“This is it,” Pam smiled brightly.
“Yeah,” Jim smiled and then closed the car door gently.
“We’re going home Cece,” Pam looked down to their little girl.
“Ready?” Jim looked back to them.
“Yep,” Pam smiled as she heard the engine of their car rumble as they began to head out of the hospital’s driveway.
When they arrived, Pam exclaimed, “We’re home! This is exciting!”
“I’ll get the carrier out,” Jim opened the door and peeked inside of the car.
Pam watched Jim take the carrier out of the base. “Got her?”
“I got her.” Jim slowly backed away from the car.
“Okay,” She closed the car door and walked with Jim and Cecelia.
Jim unlocked the door and for the first time they went inside their home for the first time.
“I miss being home,” Pam said as she looked around and smelled their familiar scent. “What?” She stood by Jim when he stopped to look at the kitchen.
It looked like a hurricane blew in the kitchen. Wood chips were scattered all over of the floor, all of the cabinets were missing and the fridge was missing. It was not just the kitchen, Dwight was there.
“I couldn't find the iPod.” Dwight said.
Pam sighed and pursed her lips as she followed Jim to the living room.
“Give me a couple days. I'll be out of your hair.” They heard him mumble.
Jim began unbuckling Cecelia from her carrier. "Here she is," He smiled as he lifted the little baby and nestled her in Pam’s arms. “Got her?”
“Yes,” Pam nodded and tucked the blanket under her chin.
“And I’ll be right back,” Jim said and turned to head to the kitchen.
“Okay,” Pam nodded. She smiled down to Cecelia who shifted her little body. She blinked her little eyes and eventually opened them, revealing her blue-green hues. "Hey,” She cooed. “Welcome home."
Pam looked around the room, imagining Cecelia crawling around and later, waddling with chubby legs sticking out of her diaper. She’ll also shriek and giggle as she runs away from them for bath time. Pretty soon, she will be saying “Da-da” or “Ma”. Pam’s mind traveled as far as her first birthday, picturing her face and hair plastered in cake.
“Pam?” Jim’s voice shook her out of her daydream.
“Huh?” Pam looked up to him.
“You okay?” Jim asked.
“Oh yeah,” Pam nodded. “What’s with the kitchen?”
“Dwight wrecked our kitchen because we had mold.” Jim said, sitting next to them.
“Oh no,” Pam gave unpleased look, “Now what?”
“I’m going to contact someone else to fix the kitchen,” Jim sighed as he leaned back to the sofa.
Pam sighed and looked down to Cecelia, “I wanted a nice homecoming.”
“It’ll be nice if we just ignored the mess in the kitchen for now. It’ll be Cece, you and me,” Jim wrapped his arm around Pam's shoulder. "Okay?"
“Okay,” Pam nodded and felt Jim kiss her forehead.
“Good,” Jim smiled.
Pam suddenly yawned, "I'm tired. Hospitals make me tired.”
"Why don't you go take a nap?" Jim asked. "You should sleep when she sleeps.”
"I don’t know,” Pam shook her head. “Maybe she’ll need me?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine with her," Jim nodded.
"Okay," Pam nodded and handed the baby carefully to Jim. "I'll be right upstairs if you need me."
"Okay," Jim said.
Shortly after Pam went upstairs to take a nap, while Jim took the baby around the house.
"This is our living area, you see, and the bathroom is right down the hall," He whispered. "And I'm not going to worry about the kitchen at the moment," He muttered.
"And-oh!" He lifted his eyebrows, "Let's see your room." He said excitedly and went upstairs slowly. He looked down to Cecelia who looked around the white hallway with eyes wide as saucers.
“It’s okay,” Jim held her securely. “It’s not the hospital, anymore. You don’t have to deal with the mean nurse anymore. We’re going to have fun. I promise you.” He kissed her small forehead as he made to the second room to the right. “We’re here,” Jim stood in front of the door of the nursery. “I have been waiting to do this ever since you were in Mommy’s tummy,” He said.
He opened the door, revealing sage green walls with safari animals that Pam had painted by the white-washed crib. There were white shelf with stacks of books and stuffed animals by the door. White curtains with green checkered bands across to hold it apart. Next to the crib sat a beige glider with a lamp beside it and next to it a changing table with a dresser.
"So what do you think?" He looked down to Cecelia who made a mewing sound. "Do you like it?" He smiled.
He brought her into the nursery, “This is your room,” He smiled. “Mommy and I worked on it for a while,” He looked around the room. “I should say Mommy worked the hardest, she made a mural for you which it’s awesome,” He looked at the mural on the wall.
“Oh!” He bent down to the crib to grab a stuffed giraffe. “I bought this for you while you were in the hospital,” He took a peek of the tag. “Her name is Wendy that’s what the tag says,” He looked back down to Cecelia, “And I thought you would need company while you’re sleeping.”
Cecelia then began to fuss a bit. "Let's see if we could wake Mommy up,” Jim bounced her softly.
With their bedroom door opened ajar, he could see the bed sheets and the pillowcases was changed with a different bed set. He frowned, opened the door and saw Pam sleeping soundly. He looked down to Pam's face; she had a small smile on her face as she slept. She wore the smile from the time she held Cecelia for the first time.
Jim carefully sat on the bed next to Pam.
Pam fluttered her eyes opened, "Jim?"
"Everything is okay; we wanted to see how you were doing?" Jim smiled.
"I'm okay," Pam smiled, looking up at him.
"Sorry I know you're tired. I didn't mean to wake you up. Cece missed you," Jim said.
"No," Pam shook her head. "I wasn’t asleep yet."
"Oh," Jim simply said and looked down to Cecelia.
“Hey, " Pam patted the bed.”Lay her down here."
"Sure," Jim nodded and laid Cecelia between them.
Pam brought some pillows to surround the baby, "There."
After a moment of talking and gazing at Cecelia, Pam closed her eyes, letting sleep get to her.
Jim began to sing softly:
Gotta hold on easy as I let you go
Gonna tell you how much I love you
Though you think you already know
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born
Pam heard Jim’s gentle voice. She turned her head and caught the sight of him looking at the baby. Jim was propped up, supporting his head, while caressing her small hand that was curled around his forefinger. Cecelia began to coo softly and smile. Pam wished that she would forever engrave this moment between father and daughter so she could draw it later, but sleep was drawing her under.
You beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again
Go on, take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl
With Jim’s soothing voice, Pam and Cecelia began to close their eyes.
“Sleep tight my girls,” Jim whispered and then kissed Cecelia’s small hand. He closed his eyes and fell asleep along with his family beside him.
Later, Jim woke up from his slumber. He looked over and the bed was empty. So he got up and walked out of their bedroom, and walked past Cecelia's room, but he paused. He saw Pam sleeping on the glider in the corner with Cecelia on her breast. Jim smiled at the sight of his two favorite girls and suddenly the past memories rushed through his mind.
Meeting her and falling in love with her was the best thing that could ever happen to him. He walked over to her and bent down to kiss her forehead.
"Hi," Jim smiled.
She looked down to Cecelia who had her small mouth open and her small fist close to Pam's chest. "We fell asleep."
"I see," Jim looked down to them.
"Cecelia began to fuss, so I didn't want to wake you," Pam said.
"How is she?" Jim asked.
"She's getting better at eating," Pam carefully picked up Cecelia to burp her. Few minutes later, a small burp was heard.
"Good girl," Jim smiled and then looked at Pam who shifted carefully, trying to be comfortable.
"What time is it?" She asked.
Jim looked down to his watch, "It's 8:30."
"Do you want to go back to the bedroom where it's comfortable?"
"Okay," Pam nodded and slowly and carefully, handed Cecelia to Jim. "Got her?" Pam asked as she got up from the chair.
“Yeah,” Jim bounced her softly and then looked up at Pam who was rubbing her neck, “Are you sore?”
"Yeah, I’m a little stiff." Pam said as they made their way to their bedroom. “I think I’m going to take a shower.”
"Okay," Jim nodded and laid Cecelia down in her bassinet.
"Be out in 5 minutes," Pam said and headed off to their bathroom.
Jim sighed as he lay down on the bed and turned on the television to watch ESPN. Some news reports about Phillies doing their baseball spring training in Florida. He smiled at the thought of taking his daughter and Pam down to see one game in Philadelphia. He could see Cecelia wearing a pink pinstripe outfit with a pink “P” hat on her head.
Jim shook out of his thoughts when he heard Cecelia fussing and began to cry.
"What's the matter?" Jim picked her up. "Is it time for a change?" He asked as he walked to Cecelia's room. "It's okay," He laid her down on the changing table and began to unwrap her blanket.
He grabbed the wipes along with a small clean diaper. "It's okay Cecelia," He looked down to her red crying face. "I know you don't like this part, I don't like this part either. I hate seeing you cry. It breaks my heart," Jim said as he held her little legs up so he can scooch the diaper underneath her.
"I'm almost done," He fastened the last snap of her diaper and picked her up. "There, there." He began to hush and rocked her.
Cecelia gave out soft moans and began to quiet down. "All better now," Jim peeked at her.
"Is everything okay in here?" Pam walked to the nursery.
"She's okay," Jim nodded.
"I heard her crying as I came out of the shower," Pam said as she walked to them.
"She just needed a change," Jim said.
Pam sighed and caressed her small cheeks, "Oh good."
"I'll let Mommy hold you," Jim said as he lowered Cecelia to Pam.
Pam looked up to him.
“What?” Jim frowned in confuse.
“It just hit me. I’m a mom," Pam began to form a smile.
Jim smiled back and kissed her forehead. “I know and I love you.”
"I love you too," Pam smiled at him.
That night, Jim and Pam lay in their bed asleep with Cecelia sleeping close by. All of the sudden, they heard a cry. Jim looked over to the clock on his nightstand. It was 3:15 in the morning.
Pam turned on the lamp and reached for Cecelia, "I'm here."
"Do you need help?" Jim looked up to her.
Pam shook her head, “It’s okay, shhh…” But Cecelia continued to cry.
"Here, let me get her," Jim carefully took the baby out of Pam's arms.
Pam sat down on the bed and unbuttoned her pajama top, "Okay."
Jim carefully set the baby in her arms, "You got her?"
"Yeah," Pam nodded and then looked down to Cecelia who began to snuggle to Pam and latch her mouth on Pam’s breast."There you go."
Jim looked at Pam with Cecelia, “Remember yesterday, you fed the wrong baby by accident."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Pam rolled her eyes. "I’m glad she they didn’t find out."
"Yeah," Jim nodded and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Jim?" Pam whispered as she looked down to him.
"Hmm?" He croaked and then looked over to her.
"Thank you," Pam smiled.
"For what?"
"Everything," Pam said and looking down to Cecelia, their little bundle of joy. It was start of something new in their life.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to Dedeen for helping me out with this story and everyone's suggestions to revise this story better! You guys are awesome! =)
adampascalfan12 is the author of 7 other stories.
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