Pam was sitting at her desk playing her 43rd game of free cell when Jim approached and draped his arms across the counter. The August sun had tanned them and Jim did have a nice summer glow.
“So Beesly I know you have been back for two weeks now and you’re too fancy for an Alfredo’s Pizza Café pizza dinner, but can I tempt you to come over?”
“Well I only eat deep dish Chicago pizza now, so you’re going to need add something to that offer.”
“Well you’ll get to meet Lizzie and JJ.”
“Nice Halpert, using your niece and nephew as bait.” She gave him a mock glare, but a grin tugged at her lips. “I’ll be there, six thirty good?”
“Yeah.” Jim smiled and went back to his desk; he couldn’t see the smile that Pam had plastered to her face.
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It was 6:15 and Jim just finished ordering the pizza and then he turned to JJ and Lizzie.
“Ok guys the person who is coming over tonight is one of Uncle Jim’s best friends. I want you both to be nice to her. I know that she is excited to meet you but she is also very shy.”
The kids didn’t say anything and just nodded. Right then there was a knock at the door and Jim turned to answer it. Pam was standing on his porch holding a bottle of grape soda and a container of Ben &Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. They smiled at each other.
“So you gonna let me in or are we dining al fresco?”
“Oh yeah come in. Here let me take those. Thanks for bringing them you didn’t need to.”
“Well I thought the least I could do was provide us with some dessert.”
Jim took the drink and ice cream and put them in the fridge and then led Pam into the living room where JJ and Lizzie were sitting on the couch. All three were nervous. Pam because she wasn’t very good with kids, for some reason she was never able to connect with anyone under the age of 13. JJ and Lizzie were nervous because they were still young and since losing their parents they had felt nervous around adults who they didn’t know. Jim walked over to the couch and led the kids to Pam.
“JJ, Lizzie this is Pam Beesly.”
Pam bent down and shook hands with both kids. She saw how much Lizzie looked like Jim and she guessed his brother as well, JJ though only had Jim’s eyes, he must have inherited more of Lily’s traits. After the introduction no one moved. Pam broke the silence by offering to get everyone drinks. When she returned with the drinks Jim and Lizzie weren’t in the living room, JJ was huddled over the coffee table. As Pam stood closer she could see that he was drawing something.
She sat down beside him cross legged and asked, “What are you drawing?”
JJ first just looked at her and slid the image over to her. It was what looked like a turtle with an orange mask and nun chucks. She smiled, she recognized immediately who he was drawing.
“So is Michelangelo your favorite? Mine is Raphael.”
JJ smiled and his eyes lit up just like Jim’s. “Yeah he’s my favorite. I like them all really. Do you really like the Ninja Turtles?”
“Yeah I like them and the Transformers.”
Pam could remember being eight or nine and watching the cartoons. Those two cartoons were the least girlie thing about Pam; she even had a Transformers lunchbox which she made cooler by adding Ninja Turtle stickers to it. It was those two cartoons that began her love of art; she would spend hours trying to draw Master Splinter or Bumble Bee.
“Do you think I could draw with you?”
“Sure.”
JJ handed her a clean sheet and his pencil crayons. She started with the outline she knew exactly who she was going to draw when her pencil hit the paper. As JJ added a background to his picture and Pam detailed hers they talked about cartoons and drawing. Pam learned that JJ loved to draw and that art was his favourite subject. She told him that she grew up drawing and that it was something that she still did. She said that if he really tries he could grow up to be an artist and she saw that he seemed to perk up when she said that. They had been there for half an hour and Jim or Lizzie hadn’t come back. Pam was mostly finished with her drawing and she thought she go find them. She signed the drawing and slid it over to JJ.
“Here’s my drawing. It’s Optimus Prime, it’s not very good I haven’t drawn him in years.”
“Wow. This is really good; maybe I will try to draw him next.”
“Well you can keep that, maybe next time I can draw a battle scene between the Autobots and the Decepticons. But right now I am going to look for your Uncle and your sister.”
Pam stood and headed down the hallway. She stopped at the door where she heard Jim whispering.
“It’ll be ok Lizzie. You’ll see. I know you miss Mommy and Daddy, but they’re still here watching over you.”
Pam pushed into the room and placed a hand on Jim’s shoulder. He gave her a look that said not now. She returned that look with one that said trust me. Jim stood, then leaned down and kissed Lizzie’s head. On his way out of the room Pam squeezed his hand.
“Hey Lizzie, can I tell you a story?” Lizzie sniffled and nodded.
“Ok this is the story of a young girl. She was seventeen years old when she lost her Daddy. Her Daddy was one of the greatest Daddies in the world, just like yours. She used to play with her Daddy and he would teach her all kinds of things like sports, riding her bike and how to beat everyone at Monopoly. Well one day the girl’s Daddy got sick and then he was gone. The girl couldn’t see him like she did before but she knew that he was always there with her. He was there when she had her first day of school, when she brought home her first real boyfriend and he was there when she went through a hard time in her life. This girl still misses her Daddy everyday, but she knows that he will always be there if she needs him. See Lizzie that young girl was me. And even though I miss my Daddy I know he’s still here in my heart. Just like your mommy and daddy will always be in your heart.”
Lizzie stared at Pam. The tears had stopped, but the little girl saw the tears in Pam’s eyes. Then she offered the smallest of smiles and wrapped her arms around Pam’s neck. Jim couldn’t see this exchange, but he had heard the whole story. He didn’t know that Pam had lost her father so long ago and it broke his heart, but he was glad that she could offer some hope to Lizzie. He heard Pam pick up Lizzie and say that they should go to the bathroom to get cleaned up and heard the softest “Ok” escape from her small lips. He headed to the living room he didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping on such a tender moment. He joined JJ on the floor.
“Look what Pam drew for me.”
“Wow she’s really good.”
“Yeah. She told me that if I wanted to I could be an artist one day.”
Jim chuckled at his nephew, such hope and optimism. Jim picked up a piece of paper and began to doodle. The doorbell rang and he went to grab the pizza, on his way back to the living room he saw Pam carrying Lizzie out of the bathroom. Lizzie’s face wasn’t red any more and she seemed a little happier.
“Uncle Jim look how Pam did my hair. French braids.”
“I know it looks nice. Pam is going to have to teach me her ways so I can do that too.”
Pam grinned and hugged Lizzie tighter, “Are you kidding Halpert a master only reveals her secrets to a deserving student.”
Jim laughed and they all sat around the coffee table which had been cleared. Over slices of cheese pizza the four of them told stories and jokes and enjoyed a night of laughter. It was 10 o’clock when Jim put JJ and Lizzie to bed; they had been falling asleep watching Shrek. Jim walked Pam to her car.
“Thanks for coming tonight. It really meant a lot to me and I can see that it did to the two of them as well.”
“Oh it was my pleasure. I really enjoyed my evening. Those are the two of the sweetest kids in the world and with all that they are going through they are taking it very well.”
“Well what you did really helped. Encouraging JJ with his art and that story you told Lizzie.” Pam’s eyes widened at the statement. “I didn’t mean to listen, but Pam what you said I could never… and I know that must have been hard for you, but thank you for sharing something that helped Lizzie.”
“It brought up a lot of memories, but it was the only thing I could think of to relate to Lizzie. I hoped by telling her my own story it would help her understand and begin to accept that her parents aren’t around and it felt good to help someone using my own struggle as an example. And Jim I watched you with those two and you are doing a great job, you will make a great dad and you will learn to say the right thing. Oh and if you ever need any help just call me, I’d love to be a part of JJ and Lizzie’s lives.”
Pam hugged Jim and they stood there for an extra minute savouring the happiness the night had brought. Jim slept that night for the first time since the accident with a slight smile on his lips.
