It had started innocently enough.  Jim had been back at Scranton, taking Michael Scott’s place as the Regional Manager for about a month, and Pam was still the receptionist.  One morning as he was visiting the reception desk and taking jellybeans, Pam Anderson (not the actress) mentioned her weekend plans.

“I’m taking Emma to the fair tomorrow,” the receptionist began excitedly.  Emma, her daughter, had just turned three the month before.”

“You guys are going to have so much fun,” Jim said.  He could do this, he told himself.  He could be happy for Pam and her family.  “Be sure to take your camera.”

Pam’s smile dimmed.  “I don’t know.  Roy’s going to Kenny’s house.  There’s so much to keep up with…”

“Wait, Roy’s not going with you to Emma’s first fair?”  It came out before he could stop himself.

“He said it would be boring and he didn’t want to wait in lines for the kiddie rides,” Pam explained.

“Pam, there’s no way you should be alone at a fair with a three-year-old.  There’s too many people, too much to keep track of.”

“Well, she’s been asking about it for a month.  She’ll be disappointed if we don’t go.”

Again, Jim’s mouth activated before he could stop it.  “I could go with you.”

“Really,” Pam asked, her eyes grateful.  With that, Jim was sunk and he knew it.

“Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t planning on going, but it would be cool to see the fair from a kid’s point of view again.”

They agreed to meet the next morning.

------

On Saturday, Roy had left for Kenny’s before Jim arrived.  Pam shouted for him to come in.  “Sorry things are running behind,” Pam called out.  “Emma wants to dress herself.”

Jim waited in the living room, causally playing with a stuffed bear.  Soon Pam entered with Emma, who was dressed in pink pants and a yellow top.  “Do you remember Mister Jim?” Pam asked.

Emma hugged her mom’s knees as she nodded her head.

“Hey kiddo,” Jim said softly as he bent down and smiled at her.  Emma giggled and hid behind her mom.

“I think we’re about ready,” Pam said.  She noticed that Jim had brought a book bag.  “What’s in there?”

“Let’s see, wet wipes, my digital camera, bag of sun chips, granola bars, and band aids.”

“I’m impressed,” Pam said with a tilt of her head.

“I have nieces,” Jim reminded her.

Pam packed a change of clothes for Emma, sunglasses, and a sippy cup.  They piled into Pam’s car, which already had the car seat attached.  “Is this okay?” Pam asked as Jim struggled to fit his long frame into the passenger’s seat. 

“It’s fine,” Jim assured her. 

They drove to the fairgrounds and Emma insisted Pam take her out of the car seat.  Jim carried their bags and they got their tickets.  Pam insisted on paying for Jim.  “Really, you’re doing me a huge favor.”

“Pam, I’m spending time with a friend.  It’s not like this is a sacrifice for me.” 

Pam stared at Jim, as if trying to decide if she believed him.  After a second, she smiled.  “Thanks,” she said.

The next few hours were fun.  Jim took photos as Emma handed her ticket to get on her first kid ride, a small train.  He was impressed that Pam had given the child her ticket, told her what to do, and the child went forward, with only an occasional glance back to her mom. 

He mentioned it to Pam, “One thing I’m going to make sure of,” Pam said softly, as if to herself, “is that my daughter doesn’t grow up afraid to do what she wants.”

Emma’s smile as she sped along was just like the one Jim had seen so often on Pam’s face over the years.

Jim had been right, it took two adults to keep up with the enthusiastic child.  Jim kept the bags, handled the food, and took pictures while Pam held Emma’s hand and rode the rides with her.  After each one, Pam would run over to Jim and look at the pictures on the camera’s preview window.  Soon Emma warmed up to Jim as well, even asking him to carry her when she started to get tired.

At one point, a guy leaned over and said to Jim as he was photographing Pam and Emma riding a twirling strawberry, “They’re so cute at that age.”

“Yeah,” Jim sighed, thinking about mother and daughter.  “Which one is yours?” He asked.

The guy pointed to his wife and their two daughters, who were twirling in a peach.  The younger child was about two years older than Emma, the older looked about ten and she was clearly not enjoying the ride.  “Seems like nothing makes them both happy,” he sighed.  “Are you guys planning to have any more kids?”

“No,” Jim said.  It was easier not to explain that Pam was married to a guy who apparently didn’t like spending time with her and their child.

“Then try to enjoy this time, it won’t come around again.”

“You’re probably right,” Jim agreed.

From the rides, they went to the concession area, then to the petting zoo.  Jim watched as Emma tenderly touched a calf.  “Careful,” Pam warned softly, “she’s just a baby, too.”

The sun was dipping into the horizon by the time they made it back to Pam’s car.  Emma allowed Jim to buckle her into the car seat, and she asleep before they were out of the parking area.

“Thanks for doing this,” Pam said.

“It was fun,” Jim replied honestly.  “I’ll email you the pictures.”

“That’ll be great,” Pam said.  “It’ll show Roy what he missed.”  Her voice had an edge that Jim couldn’t help but notice.

“I’m sure he’ll like them,” was all Jim could figure out to say.

“Sometimes, I just don’t understand him,” Pam said.  “I mean, it’s like I don’t think he even…” She broke off.  “I’m babbling.  Sorry.  What about you?  We never talk about the dating life of Jim Halpert.”

“Not much to tell,” Jim replied.  He had been with Karen in Stamford, but the two had broken it off after a year.  Since he had been back at Scranton, he hadn’t seriously dated anyone.  “It gets harder to date as you get older.”

Jim caught her looking at him out of the corner of her eye.  “I guess.  But at least…  I don’t know.  Sometimes I wish Roy and I had stopped dating after high school.  I wonder what things might have been like if…”

Jim replied as honestly as he could, “Well, I’m sure that you would have had options if you’d ever been single.”

“Yeah,” Pam said softly.  Jim could hear the emotion in her voice.

“You know, some people say that there are these parallel universes, where every possibility plays itself out,” Jim said.

“That sounds like something Dwight would say,” Pam replied, glad for the change in mood.

“So, maybe there’s a universe where you left Roy and married Michael, or Todd Packer, or…”

Pam threw out her right hand and punched Jim in the shoulder.  Trying to keep from receiving a return blow, Jim grabbed her hand. 

Pam looked over at him, and then to their entwined hands.  “Or maybe, even you?” Pam asked.

Jim swallowed hard and answered, “Yeah, maybe even me.”

“Just not in this one, though,” Pam whispered, grasping his hand tighter.

“No, not in this one.”

They pulled into Pam’s driveway, still holding hands.

“I should…We need to go,” Pam finally managed.

“Yeah,” Jim sighed.  “Let me help you with the munchkin.”

Jim carried Emma into the house, leaving Pam to get her daughter ready for bed.  The two of them looked at all of the pictures on Jim’s camera.  He left it with her so she could download the photos.  There were too many to email.  Pam gave him a brief hug, and Jim went out to his car.

As Jim drove away, he could feel the tears working their way down his cheek.  Tears for the life he would never know, for the life that slipped away from him.  He looked up at the stars emerging from the nighttime sky.  There was nothing to wish for.   On Monday he would call Jan; tell her it wasn’t working out.  There was nothing left for Jim Halpert in Scranton.