XIII. End
Jim brought the food and wine out to the table, and the two started to eat.
"This is delicious," Pam said happily. "From now on, I promise that chicken tetrazzini will make me think of you."
Jim smiled. "Good. Now about this "remembering" thing..."
"Hmm?" Pam's mouth was full, but she looked up at him quizzically.
It actually took Jim a moment to reply, as he took in how beautiful she looked in the candlelight, happily eating dinner he'd made for her, that they'd shopped for together. This was real. This was them, finally together. "Um, yeah," he started, trying to re-collect his thoughts. "Yeah, it's just- I like it. I like knowing what you remembered. I just hope that the sad memories can end."
Pam swallowed. "The sad memories are what they are. I don't dwell on them, honestly, but they can't ever go away." She was leaning forward, her expression serious and her eyes dark in the dim light.
"No, that's not what I mean," Jim answered hastily. "I mean- I want to go on making new things that remind you of me, and things that remind me of you, but for the sad memories to end now from now on."
"Oh. Right." Pam looked confused.
Jim took a deep breath and tried again. "What I mean is, that I don't want this game to end, of finding things that remind us of each other. I just want all our new memories to be happy. "
Pam nodded. He understood now what he hadn’t then- how much he needed her in order to be truly happy. She wasn't just his light, she was his strength. She'd been strong enough to let him go when she thought it was the right thing to do, and strong enough to risk her heart when he came back. He smiled as she reached across the table and touched his arm lightly. "Happy memories never do end," she said softly. "And everything happy always reminds me of you."The End
