She focused on her breathing as she set the plastic stick on the edge of the sink. She walked the few feet to her bed and sat down with a thud. She dialed his number immediately.

“I took it.” She blurted as soon as he picked up.

There was an easy smile in his voice, “Did you get the package I sent?”

“I don’t know, I came right upstairs.”

“Well I have to finish one more call today so go downstairs and check the mail and call me when this agonizing five minutes is over okay?”

“Okay.”

She put down the phone and headed downstairs, her head filled with what-ifs and what-nows. She came back up with a large box with a priority mail sticker from Jim.

She set it on the bed an opened it up. Inside were two shoeboxes, one pink, one purple and a note. “Sorry I can’t be there. I hope these help. -Jim”

On the top of the pink box, written in sharpie it says “negative” and the purple, “positive.” But in order to know which one to open, she’ll have to take a few step across her little walk-up to the bathroom, where her future is waiting. With a deep breath she stood and went straight for it. She looked down at the sink without picking it up. One line. Just one. The tears that had been hanging there for days came quickly with a sigh that almost sounded like a laugh.

She went back to the bed and opened the “negative” box. Inside were two mini bottles of wine, bubble bath, a very skimpy pair of black panties, and another note from Jim.

“Enjoy these for now…but don’t worry. I’ll get you next time. -Me”

With a smile on her face she picked up the phone.

“It’s negative”

“Okay”

The silence that fell between them seemed endless and sad.

“I think I’ll schedule a doctor’s appointment for when I’m in Scranton next weekend, you know make sure everything’s alright.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

She could sense a bit of disappointment in his voice, her heart sank.

“Did you open your gift?”

She smiled again, “I did. Thank you very much. But, what do I do with the other one?”

“You should save it. For when you need it. A long time from now right?” he laughed uneasily.

“I love you”

“I love you too.”

She put the purple box under the bed and opened one of the little bottles. Nothing was different, time to get back to life. She made herself dinner in the small corner of the room that served as a kitchen, then tried to work on the project that was due in her animation class on Tuesday. But she felt slightly off, everything was different.

The other purple box seemed to be calling her from under the bed.

She reached under the bed and placed it in her lap. When she opened the lid the tears came back.

Laid carefully in the box were a Phillies onesie, prenatal vitamins, a mini baby name book, and a considerably thick envelope. She laid the soft fabric over her knee and opened the envelope.

“Pam,

So if you’re reading this I guess that means we’re having a baby. I know this is way sooner than we planned. I mean, we haven’t even really talked about it. And I know that you are freaking out right now. But the thing I know most is how much I love you.

I feel like I haven’t quite been the guy you need me to be yet. But I promise you right now that things are going to change. I will work at Dunder Mifflin for the rest of my life if that means you and our baby will be taken care of. You must remember that years ago I wouldn’t have been caught dead making that promise, but I see that it’s something I could and will do. I love you so much Pam and I want you to have everything you ever wanted.

I was so scared about you going off to New York for the summer. I know it is so selfish but I was afraid that you’d get out there and see how silly a boring life in Scranton with me would be. And I honestly wouldn’t blame you for coming to that realization. I was such an idiot for playing the funny guy and joking around about this proposal thing. It isn’t a joke. I want to be with you forever. There’s a ring in my pocket and it’s been there for almost a year and I swear it will be on your finger immediately.

I hope you’re as excited about the baby as I am. (is the mini-Phillies jersey hint enough?) I hope he has your spirit and my athletic ability (and of course, my hair.) I flagged a few things in that baby name book, I’m personally pretty fond of Esteban…I think it’s fiery. God, I love you so much.

Promise me you’ll never get a mom haircut,

-Jim

She carefully folded the papers back up and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Suddenly she felt like she’d lost something she never knew she had.

The buzzer to the apartment rang loudly. Startled, she ran to it.

“Yes?” she asked shakily.

“Hey.” The air suddenly seemed lighter.

She ran down the stairs, her bare feet slapping loudly on the concrete stairs. He was standing on the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets. She leapt off the steps and into his arms.

It felt like he was holding her tighter than he ever had. He started to tell her everything he’d forgotten to say but she didn’t hear him. She just let the deep comfort of his voice fill the empty space in her ribcage.

“Where is it?” she whispered into his ear.

“You opened the other box.” He laughed, letting her go.

He reached into his pocket and before he could open the box she blurted, “Yes.”

“You aren’t even going to let me ask?” he smiled.

“You don’t have to.”