Pam reveled in the fact that he stood so close to her, that as they dealt with Michael on his latest stupid stunt, he’d been beside her the entire time. It wasn’t what it used to be, she knew it might never be, but it was something, a step forward instead of that feeling that they were frozen in this awful moment forever.

They made bets, with the whole office, about the whole office. Creed eating a potato, Michael jumping off the building, how many jellybeans in a dish on Pam’s desk. She liked that Jim had won that bet, liked even more that Kevin had not so subtlely pointed out that Jim had spent hours upon hours at her desk.

But he didn’t spend hours there anymore. He hardly looked at her, laughed with her. Their friendship had somehow deteriorated. But now, with this tiny tease of games and jokes, Pam realized how badly she missed him, this, them. And she vowed to herself that she’d find a way, that she wouldn’t hide or run, and that she’d try her hardest to make Jim a part of her life again.

Even if she had to break her own heart to do it.