“Hi, Mom,” Pam said into the phone.

“Hi, Pam. How’s things?”

“Oh, good. Work is good. Scarlet’s doing better in school. She bit a kid a while back and got into some trouble. Jim handled the situation pretty well,” Pam said, taking a sip from her glass.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Other than that, things are good. How about you?”

“Oh, we’re good. Your father and I were wondering if you all would come visit us soon?”

“We‘d love to” Pam said, her voice rising in excitement.

“Your cousin Jessica’s wedding is in about a month and you could stay here during the wedding.”

“Oh yeah. I haven’t replied to her invite yet but, that would save us some money on a hotel room. Plus, we could hang out with you.”

“That’s where I was going with this,” her mother said with a chuckle.

“Definitely. I’ll talk with Jim and see if he can get off work for a few days. I know he would like to get know the family more.”

“From what I’ve heard from the rest of the family, they adore him.”

“Good,” Pam said, fingering the pad of paper in front of her.

After a brief pause Pam’s mother asked, “So, are we going to be getting any good news from you soon?”

Pam chuckled. “Ma! We haven‘t had the time of day to even think about another kid.”

“Well, I wish you would hurry up!”

“Ma!” Pam exclaimed.

“Hey, I just want some more grandbabies. Have you at least brought it up to Jim since the honeymoon?”

“Um, not really.”

“Come on, Pam. You aren’t getting any younger and neither am I.”

“I know. It’s just not the right time. We are still figuring things out, you know.”

“Well, I would like another kid by the end of the year!” her mother said with a laugh.

Pam laughed as well. “We’ll see, Ma. Now, I need to go get Scarlet from school. So, talk to you soon?”

“Oh, you’ll be hearing from me. Unless you call me first with an announcement.”

“I’ll call you when I figure out the plans for Jessica’s wedding. Okay?”

“Sure thing. Bye Pam.”

After saying goodbye to her mother, Pam clicked the phone off and grabbed her keys to get Scarlet from school. Jim was coming up the porch steps as she pulled the door shut. He had his head slightly hung and he trudged up the stairs slowly. Pam smiled and then realized he wasn’t aware that she was coming in his direction.

She stopped in front of him and he picked up his head when he saw her feet directly in front of his. Pam smiled up at him when he finally made eye contact with her.

“What are you doing home early?” Pam asked.

“I hate my job,” Jim answered, shrugging his shoulders.

Pam laughed. “So, you quit?”

“I wish I had.”

“So, we aren’t going broke?”

“Not anytime soon,” he said, pulling his tie knot loose.

“Then why are you in such a mood?” she asked, still smiling.

“Corporate wants me to come up there for a weekend to have a training seminar for the managers. I don’t want to do anything but sleep on the weekends and they expect me to….” Jim said before he was interrupted by Pam reaching forward, pulling Jim’s face to hers and locking lips with him.

As they pulled away, Jim gave Pam a questionable look. “What in the world was that?”

She smiled again, dangling her keys in her hands. “You just looked like you needed a kiss.”

“I did. Thanks,” he said, stepping towards the front door. He finally let a smile creep up on his lips when he noticed that Pam was slightly flushed.

“I have to go get Scarlet. Do you want to come with?” she asked, knowing he probably would want to relax before Scarlet got home.

Jim pushed the front door open and set his briefcase inside the house. He looked up at Pam as she slowly backed down the steps. “Um, yeah. Why not?”

He shut the door behind him and briskly stepped down the steps where Pam stood. He placed his hands on her arms and placed a kiss on her lips. As he pulled back, she stepped in for another kiss. Jim smiled against her lips before they broke apart.

“We need to pick up the child,” Jim said, motioning towards the car door.

Pam smiled as she blushed. “I wish we had more time to be alone.”

“Me too.”

“I actually miss you when you’re not here,” she admitted, jingling her keys in her hand again.

“Trust me, I wish I was home so we could kiss like that all day long. Now, let’s get Scarlet before the janitors lock the place up,” he said, taking the keys from Pam’s hand and turning towards the car. Pam stood in her spot staring off into the distance. Once Jim had opened the car door he noticed Pam still standing away from the car.

“Uh, are you coming?” he asked, leaning on the opened car door.

Pam jumped a little at Jim’s words. “Oh. Um, yeah,” she said, turning to walk around the car.

“What was that?” Jim asked as she opened the car door.

She settled into the vehicle and shut her door. Jim did the same with his eyes resting on Pam in wonderment.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” she said with a shake of her head.

“You don’t just stare off into space without thinking about something,” Jim said, starting the car and looking behind him to reverse.

Pam stared out the windshield as Jim backed the car out of the driveway. She was in deep thought again. Jim noticed and said, “Earth to Pam!”

She looked over at him with a smile across her face. “What?”

“What are you doing?”

“Just thinking.”

“I know. About what?”

“Just stuff.”

“Okay. You need to get out more, Pam,” Jim said, laughing.

“Well, my parents want us to stay with them when we go to Jessica’s wedding.”

“That’s what you were thinking so deeply about?” Jim asked, checking his mirror and turning towards Scarlet’s school.

“No. I was thinking about a few other things my mom said, but anyways….she wants us to come down and stay with her. The weddings during Scarlet’s spring break so we can go up there early.”

“Wait, when is this wedding?”

“Spring Break week. Um, last week in March, I think.”

Jim let out an angry sigh. “That thing with corporate is that weekend.”

“Oh,” Pam said, her face falling.

“Don’t worry, we’ll work it out.”

“Are you sure?” Pam asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.

“Definitely. I can get out of it early, I’m sure.”

Pam smiled and reached over behind Jim’s head as he leaned it back against the headrest. She pulled his face closer to hers. His eyes fluttered shut, knowing that she was pulling him in for a kiss. Pam noticed how tender his face looked when his eyes were shut. She stopped before placing her lips on his to take him in. Pam smiled and then pulled him closer until their lips met.

“Did you know you are cute?” Pam asked, pulling away from their lip lock.

Taken back, Jim made a face. “I’m sorry?”

“You’re just….gorgeous.” Pam said, getting out of the car with a huge smile on her face.

Jim followed her as they walked towards the school. “Where is this all coming from?”

“I just love you. That’s all.”

“You’ve been thinking again haven’t you?” he said, pulling the school door open for her.

“I have. And, I love thinking about you,” Pam said, grabbing his hand and swinging it between the two of them.

“I can see that. You’ve been all hot and bothered since you saw me on the steps,” Jim said, laughing.

Pam’s face fell when she realized they were standing in the middle of the elementary school. “Shh! We’re in a school. You can’t talk like that in here!” Pam said, laughing a little at Jim’s reaction.

Jim had slapped a hand over his mouth when a group of kids in a line passed by him. “Oops,” he said, lurking behind Pam as she led the way to Scarlet’s classroom. Scarlet came running out the classroom into Pam’s arms.

“Now, let’s get home and get her to bed.”

“But, Mom! What about dinner?” Scarlet asked, looking confused.

“Oh. I suppose I have to feed you too,” Pam said, looking back and forth between Jim and Scarlet.

“Pam, are you seriously going to put her to bed before five?” he said, taking Scarlet from Pam.

“I was hopeful until she mentioned eating,” Pam said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Mommy was just kidding,” Jim said to Scarlet as they walked towards the door. “She’s just really excited to get into bed tonight.”

Pam dropped her jaw. “Jim!”

“She’s really tired,” Jim said to Scarlet as he made eyes at Pam.

“She’s tired? Why?” Scarlet asked.

“She worked really hard today. She had a very long conversation on the phone with Nana and it tuckered her out,” Jim said, playfully shaking his head.

Pam followed behind him as he teased Scarlet. She smiled the whole way home.

-----

Jim put Scarlet to bed after dinner while Pam showered in the master bathroom. As soon as Scarlet was fast asleep Jim went into the temporary office they had set up in the guest bedroom. He got on his computer to e-mail Jan about the training weekend. Before he logged off for the night he checked on a few work related reports. Pam came in with a towel clutched around her. Jim broke his gaze off the computer screen when she came in.

“There you are,” she said, rubbing a towel over her hair.

Jim smiled as he shut the laptop. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for you,” Pam said, leaning against the door jamb.

Jim stood and walked over to her. “What did your mom say that has gotten you into this mood?”

Pam smiled. “I’m not in a mood.”

“Yes you are. You’re being a…..temptress all of a sudden,” he said, running his hands up and down her arms.

“What? No, I’m not.”

“Uh huh. All day long,” he said, slowly leaning in to kiss her.

“Do you have a problem with the way I’ve been acting?” Pam asked, interrupting the kiss and looking into his eyes.

“No. I really like this side of you. It’s just very…new…and different.”

“Well, we haven’t…in…awhile,” she said, with his mouth mere inches from hers.

“I know. Trust me, I know,” Jim said, pressing his mouth to hers. Pam dropped her hair towel to the ground as she wrapped her arms around Jim’s neck.

He deepened the kiss and pulled back a few inches from her face. “Let’s go,” he said, pulling her towards their room and shutting the rest of world out.

-----

The next morning Jim woke to the smell of breakfast being made in the kitchen. He pulled himself out of bed and staggered downstairs to find Pam and Scarlet sitting at the counter.

“Morning, Jim!” Scarlet said, turning in her seat. Jim walked over to her and placed a kiss on her head.

“Hey, babe,” he said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Pam idly dried some cups in the dish strainer before acknowledging Jim. When she looked up at him he was smiling at her.

“Good morning, Jim,” she said, smiling.

“Morning,” he said, walking around the counter and putting his arms around her. Jim placed a kiss atop her head as well.

“Aren’t you going to be late for work if you don’t get in the shower?” Pam asked.

“I smelled breakfast and decided to hop on down here to get some,” Jim said, grabbing a plate and forking some eggs on it.

“Come on Scarlet, let’s go get dressed,” Pam said, helping her off the stool. Scarlet ran around the corner and up the stairs. As soon as the coast was clear, Pam hurriedly made her way back to Jim’s side and yanked him down into a kiss.

Surprised at her actions, Jim nearly choked on the eggs in his mouth. He pulled away, coughing. Pam giggled as he tried to wash the eggs down with some orange juice.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Pam smiled and pulled him closer. “Last night was great,” she said, playing with the hem of his blue t-shirt.

“I know,” he said, lifting an eyebrow.

“Thank you,” she said, winking and turning to walk away. Jim caught her hand before she got out of reach.

“Thank you, Pam? We’re married. We don’t need to say thank you after a night like that night,” he said, chuckling.

“I’m just being polite,” she replied, playfully swaying as she walked out of the kitchen.

----

After Jim had gotten ready, he trotted down the stairs.

“Scarlet! Let’s go!” Jim hollered. Scarlet came running through the house and grabbed her bag. Pam followed behind her with her lunch bag.

“Have a nice day,” Pam said, handing Scarlet her lunch and kissing her cheek.

“Bye, Mommy.”

Jim grabbed Scarlet’s hand and kissed Pam one more time before leaving for the morning. As they got into the car, Jim’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey, man!”

“Mark?”

“Yeah. What’s going on?”

“Nothing much,” Jim answered, as he looked back at Scarlet in her seat.

“There’s gotta be more than nothing,” Mark said over the line.

“Well, actually, I’m taking my daughter to school.”

“You have a kid?”

Jim smiled and said, “Yeah, she’s great.”

“When did this happen?”

“Uh, almost six months ago.”

“And your taking her to school?” Mark asked, sounding a little sarcastic.

Jim pulled into the parking lot of the school. “No. I adopted her. I married Pam.”

“Pam? Wow.”

“Yeah,” Jim said, getting out the car and opening Scarlet’s door.

“She had a kid?”

“Yeah. She was widowed.”

“And you adopted her daughter?”

“Sure did,” Jim said, grabbing Scarlet’s hand and her lunch bag and lead her into the school. He looked down at Scarlet and smiled.

“Well, we should totally catch up tonight. What do you say?”

Jim hesitated. “Let me talk to Pam and give you a call back. Is that cool?”

“Definitely. Talk to you then.”

“Alright. Bye,” Jim said, clicking his phone off.

Jim knelt and received a hug and a kiss from Scarlet. He hugged her a little bit longer than normal, feeling a strange emotion overtake him. He didn’t want to let go. When he finally broke their embrace, Scarlet smiled, said goodbye and skipped off.

Jim walked towards the door and then noticed that he still had Scarlet’s sack lunch in his hand. He turned quickly and made his way towards her classroom and knocked quietly on the door. He stepped him and Scarlet immediately jumped up to greet him.

“Hey, you forgot your lunch,” Jim whispered.

“Thanks!” she said, taking the bag from his hand.

“See you later,” Jim said, smiling and exiting the classroom. In the hallway, Jim heard Scarlet’s sweet voice as the door swung shut.

“That’s my dad.”