The rest of the day felt like it was in fast forward. I was like the last day of summer, where you tried everything in your power to savor any last moment before the inevitable happened. The next thing Jim knew, the clock on the wall read five. He could hear Michael’s breathless sobs as he watched Pam put one last item from her desk into her box. For the first time in his life he wished he could be like Michael, because deep down he was sobbing just as hard.

  He watched her timidly wave to him as she slid out the office door. But he felt glued to the spot his was sitting in, like he couldn’t believe was he was actually seeing. It wasn’t until he heard Michael’s office door slam that he was waken from his daze. Before he realized what was happening, his feet were taking him out the door and down the steps, where he could see Pam walking to her car. He felt a tear fall down his cheek, but was able to brush it away as he summed up enough courage to open one more door to get to her.

  “Pam!” he called out. She swiftly turned to see Jim. “I just wanted to say goodbye.”

  “Oh, yea. Sorry, I had to get out of there before Michael found a way to attach himself to me forever.” She tried to make it easy.

  “Yea, it was pretty intense in there…” the awkward silence between the two of them broke Jim’s heart more than the fact that she was leaving. How did we get to this point? He wondered before he was able to speak up. “Listen, I just wanted to let you know that I’m glad you are going to be able to finally live the life you want. I mean, I really wish you all the luck in the world, because you deserve it, and I… I’m” Jim was trying his hardest not to shed a tear. “I’m really going to miss you.” Idiot.

  Pam looked as if she was about to break, but Jim thought she never looked more beautiful. “I’m going to miss you too, Jim.”

  “Hey, listen, do you have to go now, or can you hang out for a little bit. Maybe grab a cup of coffee?” Jim was somehow able to be courageous enough to extend the offer.

  “Oh, no. It’s just that I have a few more boxes that aren’t going to pack themselves.”

  “Of course. I guess, uh, I’ll be seeing you then, huh?”

  “Yea. Goodbye Jim.”

  “Goodbye, Pam.”