“Here?” she manages to squeak out, wrestling back her wrist from his hand.

He looks around their immediate vicinity and sees his son watching his daughter playing in the giant vat of colored balls, “Ali…I mean Alex, watch your sister for like 5 minutes, I have to go give Ms. Beesly something from the car.”

Pam catches her daughter’s eye and gives her a tight-lipped smile as she holds up one hand with five fingers.

He holds out his hand to grasp hers but something about holding hands for the first time doesn’t have ‘Adventure Zone’ written all over it, she hugs herself instead, trying to block out the nervous tension growing in her belly.

“What are we…” her question is interrupted by his finger on her lips, he tugs her gently behind one of the giant columns and they’re standing there, two adults in their 40’s in a suburban mini mall staring at each other hungrily like teenagers.

“How is it that you’re more beautiful than I remember?” he asks softly. Even though it’s been years, literally years since she can last remember the feeling of his breath on her cheek the rush of warmth that suffuses through her body from her head to the tips of her toes is the same.  She knows that there are lines around his eyes from laughter but she frowns as she sees  the tiny lines across his forehead, he must have spent quite a bit of time during the last few years worrying. She traces her hand along his forehead and his skin is still unbearably soft beneath her fingers. She knows her fingers are calloused now from hours in the studio but he still closes his eyes at her touch.

His hand goes around her waist and if he notices that if it’s just a little thicker than it used to be he doesn’t let on. Then he’s tugging her towards him and Pam feels a flash of panic at the thought that it’s been years since she really kissed a man and so, so, much longer than her last first kiss.

Except it isn’t really a first kiss at all because the moment their lips meet, her skin is young and dewy again and all the gray has vanished from his hair. They aren’t standing in a mini mall alleyway, but in a dimly lit office building and they’re just Jim and Pam again. She’s not entirely sure how he’s built a time machine for the two of them with his kiss, but Pam is desperate for another chance to turn back the clock that she kisses him again.

He groans a little and then his face is in her hair and he’s breathing out her name like a prayer.

And she isn’t sure how her day turned out like this. But she’s thankful, she’s so very thankful.

By the time they return to the table, the waitress is waiting by the table.

“I have two pepperonis and a cheese,” says the bored teenager, her arms laden with pizza.

Pam manages to pull her hand from his grasp and smile up at their waitress, and like magic their children appear at the table. “Wow,” Pam remarks to her daughter, “I wish you guys would come to dinner this fast when I make Brussels Sprouts.”

Annie rolls her eyes, “You don’t make those things- you think they’re gross.”

“Shhh,” she says gently poking her daughter in the ribs, “You’re going to ruin my Mom street cred,” Annie pretends to roll her eyes again but Jim can tell that she secretly thinks her Mom is hilarious.

“Did you two say Hello to Mr. Halpert?” Pam asks as she hands each of the children a giant slice.

“Hi,” Annie says carefully.

“Hi, Mr. Halpert. How do you know my mom? Were you guys talking about us? I told her about Flonkerton and the fourth grade Olympics and how you taught us all those games and stuff. She says I can come Alex’s birthday party.” The entire speech is delivered at lightening speed with a mouth half full of pizza. 

Pam starts to interpret her son’s speech for Jim when he responds, “I’ve known your Mom for almost forever, I’m going say about 17 years now, which is more than twice your age.”

“I was a secretary at the office where your Dad worked,” she says to Alex.

“Mom you were a receptionist? Like Taylor?” Annie asks, Jim can’t help but chuckle at the look of amazement on Annie’s face.

“She wasn’t just a receptionist, she was a criminal mastermind,” Now he really has Pam’s kids’ attention.  “Remember the gorgeous Receptionist I told you about who invented Flonkerton?” He says to Alex and Josh.

“Mom,” Josh says dropping his pizza onto his plate, “You invented Flonkerton?” in the same awed tone he would have used if someone told him his mother had flown to the moon.

“Well I had some help,” Pam says with a wink at Jim, she can’t help but enjoy that thrill of pleasure that rushes through her knowing that her kids are actually really impressed with her right now.

“Mom, that is so cool.”

“What was our Dad like?” Alex asks and Pam quirks her eyebrow at Jim asking for permission, he quirks an eyebrow at her and she knows he’s saying, ‘Don’t tell them Everything.’

“Have you met Dwight? Or maybe Mr. Shrute?” Pam asks.

Alex screws up his nose, “Mr. Shrute? That weird guy with the big glasses?”

“Has your Dad ever told you about the practical jokes he used to play?”

“Dad?” Alex
 

“Well, he used to put some of Mr. Shrute’s things in Jello. One time he unhinged his chair so that when he sat down his chair collapsed around him. Oh and there was the time….”

“So Pam, tell me more about your work,” he says with a sly wink, his children are transfixed and before either of them can protest he says, “Finish your food and you’ll get more stories.”

Alex stuffs the pizza into his mouth with a giant bite, earning a grin from his Dad. “Careful, buddy. You lose your table manners on my watch and your Mom will have my head.”

Alex nods soberly as he takes a more human bite.

“So, seriously…you’re a professor now?” He asks in amazement.

“Well, I never got my PhD, just my MFA so I’m just an Associate, but yeah, I am,” he smiles at the hint of pride in her voice as she takes a dainty bite from the giant slice. “And you, Mr. Regional Manager…I’m dying to hear about everyone from the old office!”

“Oh Pam, the stories I could tell,” He looks up behind her and frowns just a little, they’re coming too soon…oh well.

And soon Pam feels a tiny paper hat being foisted on her head and their kids are cheering as a man in a giant monkey outfit is belting out ‘Happy Birthday’ at the top of his lungs. The cake is a generic one they offer for birthday parties but Pam is convinced it’s the nicest one she’s seen in years. When they place it in front of her, ablaze with candles she can see her kids grinning in delight next to her and Jim before her. The glow of the candlelight has softened his face and he’s never looked more handsome, and she can’t remember last when she was so happy.

When he tells her gently to blow out her candles and make a wish, the look in her eyes lets him know that she’s already halfway to getting what she wished for all along.