Jim and Richard spent the next hour talking about their favorite sports teams and watching game highlights on ESPN. Jim was happy to learn that her dad was almost as big of a Phillies fan as he was. They were right in the middle of talking about which player they would trade when the bathroom door opened. Pam’s mom wheeled her out of the bathroom and parked the wheelchair next to Jim. He thought that Pam looked beautiful. She was wearing a dark blue sweater and gray yoga pants. Her hair was extra curly and pulled back in a loose ponytail. He could smell her shampoo as she shifted in her chair to lean a little closer to him.

“It’s so nice to be out of that bed.” Pam said. “Except for this cast itches like crazy!”

“Do you guys feel like playing a game or anything?” Jenn asked. “We brought a few over from when we went to your house Pam.”

“Sure…a game sounds fun. Jim?” Pam asked turning to Jim.

“Oh please…in case you forgot I kicked your butt in poker.” The smile that was on Pam’s face quickly faded as the mention of ‘poker’ brought back the memory of that night. Jim immediately noticed her expression change and he quickly caught her eye.

“That was just a fluke. Plus…I just happen to be an Uno professional. One of my lesser known, but highly useful attributes.” he said with a smile that he hoped sent the message, “it’s okay now”.

Jim was still amazed about how much was conveyed between them by just a look. In every look there was a thousand words. They seemed to have whole conversations just by making eye contact. Pam took his cue and retorted back, “Highly useful? Like a super power?”

Jim stood up and grabbed the handles of her wheelchair. “Oh yeah…I often use my Uno skills to fight crime.”

“Crap…you‘re on to me. Now I have to move…change identities…” Jim laughed as he wheeled Pam’s chair up to the table.

Jenn and Richard smiled as they watched the interaction between their daughter and Jim. It had been so long since they had seen her like this. This was the Pam they knew. The Pam that was never around when she was with Roy. “Finally…she’s back.” Jenn thought as she sat down at the table. Richard dealt out the cards and the game began.

“Out!!” Jim shouted as he laid down his last card.

“No!” Pam groaned. “I had one card left! I swear your cheating!”

“Your just mad because I’ve beaten you three games in a row.” Jim said.

“Guess you really do have card-playing super powers.” Pam said with a fake pout.

Pam stifled a yawn. “Wow…that took a lot out of me! Who would of thought that card playing could be so intense?”

“Oh please…just wait until I am back to full form. Then you’ll see my real skills come out.” Pam said. Then she faltered. “I mean…not that you’ll be waiting until I am better or anything…I mean you do have a life…” she trailed off. A look of sadness washed over her face. “I’m really tired. I think I need to take a nap.”

Richard walked over and helped his daughter back into bed.

“We’ll let you get some rest.” Jenn said. She quickly motioned to Richard and they left the room.

“You don’t have to sta…” Pam began.

“Karen and I broke up.” Jim blurted out. He knew that wondering about that was the reason for her hesitation. He saw the mixed look of concern, questioning and happiness on her face.

“Oh…I’m sorry Jim.” he knew that she was genuine in her apology, but he could also hear relief in her tone.

“No…don’t be. It wasn’t…she wasn’t…” he couldn’t even think of what to say. “It would never have worked out.”

He smiled has her nose scrunched up as she tried to hide another yawn. “I’m sorry!” she said. “I really want to say…I mean…I know we need to talk, but I am worn out. But you don’t have to stay Jim…I mean I want you too….but if you need to go…”

Jim didn’t answer. He just sat down in the chair by her bed and took her hand.

“Go to sleep.” he said gently. “I’ll be right here.”

Jim slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall. 5:45. He looked over at the bed. Pam was sitting up against the pillows sketching something in a notebook.

“What are you drawing?” he asked making Pam jump.

“Hey! I didn’t even notice you wake up!” she said blushing. She glanced down at the book in her hands and then looked back at Jim.

“How long have I been asleep?” Jim stood up and stretched his arms over his head.

“Too long!” she said as she set down the pencil and started to close the notebook.

“What were you drawing?” Jim asked again.

“Can I see it?” Jim asked softly.

“I guess…it’s not…it’s just a sketch.” she muttered handing him the notebook.

“Wow….” he said looking down at the picture. It was a detailed drawing of flowers…with a yogurt lid medal around the vase. “This is great Pam.”

‘Thank you for the flowers Jim. They are beautiful.” she smiled up at him as he handed her back the sketch book.

“I am glad you like them.” he sat back down in the chair. “So where are your parents?”

“I couldn’t take the humiliation!” Pam said with a laugh. “Actually…I was thinking...I mean if you wouldn’t mind…maybe we could go for a walk. Or at least you could walk and push me with you!! I really could use some time out of this room!”

“Yeah…” Jim said as an idea dawned on him. “That is a great idea. I actually have somewhere I’d like to show you.”

Pam looked at him quizzically. “Where?”

“It’s a surprise.” Jim smiled mischievously. Jim pulled the wheelchair over to the side of the bed. Then he bent over and gently helped Pam into the chair. He took another sweater out of the bag that her mom had brought and grabbed the blanket off the bed and covered her lap with it. Tears sprang to Pam’s eyes at his thoughtfulness. He didn’t even need to be asked. He just did it.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Great Pam. Why did you have to ruin the surprise.” Jim pretended to pout as he carefully wheeled Pam out of the room and down the hall. As they neared the double doors at the end of the hall he bent down close and softly whispered in her ear, “Close your eyes.”

Pam’s stomach fluttered at the feel of his breath on her here, but she did as he asked. She pulled the sweater tightly around her chest as she felt the cold air hit her.

“Are you busting me out of here?” she asked.

Suddenly her chair stopped and she again felt the warmth of his body lean closer to her as he said “Ok…you can open them.”

As Pam opened her eyes her breath caught in her throat. She was in the middle of a beautiful garden. There were flowers everywhere and she heard the faint sound of trickling water. “Oh wow…” she breathed softly. “This is amazing Jim.”

“I knew you’d like it. Look…you can see out over the city.” Jim sat down on the bench that was next to her chair. He loved the way that the setting sun made her hair seem to glow. The light hit her face perfectly and Jim knew that he would never forget this image. They sat in silence for a few minutes looking out over the skyline of Scranton. He heard Pam take a deep breath as she turned to look at him. “Jim…” she began. He knew this was it. He saw her twisting her ring finger in her other hand and slowly reached over and took her hand in his.

“Wow…I don’t even know where to start.” she said. “There is just so much I want to say to you.” He could see that she was mustering up all the courage she had. Finally she met his gaze. “I told Roy. I told him that I kissed you at Casino Night. That’s why we got in the accident. He was so mad. He was yelling…and then…I guess that was it. When it happened.” Jim felt a small surge of anger deep in his gut, but he let her continue. “I wanted to be honest with him…but I guess it was just another way of not being honest with myself. I don’t know why I left the wedding with him. I knew from the beginning that it was a mistake. But I saw you with her and I was so…lonely. It’s stupid I know, but I thought that if I was back with him it would help take my mind off you. Didn’t work though!” she laughed weakly.

Jim waited for her to continue. “I am so sorry Jim. I am so sorry about everything. I am sorry about that night. I wanted to say yes. So badly. I’d felt that way for so long…but I couldn’t let myself admit it. I felt that by you admitting it, I was finally going to have to face the reality of it all and I wasn‘t ready to do that.” A small tear escaped her eyes and she quickly looked down at her hands. “Then you kissed me…and everything changed, but for some stupid reason…I still couldn’t admit it. I wanted too, but then you were gone.” Her tears were falling faster now and Jim felt wetness in his own eyes, but still he sat quietly, afraid that if he spoke it would ruin it. She sniffled, “I wanted to call you a million times after you left, but I didn’t know what I’d say. I must of started a hundred e-mails…I wanted to tell you that I had called off the wedding…and maybe…we could try again, but I could never find the right way to say it. I knew I had to change some things. I had been living my life in a way that wasn’t me for so long and I had to fix that. Then I found out that you were coming back and I was hoping…wishing for a new start. But…it wasn’t what I…you were with someone…which was…well that’s not the point. I mean, I don’t know what I was expecting. But, I just missed you. I missed you so much.” She wiped her eyes with her free hand. She raised her eyes once more to look at him. “Jim, I am so sorry…for all of it.”

The look in her eyes was so expressive…so heartbreaking that Jim couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out and softly touched her cheek. Wiping a tear away with his thumb, he tenderly pulled her face towards his, leaned in and kissed her. It was a soft, light kiss, but he could immediately feel the electricity flood through his body. He could feel wetness on his cheek and he didn’t know if they were from her tears…or his. This was the kiss…the kind of kiss that people write all those songs about. He used to mock those songs, but as he felt her fingers in his hair he suddenly knew what they meant. He pulled back slowly, but his hand never left her face.

“I love you.” she whispered as she looked into his eyes. “I love you so much.”

It was all he had ever wanted. Those words. All he had ever needed to hear.

“Oh…Pam…you have no idea. I love you too.” he leaned in and kissed her again.

Because he could. Because this time it was different.