“Jim! Kids! I picked up the proofs today, come look at them!” Pam shouted from the entryway as she entered the family home, kicking the door closed behind her. Two weeks earlier they’d sat down for family portraits, the last that would be taken when all the kids still lived at home. Olivia would be leaving for her freshman year at Duke University in a little under a month, and Pam was starting to worry.
The thundering noise above Pam told her all four kids were home, and heading towards and down the stairs at that moment. She heard shouts as they fought each other to be first down the stairs; perhaps they were too competitive but all four Halpert children arrived in the living room at roughly the same time, with Boomer bringing up the rear.
“Where’s your dad?” Pam asked as she sat on the couch, spreading the portfolio out on the coffee table. Liv plopped down next to her and Boomer jumped up in her lap. The old dog had lost a step or two over the years, but he was never left out of a single family function and despite the fact that Olivia had been followed by three more babies, he stick to her side like glue.
“He had to work late, but he called like, ten minutes ago and said he was on his way.” Gavin sat on the arm of the couch, something he knew he wasn’t supposed to do. Pam shot him a motherly glance and he immediately squeezed down onto the cushion next to Liv.
“Good, now take a look at these and tell me what you think.” Pam gestured to the two dozen or so pictures spread out before them. “I want one family one that has all six of us – ”
“Seven, Mom” Olivia corrected her, scratching Boomer between the ears.
“Okay, seven. I was thinking humans, you know? Anyway, a big family one, that’s going to be the main photo. Then I want different shots of just you kids together, those will be the 5X7s.” Pam leaned back, letting the kids pour over the pictures, deciding on their favorites.
“Not that one! My smile looks weird,” Liv declared.
From his place on the floor, Jackson snorted a laugh. “Yeah and the only thing that would fix that is a paper bag!”
“Hey, jerk!” Liv feigned irritation and threw a pillow at him; it was typical brother/sister behavior and nothing they weren’t used to.
“Jack, really?” Pam admonished her son, but she too was focused more on the pictures than the snotty comments the kids were making to each other. “Liv, try to keep the furniture in one piece.”
Maddie pointed out her favorite right away and Pam readily agreed; it was one of the four kids, sitting boy-girl-boy-girl. It was casual; all four were barefoot, in faded jeans and white t-shirts. They were on the floor, arms back for support, legs out-stretched before them, all crossed at the ankle to the right.
Liv didn’t disagree, and Pam took that as a good sign. Jackson preferred the silly one, the girls with their hands on their hips as Jack had Gavin in a headlock. This photo had not been staged; Gavin had hidden Jack’s shoes and Jack reacted by first putting Gavin in a headlock and then giving him a noogie. The whole scene had ended with both boys on the floor in a heap. The photographer thought it was too good to pass up, despite Pam being mortified at the behavior of her little monkeys. Jim had only laughed, because it really was that funny.
“I like that one, where you and Dad are holding hands,” Gavin finally contributed, after having fended off Liv’s pillow attack. The picture he spoke of was also Pam’s favorite; Jim and Pam were seated on the floor, knees bent beneath them in opposite directions so they were leaning in, their foreheads almost touching. Jim’s large hand rested tenderly on Pam’s smaller one, and the kids were kneeling behind them.
They continued looking over the photos for a few more minutes when finally the front door swung up and Jim entered, carrying three large pizza boxes.
“Hey, you got the pictures back, great!” Jim set the pizzas on the table in the entry way as he kicked off his shoes and loosened his tie. Leaning over the couch, he kissed the top of Pam’s head. Getting a better look at some of the prints, he laughed at Jack, Gavin, and the headlock until Pam shot him a look that said, ‘Don’t even encourage it.’ Jim rested his elbows on the back of the couch as he leaned forward, hands clasped together.
“Dad, we can’t all agree. Choose.” Olivia absently ran her hand over Boomer’s soft fur, her feet propped up on the one corner of the coffee table not covered in pictures. As college loomed in the distance, Liv was increasingly nervous about leaving home and Boomer was her security blanket. It broke her heart every time she thought about leaving him.
“Hmmm…” Jim surveyed the pictures carefully, though the pizza was getting going to start getting cold if they didn’t eat soon. “How about we talk about it over dinner and – ”
Before Jim could even finish his sentence, the kids were out of the living and into the kitchen – pizza and all. The sound of milk being poured and plates being set on the table followed the hasty departure. Pam shook her head as Jim walked around and sank down onto the couch beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“I guess they’re hungry.”
Pam laughed. “I just want these done before Liv leaves, you know? She won’t say it, but I know she’s getting scared and I don’t want her to feel like once she’s away at school, she’s not part of the family anymore.”
“I know, I know. But sometimes you have to let them be scared. She’s going to be fine once she’s settled and has time to get used to school. And you know, if it doesn’t work out and she comes back here to go to school, that’s okay too. You can’t fix everything for them, they’ll never learn how to live their own lives.”
Pam sighed. “I know, I know. She’s just worked so hard to get in, I want her to give it a real chance. She’s been so quiet lately, and every time school is mentioned, she clams up. She asked me the other day if we would make her stay there, even if she didn’t like it.”
“She’s never been away from home, it’s going to be an adjustment for everyone not having her around every day,” Jim reasoned. Logically Pam knew he was right, despite her misgivings about their first baby finally going off to college.
Shouts from the kitchen, which sounded remarkably like an argument over the last slices of cheese pizza, interrupted their conversation. Jim got to his feet and Pam reached up her hands, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
“It’ll be okay Beesly,” Jim said with a wink. “I promise.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
I had to get away from the babies for a little while, change things up a bit! I wish Pam and Jim would have ten kids! But I went with four. I have figured out that I am better writing little kids than teenagers. I’m concerned as to what that really says about me – perhaps I’m a three year old trapped in a 26 year old body?! That’s too weird to even really consider. I still don't own any of these characters. *Sigh*
Chapter End Notes:
BigTuna, once again, graciously agreed to read my ramblings and beta this chapter. Thank you thank you thank you!
