The day before Jim had to leave for the meetings at corporate, he walked into the house to find Scarlet standing in front of the television dancing with her cartoons. Scarlet swayed and jumped when the little owl on the screen began to sing and dance. Jim smiled as he shut the door and caught her off guard.

“Hey, Jim! Look at this!” Scarlet said, waving for him to look at the television.

Jim placed his brief case by the door and pulled off his coat before walking over to Scarlet. He placed his suit jacket on the back of the couch and stood in front of the television with Scarlet. She smiled when the little brown owl began to sing his jazzy tune again. Jim laughed as she mocked the cartoon character’s dance and song. Scarlet began to sing at the top of her lungs.

“I love to sing-a! Of the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a! I love to sing-a!” Scarlet said, laughing throughout the entire line.

Jim laughed. “Wow. You are too good at that. What are you watching?”

Scarlet spoke through her fit of giggles. “I don’t know. It looks old.”

“I think this was something that I watched back in the day,” Jim said, squinting at the television. He had to admit, that little owl singing “I love to sing-a” was pretty amusing. Cracking another smile at Scarlet as she danced with the music, he turned to greet Pam, who wasn’t anywhere in sight.

Jim began to whistle the tune that was being blasted throughout the living room and that was now permanently etched in his memory. Jim found Pam packing for the wedding in their bedroom. He greeted her with a kiss and a hug.

“How was your day?” Pam asked, folding a nightgown and placing it in her suitcase.

Jim watched as she neatly tucked the nightgown in the luggage. “It was good. You?”

“Fine. The gallery was slow today. Then, Scarlet decided to fill me in on how Matthew Morrison flicked boogers at her all day,” Pam said, shutting the suitcase.

“Wow. That must be better than my story then.”

“What happened?” she asked, with her brow furrowed.

Loosening his tie, he replied, “I flicked my boogers all day too.”

Pam rolled her eyes and swatted at Jim’s arm. “When do you leave out tomorrow?” Pam asked as Jim sat down on the end of the bed and pulled off his shoes. “Um, I need to be out of the house by six.”

Pam pulled some socks and other garments out of her drawer, placed them in her suitcase and zipped it up. “And, you will be meeting us at my parents house on Saturday before the wedding?”

“Yep,” Jim said, making his way into the bathroom, untucking his shirt and unbuttoning it as well. Pam placed a few items into Jim’s suitcase and then turned quickly towards the bathroom door. She caught the bathroom door before he shut it all the way.

Puzzled, Jim asked, “What?”

“Can you let me clean up a few things in there real quick?” she asked, nodding into the bathroom.

“Why? I’m just gonna use the bathroom and change.” Jim said, looking even more confused.

Pam pushed past the door and started picking up a few towels and placing them in the hamper. “Just let me clean it a bit. Give me a second.”

“What’s the big deal? I can stand the mess. It’s not like I can’t pick it up after I’m done,” Jim said, standing in the doorway with his arms open.

Waving her hand towards the door, Pam said, “Please let me clean up the bathroom.”

“What’s going on, Pam?” Jim asked, placing his hand on the doorknob.

Pam continued picking up stray washcloths, clothes, and rubber bands. “Nothing. It’s a mess.”

Still completely befuddled by Pam’s actions, he nodded and went to the bathroom down the hall.

----

After Jim left the bathroom, Pam threw the dirty clothes on the floor and grabbed the trash sack from the wastebasket and tied it quickly. She grabbed the stick on the back of the toilet, read it, and then placed it at the back of her vanity drawer. She slowly shut the drawer and as Jim came back in, she jumped and pushed the drawer inward quickly, slamming her finger.

Pam pulled away quickly and immediately grabbed her finger and squeezed it tight. Jim’s look of confusion melted away as he came up and grabbed her hand and looked at it.

“What’s up with you, Pam?” Jim asked, looking into her eyes. With her face crumpled in anguish, she shook her head.

“I don’t believe you. Something’s up,” he said, lifting his eyebrow.

Slightly grimacing in pain, she shook her head again and looked at her throbbing finger in Jim’s hand. He blew on the little cut above her fingernail. Pam jerked back as the air hit the cut. A little tear trickled down her face as she bit her lip to stop from whimpering.

Jim looked up at her and saw that she was really in pain. “Are you okay?” Pam nodded, still biting on her lip.

Jim placed Pam’s finger under some running water and watched as she adjusted to the temperature change of the water. She immediately knew that he was going to ask again about what was wrong with her.

“That feels better,” she finally breathed out. She wiped the small tear off her cheek with the back of her other hand. Jim was leaned up against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest and a look on his face that only Pam knew was his ‘the jig is up” face.

“What?” she asked, looking down at the water running over her blue fingernail.

“What?” Jim asked back.

“Nothing.”

“Okay,” Jim said, turning and shutting the bathroom door before taking his place at the counter again.

“What?” she asked again, her voice getting higher.

“What’s up with you?”

“I’m fine. This is just a sore finger. I’m okay. I promise,” Pam said, turning off the water and wrapping her finger in a washcloth.

“No, I mean…what’s up with you today? It’s like you don’t want me around you or something.”

Pam looked up from examining her finger. “That’s not it. It’s just been one of those days, you know? No big deal.”

“No big deal? You sure?”

Pam nodded. “Yeah. I think I’m just stressed because of the trip and seeing all the family again. It’s just been an odd day.”

“I don’t….” Jim started, but was interrupted by the sound of Scarlet singing as she opened the bathroom door.

“I love to sing-a, of the moon-a and the….Hey Mom, can I have a snack?” Scarlet asked, with her hand still hanging on the doorknob.

Jim stepped away from the counter. “I’ll get it for you kiddo,” he said, patting her on the head. Before he walked out of the bathroom, he turned to look at Pam. “I need to head to the store in a few. I’m gonna take Scarlet along. Is that okay?”

Pam nodded. “Sure.”

“See you in a little while,” he said, closing the bathroom door shut behind him.

-----

Pam had dinner ready by the time Jim and Scarlet returned. Jim carried in a few bags and set them on the table.

“How was it?” Pam asked, stepping around the kitchen counter and into the dining area. Scarlet smiled and held up a sucker. “Good,” she said with a giggle.

“You gave her candy before dinner, Jim?” Pam said, turning towards him.

Jim looked up and nodded. “Uh…. yeah.”

Pam shook her head and went back into the kitchen to pull the casserole out of the oven. Pam slammed the dish on the stovetop and shut the oven door with a thud. Jim peeked past the hair in his eyes as Pam angrily marched around the kitchen.

Scarlet stood stock still in her place as she watched Pam.

Jim spoke. “Pam, what’s the problem?”

“Nothing Jim!” she said, her voice loud and strong.

“Stop with that! There is something wrong. Look at you!” he said, standing from his seat at the table.

Pam was cutting into the casserole with force. She looked over at Jim with her lips pursed. “I’m fine! You’re the problem.”

Shocked, Jim’s head cocked back. “Me? What in the world did I do?”

“You came home today and decided to be the good cop for Scarlet, I guess. Bribing her with snacks, shopping and suckers. That’s not how you should win her heart Jim!”

Pam kept cutting into the casserole, every now and then slamming her utensil against the dish. Jim looked at Pam with his green eyes burning into the side of her face. She knew he was upset.

“That’s not what I’m doing Pam and you know it.” he said, almost hollering.

“Well, you don’t have to make me look bad because you want to be the good guy.”

“Who made you the bad cop?”

“You did when I married you!” she screamed, pulling off her apron and throwing it on the counter.

“You’re acting ridiculous,” he said, exasperated.

“I am? I don’t think I’m the one acting ridiculous. You’re being an….”

“A what, Pam?” Jim asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Pam looked at him and then noticed the brownish-red hair behind the counter. As Pam’s eyes widened, Jim looked to his right to see Scarlet slurping on her sucker with a look of fright on her face.

“…asinine,” Pam mumbled.

Jim whipped his head back around to look at Pam. As soon as Pam sees Jim’s reaction to her statement, she almost wanted to smile. Jim’s face portrayed a scared or disbelieving look. His face registered more than one emotion at a time. Scarlet looked back and forth between the both of them before Jim cleared his throat to speak.

“Scarlet, why don’t you go watch your cartoons again.”

“Okay,” she said, skipping off.

When Jim looked back to Pam, she wasn’t facing in his direction and was slumped over the counter.

“What in the world was that?” he asked, stepping over to her.

“I don’t know…” she said, shaking her head, still looking at the rapidly cooling casserole.

“No, Pam. What’s going on? We’ve never snapped at each other over Scarlet before. Let alone, snapped at each other in front of her.”

“I honestly don’t know,” she said.

“Well, I would like you to figure out because you have me believing that you don’t like the way I’m a father to Scarlet,” he said, placing a hand on his chest.

“It’s not that. I just got….I don’t know, Jim. I’m sorry for….starting anything,” she said, turning to face him.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Why? Do I have to be seriously ill to be cranky?” she said, starting to get an attitude again.

Jim grabbed her hand. “No. You’re just not your self. You provoked an argument in front of Scarlet. That never happens.”

“I just need to go to bed,” she said, rubbing her temple with her free hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Where is this all coming from?”

“Jim, not right now. I’m gonna go up to bed. Is that okay?” Jim nodded as their hands slowly slipped apart. He stood in the kitchen by himself before Scarlet came back in humming that little tune that she had learned earlier.

“You hungry?” he asked, remembering the mutilated casserole on the counter.

“Nope,” she said, skipping away with the sucker bulging in her cheek.

-----

After Jim said his goodnight to Scarlet and told her he would see her in a few days, he headed towards his bedroom exhausted. He rubbed his eyes as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Before laying down next to Pam he looked over at her tangled in the sheets with her head buried under her pillow. He let out a bemused chuckle before turning the laugh off and leaning back against his pillow. As he pulled the covers up to his chin, Pam rustled and he heard her faint voice.

“Jim?”

“Yeah?” he asked, looking up at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry for today.”

Jim nodded and closed his eyes shut. “I know.”

“I didn’t mean to snap. I’ve just been in a mood lately. Forgive me?” she said, rolling over to look at him.

“Of course.”

“You know I hate arguing. Especially about stupid stuff.”

He nodded as the pillow case made a sound beneath his head. “I know.”

“I don’t understand how you just don’t explode sometimes,” she said, giving a little laugh. When he didn’t respond she kept rambling on. “Every now and then I have a period where I get cranky and ridiculous. Maybe that’s why all my relationships don‘t end well,” she said, quietly.

Jim rolled onto his side to meet her gaze. “Hey, couples argue all the time. I think we can handle a few arguments here and there. Don’t think our relationship is going to head down the same path yours and Neil’s did.”

“I know. I just can’t help thinking of all the wrong turns we took.”

“But if you didn’t take those wrong turns, would you be here right now? With me?” he said, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Pam leaned forward and placed a kiss on his mouth. “I love you.”

“You too,” he said, whispering into her hair.

“I’m sorry I called you asinine,” she said with a chuckle.

“You did call me asinine. Where did that come from?” he asked, amused.

“Scarlet was in the room. I had to come up with a word she didn’t know was a bad word.”

“That was a good pick but, I don’t think I was being asinine.”

“You have to give me credit. It’s a pretty fancy word.”

“You’re right. Bonus points for you,” he said, putting his arm behind her head.

“Okay, let’s get some sleep. You have to be up in six hours,” she said, glancing over at the clock. She gave Jim a peck on the cheek.

“See you in the morning,” he said, pulling her closer to his side.

----

Pam woke up and rolled over. Her arm flopped over to hit the mattress where Jim was sleeping a mere hour or so ago. She looked around the room through blurry eyes and noticed his suitcase was missing. He had already left without waking her. Pam laid her head back down and pulled Jim’s pillow over to rest her cheek on it.