The next few weeks were much of the same. They pulled pranks at worked, laughed, and were friends. They spent much of their evenings together, working with pictures Jim shot, and trying different developing techniques, overlaying drawings on top of them, anything to make a unique effect.

            They didn’t official say they were a couple, just best friends. They went out for dinner, watched movies, and spent most of their time together. Although they both wanted to, they hadn’t kissed – both were too nervous of possible misinterpretations of friendship.

            One night, Pam decided it was time to tell the truth. It had been nearly a year since Jim had first admitted his feelings, and Pam needed to do it this time. She ran upstairs to her bedroom and pulled the collage out from under her bed where it had remained for the past few weeks. She put it back up in its place of honor on her wall.

            When the doorbell rang, she was nearly sick with worry. She answered the door, but before Jim had a chance to speak, she told him. “I have to show you something.” She didn’t say anything else, just led him to her bedroom. Then he saw it. The collage.

            He recognized it all immediately. Much of it was him – his eyes, his smile, his face. Even in the other pictures, he knew it was him – an iPod, a teapot, even a Boggle timer. He knew now that it had never been a misinterpretation – she loved him too.

            “Pam…” He turned to face her.

            “Jim, I didn’t know what happened. I thought I was doing the right thing when I said I would marry Roy. But, after you left, and the date got closer and closer, I found myself sketching you. You were what I was excited about, not Roy. I don’t know why I didn’t call you right then. It was probably the stupidest thing I have ever done. And then you came back with Karen... Even when you broke up, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Then, spending these last few weeks with you, I realized I had to do something. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life without you in it. Jim, I love you.” Pam’s voice was breaking near the end, a few tears running down her face.

            Jim was shocked – he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had wanted to hear that for years, he thought he was dreaming. He pulled Pam into his arms, trying to comfort her.

            “Pam, I never stopped loving you. I was so hurt when you didn’t call. When I decided to come back, I was only dating Karen to protect myself. I couldn’t stand to see you happy without me, to know that even though you weren’t with Roy, you still weren’t mine. I didn’t know how I would make it if I had to face that reality every day. I didn’t want to even get close, I didn’t want those feelings to come back.”

            “We were both pretty stupid weren’t we?” Pam mumbled into Jim’s chest.

            Jim cupped Pam’s face in his hands and wiped away the tears. “No, what is stupid is me not kissing you right now.”

            The next moments were heaven for both of them. Everything they had wanted for so long was put into that kiss. Breathless, they finally broke apart. “I love you, Jim.”

            “I love you, Pam.”