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Story Notes:
The Office and it's characters do not belong to me.
 

“So, let's see what's in this box.” Pam said, pulling an old cardboard box towards her.


She sat on the floor with her eight year old daughter sitting next to her. They sat cross legged on the soft, rose colored carpet of Maddie's room. Maddie sat up on her knees, and peered into the box as her mother opened it, anxious to look through more old photos.


Earlier in the day, Maddie had come home asking her mom for help. She said she needed to put together a family tree for a school project. So Pam had managed to bring down five dusty boxes from the attic, and they had already found a lot of good stuff.


“This is fun, isn't is sweetie?” Pam asked, smiling down at her daughter. She admired the way the sun lit up the honey colored highlights of her hair. Maddie nodded and reached into the box.


Lifting a huge photo album out, she lost her balance and dropped it. Photo's and old papers fluttered out and fell to the floor.


“Oops, sorry mommy.” Maddie said, her lower lip pouting. She sat back, pulling the photo album onto her lap. It covered half her legs.


Pam just laughed. “No problem. We have to look through it all anyway.”


They sat quietly for a while, looking for pictures of Pam's grandparents and hopefully some pictures of her great grandparents.


After a bit, Maddie looked up and held a small photo up for her mother to see. “Who's this, mom?”


Pam reached over and took the photo. She felt her stomach flutter quickly when her eyes landed on the face in the picture. Smiling up at her, was a seventeen year old version of Jim.


“Is that daddy?” Maddie asked, her eyes bright.


Pam smiled, and shook her head. “No, it's just someone I used to know.”


Maddie smiled. “Was that your high school boyfriend?” She crawled over quickly, and sat next to her mother, peering down at the picture.


“No, you know I was with your dad in high school. It's just an old friend I used to work with.” Pam replied wistfully. She reached up and absentmindedly stroked her daughter's hair, her eyes still glued to the picture.


“He's cute.” Maddie said simply. “Did you go out with him?” She asked, looking up at her mom.


Pam shook her head again. “Almost... Well, he was a good friend. Actually, if it weren't for him... Jim, was his name. If it weren't for Jim your mommy wouldn't have gone to school to be an artist.” Pam smiled.


“Cool. Should I put it back in the album?” Maddie asked, already growing tired of the story.


“No, I'll take care of it. See what else is in there, honey.” Maddie crawled back over the the abandoned album and continued looking through it.


Pam stroked the photo slowly, memories long forgotten rushing back into her mind. She remembered his smile, and how he always made life at Dunder Mifflin barable. How he told her she should follow her dreams. She fought to remember the feel of his lips on hers, and how he reacted when she told him she was quitting to go to school full time. She felt tears blur her eyes as she thought of the day he told her he was marrying Karen. She never sent an RSVP back when he sent her an invite to their wedding. She hoped he was happy.


She silently thanked him, wherever he was, and looked up at her beautiful daughter. Pam thought of all the events that had led her here, to her dream house with the terrace. Her art decorating the walls, and her daughter's art decorating the refrigerator. She thought she wouldn't have changed a thing.


She heard the front door opened downstairs, and she quickly tucked the photo into the photo album at her side. She placed the album back in the box in front of her and smiled over at Maddie.


“Come on, daddy's home. Let's go have some dinner.” She closed the box and took her daughter's hand. They walked out of the room, and Pam closed the door behind them.



katrina87 is the author of 14 other stories.



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