Their first few days in the new house was spent cleaning, finding all their things, unpacking, washing all their clothes from their trip, setting up Scarlet’s room, and moving furniture around.

Pam picked on Jim for the past few days about his musk. He wore his strongest cologne to cover the scent that the body wash and the skunk smell had created. He almost smelt like a Dillard’s cologne counter.

Jim stopped by his place to grab the last of his belongings and made sure to get the pictures hanging on his fridge. As she closed the door behind him, a familiar car pulled into his drive.

Karen stepped out of the car and made her way up the sidewalk to where Jim was standing still.

“Hey. What’s up?” he asked.

“I tried to get a hold of you this past week. What’s going on?”

“Oh, I got your call but I was kind of on my honeymoon.”

“Oh really? Oh my…I didn’t mean to…” Karen said, trailing off.

“Don’t worry about it. I explained to Pam that we talked every now and then…but, I’m going to have to ask that you not call anymore.”

Karen nodded. “I understand.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just…I’ve started a family and it looks really bad if I’m still talking to my ex.”

“Yeah. Totally,” Karen said as she made a face.

“Well, I need to get back.”

“Okay. Hey, do you smell that?”

-----

Pam was cleaning the living room when her mother pulled up in the driveway. Pam ran out the front door to greet Scarlet, who had Allie hanging in her hands.

“MOM!” Scarlet hollered.

“Scarlet! I’ve missed you!” Pam said, picking her up and holding her tight to her chest.

“Me too! Where’s Jim?”

“He went to get some stuff from his old house.”

“Oh. Is the house ready?”

“Yeah. Why don’t you go check out your new room,” Pam said, letting Scarlet down from her embrace.

Scarlet ran in and Pam’s mother pulled her into a hug. “How was Paris, hun?”

“Great. It was fantastic.”

“You look good,” he mother said, looking over Pam.

“Really? I haven’t done anything different.”

“It must be him.”

“What?”

“Oh yeah. A good man can change a woman.”

“Whatever, Ma.”

“No seriously. Your cheeks are rosier, your smile brighter, and your eyes are sparkling.”

“Okay, Mom. Stop reading all those romance novels,” Pam said, leading her mother into the house.

-----

Jim walked through the door shortly after Scarlet had arrived. When he walked in, Pam and her mother were sitting at the kitchen table talking.

“Hello Mrs. Beesly,” Jim said, hugging her.

“Jim, you don’t have to call me Mrs. Beesly.”

“I know. It just rolls off the tongue.”

Pam giggled. Pam’s mother winked at Pam.

“What’s that smell, Pam?” her mother asked.

Pam burst into laughter. Jim shook his head in disgust. “Why does everyone have to ask that?”

“Someone else asked you today?”

Jim caught himself before he told Pam that he had seen Karen. He decided he would tell her when her mother left.

“What’s the smell?” Pam’s mother asked.

“Um, Jim got sprayed by a skunk a few mornings ago. There was one in the garage.”

“It was a nice welcome to the neighborhood,” Jim said, shrugging. “Where’s Scarlet?”

“She’s up in her room.”

“I’ll be back in a few,” Jim said, taking the stairs two at a time.

He knocked on her door and opened it up to see Scarlet playing with some Barbies.

“JIM!” Scarlet screamed as she ran into his arms.

“Hey, little one! How was your week with Nana?”

“Good. I missed you!”

“I missed you too, Scarlet.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Good,” she said, resembling Pam a little. Jim laughed and then let her down.

“Do you like your room?” he asked.

“Yeah. I got a doll house now.”

“I know. It’s big, huh?”

“Yeah. Just like our new house.”

“Yup,” Jim said, sitting next to Scarlet and picking up a doll.

----

“So, how are you all doing?” Pam’s mom asked.

“Good. But, I haven’t told Jim about the check yet.”

“About the insurance check from Neil?”

“Yeah. Once we turn in those adoption papers, we don’t get that money anymore. I don’t know what we are going to do. That money kept me afloat for months.”

“Don’t worry. Just tell Jim and you guys can come up with a solution.”

“I know. I just hate to bring it up so soon. We’ve only been married a week and a half and we already have financial problems.”

“Get used to it, babe.”

Pam hung her head slightly. “I hate to burden him with it. He’s trying his best.”

“Well, just let him now before his ‘best’ is taken away by the repo people.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Pam said, chuckling nervously. “I could always go back to work.”

“You want to do that?”

“Yeah. I want to. I was hoping to wait until Scarlet was in school and until after we had another…”

“What?” Pam’s mother asked, leaning in.

“What?”

“You just said, ‘until we have another‘…”

“No I didn’t,” Pam said, lying.

“Yes you did.”

Pam rolled her eyes. “Okay. We talked about having another kid. But, not right now. Later.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

Pam’s mother’s smiled and grabbed Pam’s hand. “That’s great. I’m so glad that you want another kid.”

“I think it’s going to be different actually raising a child with their father. That will be a major change from when Scarlet was a baby. It’s going to be weird though. Jim’s first, my second. Kind of weird.”

“He’ll do great as a father. You already know that.”

“Yes, I do,” Pam said with a smile.

-----

After Pam’s mother left, they played in Scarlet’s room with her for about an hour before bedtime. Allie romped around the room until Pam escorted her into the laundry room where the cat bed was.

Jim tucked Scarlet in and turned off the light. Scarlet turned quickly in her bed. “Night Jim. I love you,” Scarlet said.

Jim caught himself smiling. “ I love you too. Now get some rest,” he said, shutting the door behind him.

Jim quietly descended the stairs and found Pam standing in the kitchen looking over the last of the adoption papers. She looked up when he entered the kitchen.

“She in bed?”

“Yup. I tucked her in and everything.”

Pam smiled and dropped her head. Jim gave a look of concern as he rubbed her back.

“What’s up, babe?”

Pam sniffled. “I know I already told you that Neil never did anything like that for Scarlet. It means a lot to me that you want to do it. You know, be there for her, tuck her in, read her stories, and all that good stuff. Thank you.”

Jim pulled Pam into a hug. “Hey, I told you that I’m here a hundred and ten percent. If I’m ever not up to par, let me know. I want to do my best.”

“I know you do,” she said, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. As she pulled away, she remembered she had to tell Jim about the insurance check.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Um, you know that I was getting money from the insurance company after Neil died. Since you are adopting Scarlet we won’t get that money anymore.”

“Okay,” Jim said, carelessly.

“Well, it’s really important because I lived off those checks for almost a year. Now, it seems like we are going to be in debt if we don’t save up or cut back, you know?”

“Hey, listen. I have a better salary than when I was a salesman. So, don’t worry about it. I make enough for right now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Well, I could always start a job while Scarlet’s in school.”

“Do you want to do that?”

“Honestly, I would really like to get out of the house more often than I used to.”

“I mean, you won’t have to work if you don’t want to. But, if you really want to, then I say go for it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But since we aren’t going to be hurting for the money, find a job you like instead of one that pays the best.”

“Before I got married to Neil there was this gallery that I worked for. I might call them up and see what I can do.”

“That sounds great.”

“It does,” Pam said, leaning into Jim’s side.

“Hey, I just remembered something I needed to tell you.”

“What‘s that?”

“I saw…Karen today,” Jim said, looking down at Pam.

“Really? Where?”

“When I was leaving my old house, she pulled up in the driveway.”

“Wow. What for?”

“No clue. Before we got into any major conversation, I told her I just got married and that I would like it if she wouldn’t call anymore.”

“What did she say?”

“That she understood. But anyways, I just wanted to tell you before I forgot and made the mistake about not telling you.”

“Thanks Jim. I‘m glad you told me,“ she said with a smile. “Okay, I’m going to go to bed. I’m tired.”

“I guess that means that I’m going to bed too.”

“You don’t have to.”

“When I was growing up, my parents always went to bed together. They said there were very few nights when they didn’t go to sleep together. I would like to carry that tradition on.”

Pam smiled again. “Jim Halpert, are you an old softy?”

“No. Just want to please my woman,” Jim said, teasing.

“Well, that sounds like a great idea. You’re too good to be true,” Pam said, ascending the stairs.

“That’s the effect I was going for.”

“Good. Now, let us retire…” Pam said, laughing and pulling Jim up the stairs to their room.