pam and Jim’s lives. They loved him more than anything, and cherished every moment they spent with him. As hard as it was for Jim to leave Pam, it may have been equally hard for him to leave his little boy. He fell in love with his little man the second they found out Pam was pregnant. Jackson whined every morning when Jim left for work, and latched onto his leg the second he came home. Jim missed Pam in every way imaginable, but he missed his little son in a way only a father could.

When he called Pam after he got off work, the first thing he did was ask to talk to Jackson.

“Jackson, guess who’s on the phone?” Jim heard Pam call out.

“DAAAAADDY!!!” He heard Jackson yell, commotion, then his voice, “Hi Daddy!”

“Hey, little boy! Are you being good for mommy?"

“Yeah.”

“What did you do today?”

“Play with auntie Debbie.”

“Yeah, you went to Debbie’s house? Did you play with Dexter?”

“Yeah, he licked me! Can we get a doggie, daddy?"

“Uh…” He wasn’t expecting that. “We’ll talk about that after mommy has her baby. Did mommy tell you you’re going to have a little brother? What do you think mommy and daddy should name him?”

“Jackson. I like Jackson.”

“We can’t name him Jackson, silly! That’s your name!”

Jackson giggled, and Jim heard him fidget as his attention span started to waver.

“Hey, Jack. Will you be good for mommy, for daddy? She needs you to be a good boy.”

“Mommy is sad.”

“Mommy is sad? Why is mommy sad?” This was the last thing Jim wanted to hear.

“I dunno. Mommy cried.” Jim heard commotion and then Pam’s voice close to the phone.

“Oooookay, Jackson. Mommy’s turn! Tell daddy bye-bye!”

“Bye daddy! Lub you!”

Jim smiled, and said “I love you, too. Bye, Jack.”

Pam came back on the line, “Uh, so how was work today?” She was trying to change the subject.

“Pam, why were you crying? Is everything okay?”

“I‘m okay….now. Uh, let me put Jackson to bed and I’ll call you back.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll call you in an hour or so. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Jim closed his phone and let out a sigh. As hard as this day had been, he had no idea how hard it was going to get.

“He had his eyes open?!”

“Yeah, it’s like he knew I was looking at him. He started kicking like crazy when the doctor told me he was a boy. It’s amazing how smart babies are.”

“What’s amazing is the fact that you are actually excited to have triple the testosterone in your house.”

Jim was sitting on his bed with his back against the headboard and his long legs stretched out in front of him. He and Pam had been talking for close to an hour now, and it had only managed to make him more lonely. They hadn’t talked about her breakdown today, he just wanted to savor their conversation for now.

“Did Jackson tell you he wants a dog?” Jim asked.

“It’s all he’s talked about today. What do you think?”

“Well, not until the baby’s born, that’s for sure. I dunno…I’m not opposed to it, and we certainly have more than enough room at this house. Maybe Santa will be nice this year and bring him one.”

“I think Santa’s pretty nice already.” Pam wasn’t hiding her tone.

“Oh, really? How would you know, you know him pretty well?”

“You could say that. He and I are…close.”

“Are you cheating on me, Pam? ’Cause if you are, maybe I should just stay in Arizona.” He was joking, but as soon as he said the words, he knew he’d hit a sore spot. “I’m sorry Pam, I didn’t mean to say that…”

A long pause. Sniff. “I miss you, Jim.”

“I know. I miss you too.” He wanted to cry with her, but he knew he had to be the strong one.

“No, I mean I really miss you. You weren’t there at the ultrasound today, and that just killed me. I had to stay in the room for an extra half hour so I get control of myself. I lost it in there.”

“Oh, Pam. I’m so sorry.” So much for being the strong one, he thought, as a single tear ran down his cheek. He was crying, but he didn’t want her to know.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to try and get rid of the lump that had formed there. “Maybe I should just come home…”

“NO.” She said it a little more strongly than she had wished to. “No, we can do this…together.” Her tears has stopped flowing for a moment. “You’ve wanted this since you were a kid, and I’m not going to let you give up on it just because your emotionally unstable wife had a little breakdown today.”

“You’re right. As always.” Jim wiped away the tears that were trickling down his cheeks. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“There’s always next time…we’ve still got to try for a little girl, you know.” That made Jim smile.

“You never cease to amaze me, Beesly.”

“If you only knew, Halpert.” Oh, if he really only knew how amazing he is.

“You’ve got to get to bed, young man.”

“I know. Call me tomorrow?”

“You know it. Good night, my Jim. I love you.”

“I love you more. Good night, my love.”

He put the phone on his nightstand and lay down in bed. Sleep came quickly and he dreamt of his little family. Pam, two boys, little girl, dog, and all.

Before they knew it, an entire week had passed. Things had become marginally better Pam, due to the fact that her mom had flown into town the day before. Jim was having a horrific time at work, he wasn‘t eating, and couldn‘t sleep at night. The combination of all those things was taking its toll on him, and he found himself spending more and more time on the phone with Pam, because those were the only times he felt happiness.

It was Tuesday and Jim was wide awake laying in bed at 3am, after trying to force himself to sleep for the two hours since he’d gotten off the phone with Pam. He flipped on the TV to see if he could find some stupid show to watch to bore him to sleep, settling on a rerun of Seinfeld. He settled back into bed to let the mindless humor fill his troubled mind.

After 20 minutes his eyelids started to get heavy and his breathing steadied, and he was just drifting off to sleep when his cell phone starting blaring on his nightstand. He jerked awake, jumped out of bed and grabbed the phone as a rush of panic settled in as he looked at the caller ID-”Home”. He flipped it open to hear hysterics coming from the other end.

“Pam! What’s wrong?!” He could hear Jackson screaming in the background.

“Jackson’s hysterical and I can’t get him to stop! Jim, I can’t calm him down, he keeps asking for you, and I can’t make him understand where you are. Oh God, I don’t know what to do, he won’t stop crying!” Pam was almost as hysterical as Jackson, managing to scramble her words out between sobs . “Can you talk to him, I don’t know what else to do! Mom and I have been rocking him for the last half hour, but he just keeps getting more upset!”

Jim was out of bed, furiously pacing the floor as Pam spoke. He settled down on the edge of the bed with his head down above his knees, trying to wipe away the tears that were now freely flowing down his cheeks.

“Oh Pam. I’m sorry. Yeah, put him on the phone, I’ll see what I can do.”

The hysterical sobs got louder as Pam handed the phone over to her mom, as she held it to Jackson’s ear.

“Daa” Hiccup “addy!” Hiccup. “Daddy!”

“Hey buddy. Jackson, what’s the matter?”

“Daddy…” Hiccup. “I had” Hiccup “a bad” Hiccup “dream!” His howling had ceased, but he was still crying loudly.

“You had a bad dream about daddy?”

“Yeah!” Hiccup. Sob.

“It’s going to be OK, Jackson. Daddy’s going to be home soon. I’m coming back, do you understand that, buddy?”

“I miss” Hiccup “you, daddy!” Sob.

“I know, I miss you too, but I’d never leave you, Jackson. Daddy’s coming home soon, and daddy needs you to understand that.”

His howling was picking up again. Clearly this wasn’t working and Jim decided to try something else.

“Hey Jackson, do you remember what daddy told you we‘d do when I got back home?”

That caught Jackson’s attention. “Yeah. Put the basketball hoop up.” He sniffed.

“Yeah! Do you know why we’re going to put the basketball hoop up?”

“No.” Sniff.

“’Cause daddy’s going to teach you how to play basketball! Do you want daddy to teach you?”

“Yeah. Can we play with baby?” Jackson lovingly referred to his unborn little brother as ‘baby’.

“When baby gets older we can, but for now, it’s just you and me!”

“Can mommy play?” He heard Pam let out a chuckle in the background. Good, she wasn’t crying anymore either.

“Yeah, mommy can play, but she’s not very good.” Jackson laughed at Jim and turned to Pam.

“Daddy said you can’t play basketball with us, ‘cause you’re not very good.”

Jim and Pam laughed. Jim heard her say something, but was caught off guard when Jackson spoke again.

“Daddy, auntie Debbie says you have to be nice to everyone.”

Boy, they sure had a smart kid. “You’re right, Jackson. Daddy’s sorry, and I’ll make it up to mommy later. You know what, buddy?”

“What?”

“I love you because you’re always teaching me things. I love you, too, because you make mommy and daddy happy.”

“I love mommy and daddy because I get a little brother.” Oh, the simplicity of a child’s mind.

“Remember that I love you, and I’ll be home soon. You be good for mommy, little boy, and I’ll bring you back the best present you’ve every gotten before.”

“Really? I’ll be good, I promise!”

“Okay. I love you, Jackson.”

“I love you too, daddy.”

A happy and very sleepy Jackson passed the phone to Pam.

“You are amazing, Jim.” She said quietly.

“No, you’re the amazing one. You have to deal with this everyday while I’m on the other side of the country.”

“Thank you for talking to him, and I’m sorry to wake you.”

“Nah, I wasn’t asleep. Jackson’s not the only one who’s having a hard time sleeping.”

“Yeah, I know how you feel. Baby’s been awake all night too.”

“I guess our family wasn’t meant to be split up like this. None of us like it much.”

“Yeah. Only 3 more weeks left.”

“Only? I’m pretty sure this has been the longest week of my life. I miss you, Pam, and I don’t know what to do to make it better.”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

They talked for a few more minutes before Jim’s body finally shut down, and he drifted off to sleep.

Pam rocked Jackson to sleep and finally fell asleep herself, all while wondering how she was going to make it 3 more long weeks.

4 months earlier

Pam knew something was wrong with Jim as soon as she picked him up from work. He said hello to her and Jackson, kissed them both, but then sat silently, staring absently out the window for the entire drive home. She’d asked him about it over dinner, but he said he was fine, and smiled at her in that way that makes everything okay. She decided not to pressure him about it, he’d come to her if he needed to talk. They went to bed late that night, Jim holding her close as she fell asleep wrapped in his arms. He stayed awake for a while, running his fingers lovingly through her hair, placing light kisses over her face as he watched his beautiful wife sleep.

---------------

It was 3am when Pam rolled over in bed to cuddle up next to Jim and realized he wasn’t there. She sat up suddenly, willing her eyes to focus so she could find out where her husband went.

“Jim?” She whispered. No answer.

She noticed the bedroom door was open a crack and she could see a faint light spilling out into the hallway. She threw a robe over her tank and boxers and walked out into the hall.

Jim sat with his back to her on a barstool at the kitchen counter. He was staring intently at his laptop, hand massaging his forehead, and stress written all over his neck. She walked over to him and placed a hand lovingly on his shoulder.

He whirled around, not expecting anyone to be awake.

“Pam!” He grabbed her hand as she jumped back. “I’m sorry…I didn’t know you were awake.”

“I wasn’t, until I noticed you weren’t in bed.” She placed a hand on his cheek, moving his head up to look at her. “Jim, what’s going on? What‘s wrong?”

“Oh…nothing, I just…I couldn’t sleep.”

“Come on, honey, you’ve been acting strange since you got off work.” She let go of Jim’s other hand and placed it on the other side of his face, cradling it. “Jim, talk to me.”

He reached up and took her hands in his, and looked her in the eye.

“OK.“ He took a deep breath. “Well…you know how I’ve been trying to find an excuse to leave Dunder-Mifflin?”

“Yeah…” Oh no.

“And you know how I’ve always dreamed of becoming a sports writer?”

“Yeah…” Getting better…

“And you know how we want to buy a bigger house, and try to have another baby?”

“Yeah…” She was grinning now.

He didn’t say anything, just moved out of the way so that Pam could look at the computer.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania’s largest daily circulation, is looking for motivated, hard-working, aspiring sports writers to participate in their summer internship program, located in Phoenix, AZ. Applicants need no experience, but must provide examples of their work. Other requirements may apply. Will be hired on upon successful completion of internship.

Pam gasped and reread the ad, just to make sure she hadn’t just imagined it. Jim sat back and watched Pam’s expression as she read the ad, smiling to himself. Yeah, he was ready for this. There were times that he thought he was ready, but those times didn’t feel like this did. He’d stumbled across the ad at work earlier that day and he just knew. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since, and that’s the reason he’d been acting so…different. This was a big deal, a huge change for their family.

“What do you think?” He asked quietly.

“Oh my God, Jim.” Was all she could utter.

“Yeah…”

“This is…this is it.” She peeled her eyes away from the computer to look at him again.

“I know. That’s exactly what I said.” He had his hands on her hips, and he pulled them towards him. “I want to do this, Pam. For us.”

She climbed onto his lap, straddling him. He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed happily. “Do you think we should do this?”

She moved her head so her mouth was next to his ear. “Absolutely, I do.” Jim’s heart started beating faster at the realization that this was really going to happen. He leaned back to face Pam again. He kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheek, and eventually reached her lips. Kisses so sweet, so tender, so loving, and if possible, they made him fall in love with her even more.

“How soon until we get to start trying for this baby?” Pam asked, inbetween kisses.

“Right now.” He stood up and carried her to the bedroom with her legs still wrapped around him.

It worked.

--------------------------

The next few months were a whirlwind of emotions. Jim, Pam, and Jackson traveled to Philadelphia for Jim’s interview, and to his surprise and delight, they decided to hire him on before his internship even started. They had an opening in the editing area of sports, and he happily accepted it, huge raise and all. Pam found out she was pregnant the day Jim was offered the job, adding even more happiness into the mix. Things were going great, Jim loved his new job, Pam was enjoying her relatively smooth pregnancy, and Jackson was happily adjusting to new friends and a new house.

These memories were what kept Jim going, as he sat alone in his hotel room in Phoenix. Only two weeks left, he kept reminding himself. Only two more weeks.

It was 6:00 on Saturday night as Pam sat at her kitchen table, by herself, peering over a Chinese food menu.

“Ooo…how about Garlic Thai shrimp?” She said.

“Only if you let me try some.” The voice on the other end of the phone responded.

“No way! I’m eating for two now, remember? That means no sharing with husbands.”

“Oh, that’s just the excuse pregnant women use to legally eat more food. Besides, you’re really only eating for, like, 1.1, seeing as how he’s so tiny his weight is incalculable.”

“Oh, okay, so when your son is born, I’ll let you explain to him how his daddy let him starve.”

“Such a drama queen.” He chuckled.

“Hey, buddy, keep this up and you may not get lucky tonight.”

“Uh…that’s going to be a little difficult considering we’re, like, 2,000 miles away.”

“Yeah, some date. Whose idea was this anyway?”

“Are you complaining?! You said you missed having date night, so I’m improvising.”

“I know, I know.” She let out a happy sigh. “I think you’re adorable, by the way.”

“Yeah, I am, but not as adorable as you.”

Jim’s idea formed late last night when Pam told him she missed having their weekly date night. He’d had flowers delivered to her earlier today, and he’d even arranged to have Debbie watch Jackson while they had their ‘date’. Now they were both looking over menus for Chinese food, deciding what to order.

------------------------------

Two hours later, the food was long gone, the mood had changed, and Jim and Pam found themselves lying down on their beds, deep into the type of conversation that they’d had so many times before, but each time seemed like it was their first.

“I remember what you said to me right after he was born.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, you wiped the hair off my brow, leaned down, and said ‘Is it too early to sign him up for soccer lessons? I kind of have a thing for soccer moms.”

“Wow…you remember that? I thought you were all drugged up…”

“Oh, I was, but it was probably the cutest post-labor thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Wait, how many post-labor things have you heard?”

“Never mind…your turn!”

“Hmmm….Lets see.” He paused for a few moments, trying to think of the perfect moment.

“Quit stalling, Jim. First thing that comes to your mind, remember?”

“The first time you told me you loved me.”

“Oh, why’d you have to bring that up?”

“Why not? I was one of the best moments of my life. Very romantic.”

“I hardly think that a drive home from the airport at 3 in the morning qualifies as ‘romantic’.”

“It is when you force me to pull over, just so I can kiss you. Besides, a trip to the city dump would be romantic as long as you were there with me.”

“Hmm…city dump. I’ll have to remember that.”

“Done. That’ll be our first weekly-date-night date when we come back from Phoenix.”

“So, refresh my memory…I only remember what happened after I told you.”

“I was picking you up after you flew home for your uncles funeral, and you told me how much you appreciated me picking you up on such short notice, and I said, ‘That’s what I’m here for.’ I guess at that moment you decided you loved me, because a few silent moments later, you turned to me with a shocked look on your face and said, ‘Oh my God, Jim. I love you!’”

“Did I really say ‘Oh my God’?”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I realized I loved you long before that, I just didn’t say anything until then.”

“Why’d you choose that moment to tell me?”

“You came to pick me up, no questions asked, at 3 in the morning. You had to drive to New York early that morning, and the fact that you were willing to pick me up told me something.”

“That I was crazy in love with you?”

“Yeah. Crazy enough to not care about your own well-being, and help someone in need.”

“I loved you, Pam. I wasn’t going to let you take a cab home…that’s rather lame.”

“I know.”

“Then I slammed on the brakes, pulled over to the side of the freeway, and kissed you.”

“No, you told me you loved me back, and then you kissed me.”

“Right. Actually, I think I told you before and after I kissed you.”

“And you haven’t stopped since.”

“And never will.”

“Good.”

“I sure wish I could kiss you right now.” He said quietly.

“11 days, babe. Then you won’t be able to keep your hands off me.”

“Yep, you’re right, I’m so going to be all over you when you get here.”

“I can’t wait.”

It’s during moments like this that make Jim realize just how lucky he is to be married to Pam. Of all the things they’ve gone through before and after they’ve been married, and as hard as this 1 month absence has been, he’s just grateful that she’s his, and he’ll spend the rest of his life proving it to her.

It was as that moment that Pam's house phone rang, bringing their date to an abrupt end.

Pam sat on the hospital bed, her arms around Jackson as he sat curled up on her lap. It was just past midnight, and both were having a hard time staying awake as they waited for the doctor to come in to put Jackson’s cast on. It was now just the two of them, sitting silently in the quiet room. Debbie had left a few minutes ago to go find some coffee for her and Pam. Pam gently ran her fingers through her son’s hair, memories flooding her of another man with similar hair. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head as he sniffled and snuggled further into her.

“Who do you want to sign your cast first?” She said quietly.

He thought about it for a minute, then responded, “Auntie Debbie, ‘cause she helped me. Then you can, mommy.”

Pam smiled into his hair. Her little boy was growing up too fast. He had a heart of gold, and she loved every moment that he let it show. “I think that’s a good choice, Jackson. I’m proud of you.”

“What’s ‘proud’ mean, mom?” He turned his head to peer up at her.

Those eyes…those big, expressive eyes. Wonder who they came from. “Proud means when you do or say something that makes me happy, and it makes you seem more grown up.” Those eyes she was looking into had a slightly confused look in them. “It’s like how mommy is proud of daddy.”

“Why are you proud of daddy?”

“Because daddy is brave. Remember how we talked about being brave earlier when you got your shot?” He nodded. “Daddy is brave because it’s hard for him to be away from us for so long, but he’s doing it because he loves us, and wants us to be a happier family. That’s why I’m proud of daddy, just like I’m proud of you.”

Jackson, always analyzing things, soaking up every ounce of information, sat quietly for a few minutes. Pam thought he had fallen asleep, until he surprised her by speaking again.

“Mommy, I’m proud of you.”

Pam stilled the hand that had been continuously running through his hair. He shifted and looked up at her again.

“’Cause you didn’t even get mad at me when I broke my arm.” She laughed softly as she leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“What am I ever going to do with you, little boy?”

“Get me a dog?” He asked hopefully.

The door swung open and Dr. Mason came striding in. “Jackson James Halpert!” he boomed. He had a smile on his face as he asked: “Didn’t I just see you last year?”

“Yeah.” Jackson blushed and returned his head to Pam’s chest.

“You, my friend, need to stop breaking your bones! What happened this time?”

“He fell out of a tree…again.” Pam answered for him.

“Looks like someone needs to stop pretending to be monkey.” Dr. Mason responded as he picked Jackson up out of his mother’s arms and placed him on the end of the hospital bed. “Now, hold out your arm and lets take a look.”

---------------------

It was 3am by the time Pam finally tucked her sleeping son into bed, carefully placing his new bright red cast under the covers. She knelt down by his bed, and rubbed his stomach. He looked exactly like Jim, just 30 years younger. She stared at him, taking in his features for a few minutes, because doing so reminded her of the other man in her life that she was missing. She finally stood up, leaned down again and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

“Good night, little Jim.”

10 more days.

“Hanson.”

“Hanson Halpert?!” Pam chuckled. “Noooooo, thanks.”

“Come on! It’s got a nice ring.”

“I will not let my child have a ‘cutesy’ name.”

“So picky…”

“I have to give birth to the watermelon, so I get to be picky.” She knew he couldn’t argue with that. “How about Evan?”

“Nah, Evan is too much of a…preppy name. How about Scott?”

“Too generic.” Pam let out a long sigh. “You’d think this would be easier the second time around, but that’s not proving to be the case.”

“It’s too bad we’re not having a girl yet. Paige Beesly Halpert was significantly easier to name than baby #2.”

“I can’t believe we’ve already named our unborn, unconceived, daughter. Is that normal, ‘cause I’m thinking not.”

“Probably not. It’s okay, though, because we’re so much better than normal parents.”

“You go that right…and hotter too.” Yeah, Jim was pretty much the hottest dad ever, she thought. “Hey, I forgot to tell you what Jackson did today!”

“What?” Jim sat up in bed, he loved hearing Pam’s stories of Jackson. He sure missed his little boy.

“He was outside playing baseball with Derek, and he was having trouble holding the bat, because of his cast.” Pam tried to stop laughing long enough to finish her story. Jim was sitting on the edge of his bed, grinning, as he figured out what was going to happen next. “When I went out to bring them some water, Derek was pitching the ball to Jackson, and he was swinging his arm, using his cast as a bat.”

Jim burst into laughter. “Oh my God, Pam. How is it that our kid is so funny? I have no idea where he gets it from…seriously.”

“Yeah, right. I wonder…”

***BEEP***

Jim’s phone beeped, indicating he had an incoming call. He looked down at the Caller ID: Keith Horton

“Hey, babe, my boss is calling. Can I call you back?”

“Sure, bye hon.”

“Bye!”

Jim clicked over to his other line.

“Hey, Keith. What’s up?”

“Oh, hey, Jim! Sorry to call so late. I didn’t catch you at a bad time, did I?"

“No, I was just talking to my wife. What’s can I do for you?“

“Actually, I was hoping I could get you to come into work a little early tomorrow. Bill called me tonight, and he’d like to meet with you first thing in the morning.”

“Sure, I can get there early. 7:00 okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks, Jim. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Thanks, Keith. See you tomorrow.”

Jim shut his phone and sat down on his bed, too stunned to call Pam back yet. If your boss’ boss wanted to meet with you, it usually wasn’t good news.

He finally called Pam back, they talked for a while longer, and he finally went to bed. He didn’t sleep well that night, terrified of what was to come of the next day.

5 years earlier

It had been the longest, and possibly the worst 3 months of Jim’s life. He felt empty, alone, and lost. It’s not so much that he missed her, he got to see Pam every weekend, but it just wasn’t the same. You shouldn’t have to say goodbye to your fiancé, and go back to your boring, uneventful life without them. Pam didn’t know this, but Jim lost it every time he had to say goodbye. This time was definitely no exception. The tears usually didn’t start until he was on the expressway, as the thoughts of spending another lonely and monotonous week without her began to resurface. He would never tell her how much it hurt, knowing that this internship meant the world to her. She was doing an amazing job in New York, and he was so proud of her. He made sure to tell her this every time they talked, and that’s what kept her going.

Pam leaned back against the front door of tiny studio apartment, and slowly slid down its length before settling down on the ground, her knees up to her chest, her hands covering her face as the sobs racked through her body. The places where Jim’s hands had lingered just minutes before were now aching from the absence of his touch. She hugged herself in an effort to feel the comfort that she needed. Her sobs eventually slowed, and she was just about to get up off the floor when she felt a quiet knock on the door.

Her breath stopped when she looked though the peep hole and saw Jim’s face. She frantically wiped the tears away from her eyes, but she knew he’d be able to tell she had been crying.

Pam opened the door, but kept her head down, in an effort to hide her distraught face.

“Hey.” she said, “Did you forget something?”

When Jim didn’t answer, Pam looked up and saw a face that looked very much like her own. Jim’s eyes were red, and he wasn’t smiling. The sad look they exchanged when their eyes met made the new tears start. Before she could open her mouth, he strode forward and enveloped her into the type of hug that made all the pain go away.

They stood there together for a few minutes before Jim’s lips brushed her cheek and he whispered, “I can’t leave you again.”

Pam pulled back to look him in the eyes.

“I know.” She tried in vain to wipe the tears away from her cheeks while she spoke, “but you have to go back to work, and I have class all day, every--”

“No, Pam.” He stopped her mid sentence, and grabbed the hand that she was using to wipe her face, and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m not leaving you again.”

Pam didn’t speak, she didn’t want to say it, and have it not be true. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it the last week (and most stressful week) of school without him, and truth be told, she couldn’t do it without him.

“I called Michael and told him I wasn’t coming in this week…at all.”

“You did that, for me?”

“No, Pam. I did it for us.”

--------------------------------

Pam leaned her head against the window as she replayed the memory. It happened years ago, but it felt like it was just yesterday. She remember all that Jim had sacrificed for her for 3 months to get her through her own internship, and she decided last night, after Jim called her about his meeting with Keith and Bill, that she needed to do the same for him.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now beginning our gradual descent into Phoenix. The weather is a cool 119 degrees. The skies are clear, and we should not be experiencing any unexpected turbulance. We will be landing in about 30 minutes. Thank you."

“Hey, Jim.” Keith poked his head around the corner of Jim’s cubicle.

“What’s up?” Jim swiveled in his chair to face his boss.

“Can I talk to you in my office for a minute?”

“Sure.” He got up from his chair and followed Keith into his office, shutting the door behind him.

“Have a seat.” Keith said. Jim sat, and waited for Keith to sit down before leaning forward and placing his folded arms on the desk in front of him.

“I need a favor. Jim. We have an editor from The New York Times coming in today for a big meeting with our board of directors tomorrow. I was supposed to pick him up at the airport, but I won’t be able to make it. Do you think you could go and pick him up for me?"

“Yeah, that’s no problem. What time does he come in?”

“Well, that’s the bad part.” Keith nervously shifted in his chair, and ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “He just landed, so you’d have to leave now.”

“Oh…that’s okay. I can go now.”

“Are you sure? I hate asking you last minute, but you’re the only one who I trust to do it…” He slid the itinerary over to Jim.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” Jim picked up the paper and stood up to walk towards the door.

“Jim?” Keith said and Jim turned around, his hand on the doorknob. “Go ahead and take the rest of the day off, too.”

“Ooookay…” Jim had a confused look on his face as he left Keith’s office.

Keith smiled to himself, as the door clicked shut. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly typed the message.

------------------------

Pam’s phone vibrated in her pocket, indicating she’d received a new text message.

He’ll be there in 10 minutes.

A giddy smile spread across her face. In a matter of minutes she was about to embrace her husband, the man she had missed so much in the last few weeks. She sat on the airplane, patiently waiting for her turn to exit the aircraft, but couldn’t hold her legs still, wanting, needing to see Jim. She practically bounced out of her seat as soon as it was her turn, peeling her way between the sea of passengers, looking for the signs directing her to baggage claim.

The tears began as soon as she stepped on the escalator, the home stretch. She didn’t make any attempt to hide them-she wasn’t ashamed. She was 5 months pregnant, hadn’t seen her husband in almost a month, missed her 3 year old already, and had just spent the entire day in airplanes and airports. Darn it, if anyone had a reason to cry, Pam Halpert did.

The ground slowly came into view as the escalator made its way down to baggage claim. She saw several people standing at the bottom, and she was able to pick him out instantly. She saw his feet first, then his legs, his torso, and finally the unmistakably familiar, adorable face she’d only been able to dream of for the last 27 days. Her free hand flew up to her mouth, as her emotions threatened to boil over the surface. Her knees became weak, something only he could do to her.

The sign Jim was holding for the non-existent editor fell to the floor as he looked up, and saw his wife.

Their eyes stayed locked for the last few seconds as Pam made her way down to the end of the escalator. As soon as her feet hit solid ground, he was already halfway to her, his bag long forgotten, as he willed his feet to move faster to get to her. Pam, too, dropped her bag and ran over to meet him. He knocked the breath out of her when he threw his arms around her, lifting her a few feet off the ground.

For the first time in nearly a month, the tears running down Pam’s face were anything but sad. She didn’t have time to even speak before Jim set her back down on the ground and pressed his lips to hers, leaving no room for air. Her lips tingled with the familiar, but almost forgotten feel of him. She knew people were staring, but she didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was the man holding her, doing ungodly things to her lips, his hand resting on her swollen stomach.

Jim finally removed his lips from hers, but didn’t make any effort to release his grip around her body. He caught his breath and finally spoke, looking at her through his misty eyes.

“I can’t believe it’s really you.” He whispered, his voice full of emotion.

“I know.” She smiled, her first real grin in nearly a month.

“I’m guessing my boss was in on this…”

“Yeah, he helped me plan it. I decided to fly in early, because I wanted to be here for your big day.”

“Oh, Pam. That’s why I love you. I’m so glad you’re finally here.” He leaned down for another kiss, before releasing his death grip on her, and walking back to pick up her hastily discarded bag. The walked hand in hand to baggage claim, then set off for his hotel.

---------------------------

“Are you nervous?” Pam asked as they got off the freeway. Jim had his hand on her stomach, and she had her hand up on his shoulder, her fingers playing with the hair on the back of his neck (his 2nd favorite thing she did).

“Not anymore.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’re here.”

Pam grinned, and quickly leaned over to kiss his cheek while they sat at a red light.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be on talk radio.”

“I know! I thought it was a joke, but Keith usually isn’t one to joke around, especially when Bill is around. I wonder why they chose me.”

“I think we both know the answer to that question. You’re clearly awesome, that’s why.”

“I know, right!”

“Yeah. Keith told me why, by the way.”

“What?!” Jim turned to stare at her for a second, before turning his attention back to the road.

“He did. He said you’ve blown everyone away with your work. It was only natural that they chose you to be on the radio program tomorrow. You’re doing a great job, Jim. I’m so proud of you.”

Jim gave her hand a squeeze, and turned to give her a wink. “I owe this to you, you know.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you’re the one who convinced me to take this internship. And, because you and Jackson are my inspiration.”

“Your inspiration, eh?”

“Yep. Thinking of you two…well, three, makes me write better.” He looked over at her for, giving her a grin that made her heart melt.

“You’re so cute.” She returned his grin as he pulled into the hotel parking garage.

“Home sweet home.” He said, and gave her a quick peck on the lips as he got out of the car to get her luggage.

A few minutes later they were finally in his hotel room. Pam was pleasantly surprised at the condition of his room, knowing how messy he was at home.

“Wow, Jim. Seriously, why can’t you be this clean at home?” She asked playfully.

“Well…cleaning was the only thing that took my mind off of missing my family, so…”

“You must have missed us a ton, because this room is spotless!”

She looked over at him from across the room when he didn’t respond. He had his hand is his pockets, his body leaning up against the wall, gazing intensely at her. She recognized that look from anywhere, and returned it with one of her own. The corners of his mouth turned up into a mischevious smile.

“C’mere, you.”

Pam slowly made her way over to him, never breaking eye contact. The smile he had was long gone, replaced by a burning gaze that made her pulse quicken. She finally reached him, but stood back a few inches, not wanting to give in just yet. He tilted his head to the side, a questioning look on his face. She reached out a caught ahold of his belt loops, and yanked him, rather forcefully towards her. His hands flew out of his pockets and went straight to her hips when she caught his bottom lip between her teeth, pulling slightly, but letting go at just the right moment to give him what he was waiting for.

Something between a moan and a long sigh sounded in his throat as their lips became reaquained with each other. His hands made their way up to her neck, pressing her head in closer to deepen the kiss. Just as his hands began to roam down her back, and beyond , she suddenly pulled away from his lips and took a step back.

“What…what’s wrong?” He managed to spit out, his breathing heavy and his voice flustered.

“I’m thirsty.”

“What? Right now?"

“Yeah, do you mind going and getting me some ice?”

“Are you serious?” He sounded annoyed and confused.

“Yes.” She put both hands on her bump and looked at him with puppy dog eyes. “Please?” She loved playing the pregnant card. Worked like a charm every time.

“Yeah. For Christ sakes, Pam. Are you trying to kill me?” He tried to sound stern, but she knew him better. He’d walk across water for her, so she knew ice wasn’t that big of a deal…even if she did ask at the worst possible time. Little did he know just what she had up her sleeve.

Jim walked over to grab the ice bucket, and said “I’ll be back in a few” before shutting the door behind himself.

As soon as the door shut and latched, Pam ran frantically over to her suitcase. She stripped in record time and threw on her latest lingerie purchase, a little pink number, one that might possibly break his brain. It accentuated her bump, but she knew that would turn him on even more. He always called her a ‘sexy pregnant’.

She sat and leaned back on the edge of the bed, her arms propping her up as she patiently waited for him to come back.

-----------------------------

Later that night, after Jim had thoroughly welcomed Pam to Arizona…several times, they sat together watching bad TV and eating stale popcorn. Jim was sitting up, his back against the headboard, and Pam was sitting on his lap. It wasn’t the most comfortable position or the best entertainment, but there was no where else either of them would rather be.

Jim had his arms around her middle, his hands wandering all over body, mostly around her stomach.

“Hey, baby’s got the hiccups. Give me your hand.”

He leaned over and grabbed the remote to quickly turn Seinfeld off. The room was cast in a romantic glow, as she took his hand in hers and pressed it to her now exposed stomach. Jim rested his head on her shoulder and gazed down at their intertwined fingers laying over her belly. He could feel the baby's soft hiccups every few seconds, followed by a kick or two.

"I think he knows his daddy." She said softly, leaning farther back into his chest.

Jim didn't speak, he was still in awe of this life they created, and the fact that Pam was finally in his arms again.

He stared down at them for a few more moments, then pressed a kiss to her neck, letting his lips linger there.

“I missed this.” He finally whispered.

“Me too.”

“I love you.”

“Prove it.”

“Don't mind if I do.”

Jim’s eyes unwillingly cracked open when he felt the sunlight hit his face. His eyes darted over Pam’s sleeping body, and landed on the clock on the wall.

6:13

He let out a puff of air, and groaned quietly as he willed his body to wake up. They’d just gotten a few hours of sleep, but somehow he felt remarkably refreshed. He attributed it all to the person snoring softly next to him. He propped himself up on his elbow and leaned in to kiss her forehead as his other arm trailed from her bare shoulder down to the small of her back, pulling her warm body into his. He kissed his way over to her ear.

“Wake up, sleeping Beesly.” he whispered into it.

Pam let out a mad grunt, and squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

“Wake up, or I’ll call Dwight.”

Grunt.

“Wake up or I‘ll eat all of your mixed berry yogurt.”

She watched as her lips slowly upturned into a smile, her eyes still shut.

“You bought me mixed berry yogurt?” she whispered.

“Yes, but you won’t get any unless you get up now. We have to be at the studio by 7:30.”

Pam moaned loudly, and stretched her arms above her head and finally opened her eyes.

“What are we going to do after?”

“Let see…we have dinner with Keith and his wife tonight, but I was thinking tomorrow we could go to Sedona?”

Pam’s eyes got wide, “Really?! I was looking at pictures of that place last week online, I was going to ask you if we had time to go!”

“Of course! I think you’re really going to like it. I remember driving through it on a family road trip, like 20 years ago. It‘s really beautiful.”

“Yessss! I’m so excited!” Pam jumped out of bed and started walking over to the bathroom.

“Hey!” Jim called from the bed. “Bathroom dibs go to the first person awake!”

Pam peered around the corner, “Jim. I’m pregnant. Your son has turned me into a peeing machine. Dibs go to the pregnant wife.” She ducked just in time, missing the pillow that whizzed past her head.

-----------------------------------

“Nervous?” Pam smirked, watching his leg shake as he peered over his notes.

He just turned his head and looked at her, a frown on his face.

She ran a hand through his hair, trying to smooth down the curls that had grow out of control from his lack of a proper haircut. “Just pretend all the listeners are in their underwear.”

He smiled for the first time since they’d arrived at the KTAR studio. “I don’t think it really works that way on the radio. But thank you…I think.”

The door in the waiting room opened, and a man in his mid-20’s smiled and said, “Jim?”

Jim got up and helped Pam to her feet. They walked over to the man, and Jim stuck out his hand.

“Jim Halpert. This is my wife, Pam.”

“Nice to meet you both. I’m Joe, the producer. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the sound studio.”

They followed Joe down a long hallway, went through another door, and into a sound room. One wall was glass, and looked into the studio where Keith sat, in the middle of a live interview with Doug & Wolf.

“Keith will be on for about 3 more minutes, then we’ll take some calls from listeners, take a news and commercial break, then you’re up.”

Jim looked in on the studio in amazement. Joe caught the look of shock on his face.

“First time?”

Jim looked over at Joe, closed the mouth that had been hanging open, and managed to croak “Yeah.”

They listened in on Keith for a while, and Jim found himself completely mesmerized at the ease of the conversation, and was transfixed by how effortless it seemed. Before he knew it, Keith was taking off his headset, and was walking towards the door leading to the sound room.

“Mornin’ Jim! All set?” He boomed as he entered the room.

“Yeah, we’ll see.” He smiled nervously. “Keith, this is Pam.”

Pam extended her hand, and Keith shook it vigorously. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Halpert."

“You too. Thank you for arranging the airport pickup yesterday. We both appreciate it.” Pam smiled, and Keith winked at Jim.

“Jim, we’re ready for you now,” Joe’s voice called from the speaker inside the sound room. He leaned down and gave Pam a quick kiss.

“Knock ‘em dead!” she said sweetly.

---------------------

WOLF: It’s 8:03 on a Thursday morning, and if you’re just tuning in, we’re joined by junior sports writer, Jim Halpert, of The Arizona Republic. You may recognize the name--Jim’s witty, creative, and sharp comments can be viewed daily in the sports section, and also our website www.ktar.net. Welcome to the show, Jim!

JIM: Thank you! That’s quite the introduction, thank you for having me.

DOUG: Jim, lets get right down to the meat of it. D-Backs--they’re number one in the NL West, but Tuesday night’s sweep from the Rockies have some thinking this is the beginning of a long losing streak for Melvin and his team. What’s your take on this?

JIM: It’s definitely not the end, that’s for sure. Just look at the Padres. In ‘09 they went from losing half of their 3-game series, to beating the White Sox in the last game of the World Series. For the Diamondbacks, Melvin takes these losses and turns them around, unlike any other coach I’ve seen. The Jackson, Byrnes, and Haren trio guarantee that this team is nowhere near throwing in the towel.

DOUG: So you think they have a shot at taking it all?

JIM: Oh, without a doubt. This team has what it takes. There was a lot of controversy over trading Tracy last year, but I think in the end it really made this team what it is now. It’s not easy to trade a star player for a rookie, but I think Melvin knew what he was doing, and he’s proving it every day.

DOUG: Now, be honest, Jim. We know you’re a Phillies fan, but have we won you over yet?

Jim laughs and takes a second to respond.

JIM: It’s hard to say. I’ve been a Phillies fan since I was a kid, but there’s just something about the Diamondbacks, and even Phoenix, for that matter. I’m hooked. I’ve been to every D-Backs home game in the last month, and I’ve had the time of my life.

WOLF: Had?

JIM: Yeah, I’m heading back to Philly on Monday.

WOLF: That’s right. I think we might have some listeners who aren’t going to be happy hearing that. In fact, we have one now. Good morning, Craig. Do you have a question for Jim?

CRAIG: Yes, I do. Good morning. Jim, I’ve been reading your column for a few weeks now, and you seem to have a passion for the game that I haven’t seen in a lot of sports writers. You have a very unique style, and I was wondering: what’s your motivation, and what do you attribute to your personal style?

JIM: Well, thank you Craig. I’m glad you enjoy reading my notes. Honestly, sports writing is something I’ve always had the dream of doing, but if you can believe it, this is the first time I’ve done it. I had a few, uh, undesirable jobs in my lifetime, and I’m thrilled to be doing something I’ve always been passionate about. I love everything about baseball, from the smells of the stadium, down to the uniforms of the players. I’ve been lucky to have a wife and family who support my ‘obsession’, and I take all that passion and appreciation and reflect it in my writing.

CRAIG: Thank you, Jim. I’ll be sad to see you go, but have really enjoyed the time you’ve spent here in the valley.

WOLF: We’re going to take a break, but we’ll be back with more from Jim Halpert, sports writer extraordinaire. If you have a question or a comment for Jim, please call our Sports Talk Line at (602) 260-KTAR.

When Jim heard the ads start, he took off his headset and took a deep breath.

“You’re doing great, Jim. Keep it up!” Joe called from the sound room. Jim looked through the window and saw Pam grinning at him, he gave her a thumbs up.

Jim had about a million thoughts going through his head, many of them about how amazing and free he felt being on the radio. It almost felt natural. It wasn’t a feeling he’d experienced before, and he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if being on the radio was something he could pull off--in a more permanent way. It wasn’t anything that had ever crossed his mind before. His thoughts were interrupted when they went back on the air, for the second half of his interview. It went even better than the first.

------------

“Broken.”

“Come again?’ Jim turned his head and looked at Pam in the passenger seat, then quickly turned his attention back to the road.

“You broke it.” she said again.

“Broke what?”

“My brain. You broke my brain.”

Jim laughed, “Oh, come on…it wasn’t that great…”

“Yes, it was. Seriously, Jim, you should have seen the look on Keith’s face the whole time. It was like a father watching his kid ride a bike for the first time. It was amazing.”

Jim didn’t respond, just squeezed her hand a little tighter.

It had been amazing. He’d never felt that way before, and by the time it was over, he’d wished he could do it every day.

“I liked it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I liked it a lot.” he paused for a moment before continuing. “Call me crazy, but I think it’s what I want to do.”

He panicked when Pam didn’t respond--irrational thoughts going through his head similar to what Pam had thought when she was told by Roy that her own internship was irrational. His thoughts were dissolved as soon as Pam spoke.

“Then I think you should go for it.”

-------------------------------------

Jim and Pam stopped off at The Arizona Republic building to gather up his stuff, since his internship had ended at the conclusion of the radio show. Jim was hesitant to take her in, knowing she’d had her fair share of crazy coworkers, and the A.R. was no exception.

Chris was the first person they saw once they entered the building. He always reminded Jim of Dwight, for some reason he couldn’t exactly pinpoint.

“Hey, Chris. This is my wife, Pam.”

“Oh, nice to meet you, Pam.”

“You too.”

“You know folic acid is very important during pregnancy. Have you been taking care of your fetus buy giving it the proper nutrients needed to help it grow properly?”

“Wow. Uh…Chris.” suddenly he was reminded of why Chris reminded him of Dwight.

“Yeah?” Chris turned to Jim.

“Why would you think she‘s pregnant? She‘s not expecting.” he said, trying to keep a straight face and to control his laughter.

Chris‘ eyes darted from Jim’s face to Pam’s obvious baby bump, his face turning bright red. “Oh. OK, then. I have to go…check on my…yeah…”

Chris rushed down the hall and after he turned the corner, Jim and Pam burst into laughter. Pam was laughing so hard she had to lean against Jim to keep from toppling over.

“Oh my God, I haven’t laughed like that since you’ve been gone.” Pam said, once she could finally speak again.

“I suppose I’ll have to do some damage control…let the office know you really are expecting.”

“Maybe we could convince them I’m having sextuplets.”

Jim contemplated it for a moment, “You are very good at what you do. Let‘s do it.”

It took just a few minutes to pack up Jim’s things, and they were finally headed back to the hotel, leaving the office behind forever.

To say Jim was anxious would have been a total, complete understatement. Pam slept quietly with her head on his shoulder as he impatiently flipped through the array of badly worn magazines in the seat pocket in front of him. He occasionally looked out the window, the scenery eventually going from green mountains to warm, soft fields, and indication that they were getting close.

He tried to sleep, tried to make up for the lack of it from the weekend with Pam, but only dozed off for a few minutes at a time as his thoughts always ran back to the place where they were headed.

Home.

Home, a word he hadn’t been able to experience in an entire month. Home, where a certain little boy, who at that moment was crying for his mom and dad, was waiting just as impatiently as his dad was. For Jim, the past month made him appreciate all that he had. He vowed, during the many sleepless nights, the lonely weekends, the quiet mornings, to never take home for granted again. No more petty arguments, no more senseless irritants. Life had become complicated over the years, and he vowed to remember the little things that had made him who he was.

He felt Pam squeeze his hand, and he looked down at her to find her peering up at him through sleepy eyes. He shifted to wrap his arm around her, bringing her closer to him.

“It feels like this flight is never going to end.” he said as he pressed his lips to her head.

“Tell me about it. I have an armrest stabbing into my side, and I have to pee…again.”

Jim laughed as she got up and walked back to the bathroom for the third time during their flight.

“Would you like a beverage, sir?”

Jim looked up to see the flight attendant scooping ice into a small cup.

“Do you have grape soda, by chance?”

She smiled and began to pour his drink.

-------------------------------

Jim turned the corner onto Emerson Avenue and it took all he had to not slam down on the gas and make it home faster. After what seemed like ages, they finally pulled into their driveway, and Jim couldn’t help but grin. It was 8:00, and he hoped Jackson was still awake. They decided to leave their luggage in the car, mainly because Jim couldn’t wait to see their little boy.

Debbie sat in the living room reading a book when they walked into the house. She smiled and stood up as they entered the room.

“Welcome home!” she said, and Jim walked over to give her a hug.

“Thank you, Debbie, for everything. Is he asleep?”

“Yes, he cried himself to sleep about a half hour ago. The poor little thing’s been so sad all day.”

Jim winced at her words, and quickly turned around and walked briskly to Jackson’s bedroom. He slowly opened the door, cringing at the squeaking noise it made. Jackson lay curled up into a ball on the lower half of his bead. He was clinging to his blanket, something he hadn’t done in months. Jim walked over and sat at the top of the bed, picked up his son, and placed his sleeping body in his arms. Jackson stirred, but didn’t immediately wake up. He carefully placed Jackson’s arms around his neck and whispered into his hair.

“Hey, buddy. Will you wake up for dad?”

Jackson’s eyes fluttered open, and it took him a second to realize what was going on.

“Daddy?” he asked, not quite all the way awake.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m home, Jackson.”

“Daddy! Don’t leave ‘gain, ‘kay?” Jackson cried as he tightened his arms around his dad’s neck.

“I’m not. I’ll never leave you again. I missed you so much.”

Jim looked over at the bedroom door when he heard it open, and Pam quietly walked into the room. She too sat down on the bed, and Jim shifted to include her in their embrace.

“Hi, Mommy. I missed you.”

“I missed you too, honey.”

“Daddy? Did you remember my present?”

Jim laughed at the straightforwardness of his son.

“As a matter of fact, I have it right here in my pocket.”

Jackson unwrapped his arms from around his mom and dad, and waited patiently while Jim took his time removing something from his pocket.

It was a leash, and it only took Jackson a few seconds to realize what it was for. He hopped up and down in Jim’s lap, too excited to even speak.

“You know what this is, buddy?”

He just nodded, a huge grin on his face.

“You promise to take care of if like a big boy?”

He nodded again.

“Okay…then we’ll go pick up your new cat tomorrow!”

“No cat, dad! A dog. I want a dog!”

“Okay fine. We’ll go pick up your new dog tomorrow.”

Jackson wrapped small arms around his mom and dad again.

Jim had never been so happy to be home.

Nothing.

“Jim!” She nudged his shoulder, whispering a little more adamantly this time. He groaned, and rolled over in bed trying to get away from the offending gesture.

“Jim, honey, I need you to wake--GAAAAH!” She abruptly grabbed onto his thin t-shirt as the sharp contraction tore through her stomach.

“JIM!” She managed to cry out as she tried to control her breathing, at the same time cradling her belly, trying to soothe the pain.

That managed to do it. Jim sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he tried to figure out why Pam had woken him up. She still had a death grip on his t-shirt, and the contraction was still continuing by the time he realized what was going on.

“God, you’re…okay, how bad is it? How far apart are they?” He placed both hands on her shoulders as she leaned over him, her head dipped down in concentration. He kissed her head and wished so much that he could take away the pain.

“They were 7 minutes, now they’re 5. We need to go…now!” She breathed out, now leaning over the bed as Jim jumped up to throw some jeans on. Once his pants were on, he ran back over to Pam and helped her out the bedroom door and into the living room. Her contraction had ended, but her forehead was beaded with sweat and she was still panting heavily.

Jim ran to the kitchen and called Debbie, who answered the phone after three rings, and said she was on her way over to watch Jackson. He grabbed their bags and loaded them into the car and ran back in to get Pam.

They made it to the hospital in record time, and had both significantly calmed down when they remembered they had already been through this before, and didn’t need to panic.

Jim parked the car, but didn‘t make any attempt to get out. Pam turned to him, a confused look on her face. He had a mischievous smile on as he met her glance.

“You sure you want to do this?”

She let out a chuckle, and his smile grew bigger.

“Yeah.” she whispered. “Lets go have this baby.” She squeezed his hand, and he gave her a look of adoration before undoing his seatbelt and getting out of the car.

---------------------------------------------

The sun came up, and went down again, and still no baby. Pam had been in labor for 18 hours, and had just barely started to make progress. The word “c-section” had been thrown around, and they were all calmed when Pam’s contractions finally became more intense, and her dilation increased.

Dr. Garen and her nurse hovered over Pam as her latest contraction ripped through her body with a vengeance. Her hand clutched Jim’s, and he had his other arm around her as she began following the doctors orders to push.

“GAAAAAH!” she cried out as she threw her head back against Jim’s chest, taking a deep breath to push again.

“I can see his head, Pam. Just a few more pushes!” Dr. Garen said.

“AHHHH!” Another big push, and another deep breath.

“You’re doing great, honey. Keep pushing, it’s almost over!” Jim whispered, his face pressed into her messy hair. She nodded, and took another deep breath and began to push.

A shrill cry filled the air, and Jim thought it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard in his life. The sounds of chaos and pain all faded away when he leaned over at looked at their new little miracle for the first time.

Pam’s painful cries were replaced with sobs of joy when she also laid eyes on their baby. Dr. Garen cleaned out his mouth and nose, and deposited him onto the cloth laying over Pam’s stomach. His cries were quiet but determined as he flailed his arms around and kicked his legs. Jim reached out and cupped his face as he leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead, his tears dropping on the baby’s skin.

“Hi, baby.” he spoke, and the baby seemed to calm down once he heard his daddy’s voice. Pam cradled her son close to her chest and she too placed a kiss on his forehead and cheek.

Jim was asked to cut the umbilical cord, and the baby was quickly taken away to be washed, measured, weighed, and checked over. He started whimpering as soon as he left Pam’s arms.

Jim stood over by the nurse and doctor while they cleaned the baby up, but walked back over to Pam after a few minutes. She looked peaceful and radiant, more beautiful than she’d ever looked to him in his life. Jim caught her eyes, and he smiled as he wiped the tears away from his face. Pam smiled back, and Jim walked over to her and knelt down beside the bed. He reached up with both hands, placed them gently on either side of her face, and wiped her tears away with this thumbs. Her tears were still flowing, but he knew they were from her overwhelming happiness, and they only made his start up again. He leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. He could feel her mouth turn up into a smile, and he couldn’t help but smile himself.

He pulled back slightly, enough to look her in the eyes again. He continued to stroke her face gently as he spoke.

“How do you feel?” he whispered.

She didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. Her face told him all he needed to know. She was beaming, and he could feel her happiness radiating.

“God, I love you.” he whispered again.

“I love you, too.” It was her turn to stroke his face. He leaned forward again to kiss her forehead, letting his lips linger there.

“You did so great.”

“How soon until he can start soccer lessons? I kind of have a thing for soccer dads.”

The question caught Jim off guard, and he couldn’t help but laugh outloud.

“Pam?”

The both turned and looked up at Dr. Garen’s nurse, who now had the baby wrapped tightly in a blanket.

“7 pounds 2 ounces. 20 inches long. He‘s perfect.”

Jim stood up and took their son from the nurses arms.

“We’ll be back in a half hour to have you feed him. Let us know if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Jim said, and turned around to place the baby in Pam’s arms. Dr. Garen and her nurse left the room and shut the door.

The baby had his eyes open, and was squinting as they darted around the room, never quite focusing on anything. Pam scoot over and Jim joined her on the bed. Pam ran her fingers lightly across his perfect, warm face and through his wisps of light brown hair. She leaned back into Jim’s chest and sighed happily.

This perfect child represented much more than the love of two people. He represented the strength of a little family, the realization that dreams can become reality, and that trials can be overcome having faith and a lot of love. The gift they held in their arms was worth every single minute of everything they had both gone through to get to this point, and they both thought of everything they had to look forward to in the future.

“He’s got your nose.” Jim observed. “Your hair, too.”

“Poor kid.” Pam laughed.

Jim smiled as he opened up the blanket to free his arms and legs. The baby’s hand immediately closed around Jim’s index finger, gripping it tightly with his fist.

“He’s definitely got your hands, that’s for sure.”

“Poor kid.” Jim said. “He’s in for a rough life.”

“Not necessarily…I love your hands.”

“Oh, do you now?” Jim displayed a shocked look on his face. “Well, I love your hair. I guess we’re even.”

“I suppose.” She rubbed the bottoms of his tiny feet, and he seemed to like it because he promptly fell asleep. “So, does he look like a James or a Carter?”

“Carter, for sure.”

“Yeah?”

Jim nodded. “Carter Halpert.”

“I love it. It’s too bad his namesake isn’t here to meet him.” They had chosen the name Carter in honor of Pam’s grandfather who had passed away when she was just 16 years old.

“I’m sure they’ve already met.” Jim said quietly.

“You think?” Pam asked.

“Yeah.”

The sat together silently for another few minutes just watching Carter peacefully sleep. He made little noises, and Pam fell in love with him more with each passing moment.

“Should I go tell everyone?” Jim was referring to both sets of parents who were waiting down the hall.

“Yeah, hurry back, though. I need to feed him soon.”

“I will.” Jim kissed them both, and headed out the door.

---------------------------------------------------------

“What does he look like?” Jackson asked, as he held Jim’s hand while they stood in the elevator in the hospital.

“He’s really little. I think he looks a little bit like mom, but mom thinks he looks like me, when I was born.”

“Oh. Can I hold him?”

“Yeah, you can hold him just like this!“ Jim leaned down and scooped Jackson up into his arms, and tickled him as he held him like a little baby. Jackson howled with laughter, and Jim remembered just three short years earlier when he had held this same little boy for the first time just as he was doing now. He ceased the tickling when the elevator door dinged open but kept Jackson in his arms as they walked over to the maternity ward.

They rounded the corner and stopped by the glass windows to look in and see if Carter was there. Sure enough, the second baby Jim looked at had the name “Carter” colorfully written above his head in the crib.

“There he is!” Jim pointed to Carter, and Jackson pressed his face and hands up against the glass, while still in Jim’s arms.

“He’s so teeny-tiny!” Jackson observed. “I want to hold him!”

“You can hold him in a few minutes. Let’s go see mommy first, she’s wants to see you.”

“Yeah, mommy! I want to go see mommy! Bye-bye Car-cur!” Jackson waved at his little brother as they walked away.

Jim laughed at Jackson’s pronunciation of Carter. They learned a few weeks ago that he couldn’t pronounce it, and he figured that would be the name they’d all end up calling him for a while.

They knocked lightly on Pam’s door, and Jim turned the handle and they walked in.

“Mommy!” Jackson yelled, and practically jumped out of Jim’s arms. He ran over to Pam’s bed, jumped up onto it, and threw his arms around his mom.

“Oh, I missed you, Jackson! Did you get to see Carter?”

“Yeah, daddy said I could hold him!”

“Maybe daddy will go get him?” Pam looked up and Jim winked at her before he walked out of the room.

“Did you know that you used to be tiny just like Carter?”

“I was?” Jackson asked in amazement.

“You sure were. In fact, you were even smaller than him. Mommy and daddy weren’t expecting you to be born so soon, and you were very small and very sick when you were born.”

Jackson though about it for a moment. “I won’t let Car-cur get sick, mom.”

“I know, sweetie. You’re going to be such a good big brother.”

Pam heard the door open and looked up to see Jim and Carter enter the room.

“I got to change his first stinky diaper!” Jim proudly announced as he walked over to Pam. “And judging by the way he’s whimpering and squirming, I think he’s a little hungry. Do you want to hold him, Jack?”

“Yeah, yeah!” Pam lifted Jackson off her lap and placed him next to her on the bed and showed him how to put out his arms. Jim leaned down and gently placed Carter in Jackson’s arms, showing him how to hold his head. Jackson had the biggest smile on his face, and could barely control his excitement. Carter sneezed and Jackson thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

Jim stood back and watched. For what seemed like the 10th time that day, he felt a single tear run down his cheek. Pam looked up as Jackson played with Carter’s toes. She winked at him, and he knew nothing would ever compare to this moment.

Pam looked back down and showed Jackson how to count Carter’s fingers and toes.

1, 2, and Jim thought of the different directions his life had taken to lead him to this point. 3, 4, 5, and he thought of how lucky he was to be married to an angel, and now be able to welcome another miracle into the world. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and he thought of the many, many years that he had to look forward to with this perfect family of his. He didn’t stop at 10, or even 20, but rather looked at his wife and sons, and thought that maybe, just maybe, he had a glimpse of eternity.

------------------

It was the same routine every morning. Jackson would help Carter out of his crib, they’d make their way into Jim and Pam’s bedroom, and one or both of them would read the boys a story.

This particular Sunday morning started off no different. Jim awoke to 1 year-old Carter’s incoherent babbling along with tugging on his shirt in an effort to wake him up.

Jim glanced at the clock on the nightstand and let out a loud yawn.

“It’s too early, baby. Why don’t you go back to sleep?”

Jackson piped up and walked over to his daddy’s side of the bed. He had a book in his hand, and a look of hope in his eyes.

“Daddy, will you read me this story?”

Jim couldn’t help but smile, and lifted both boys up onto the bed and nestled them between him and Pam’s warm bodies.

“Let’s see…what do we have today? Ah, ‘Arthur’s New Baby Book‘!”

Jim turned the brand new book over in his hands. It wasn’t one he’d seen before, and he asked Jackson where it came from.

“Mommy bought it yesterday.”

“Huh.” Jim shrugged and opened up the book to the first page, and began reading.

For as long as I can remember it’s always been mom, dad, me, and D.W.

Pam rolled over in bed and bit her lip to keep from smiling as she watched Jim turn the page.

We liked it that way. I mean, D.W. always bugged me, but I liked our little family. One day, that all changed…

Jim turned the page again, and was surprised to see something fall out of the book. He stopped reading and picked up the picture that had fallen out of the page.

It was a Polaroid…but not just any Polaroid. It was a Polaroid picture of a pregnancy test. A positive pregnancy test.

Jim swallowed and slowly turned his head over to Pam. She had her hand over her mouth, but he could tell she was smiling brightly.

“Surprise!!!” Jackson yelled, and Jim took his eyes off Pam for a second to look at his son.

“You knew about this, even before I did?!”

Jackson nodded, and Jim looked back over at Pam, who now had tears running down her cheeks.

“Surprise!” She whispered.

Jim laughed and crawled over both boys, right on top of Pam and kissed her firmly. He kissed her until Carter started whining, and Jackson started jumping on the bed.

“Hey, boys? How about you go get dressed? Mom and I need to be alone for a minute.”

“’Kay!” Jackson jumped off the bed. “Car-cur, come on, let’s go get dressed!”

As soon as the door shut, Pam rolled them both over so she was leaning over him, hands on either side of his face.

“Are you happy?” she asked as she brushed her lips lightly over his.

“Yeah.“ He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and pulled her body into his. “So happy.”