That evening, Jim tucked Cece into bed just as Pam waltzed into the room with Laura, whose head was still damp from her bath. Pam’s mood had lightened through the evening, and Jim avoided mentioning the earlier incident. All three of the kids were subdued by the sugary doses of cherry flavored medicine, so bedtime had happened faster than back when there were only two Halpert kids, not six months ago. Jim still thought back to those days from time to time. Not that he didn’t love Laura with all his heart, but three kids were a lot to manage.
“Pam, how about a movie night?” Jim asked as he clicked the door to the girls’ room shut. Pam nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him down the hall to the living room. The two flipped back onto the couch. Pam brushed his fingers across Jim’s face.
“I love you,” she said slowly. Jim gave her a strange look. What was with all of this sudden affection? After a day like this, the last thing Jim thought Pam would want was more romance. Then Jim met her eyes again, and he noticed something strange. Her cheeks appeared flushed, and maybe it was the lighting, but was she crying?
Pam noticed Jim’s recognition of her tears, and broke from his gaze, concentrating on the television as she flipped through the on demand movies. Jim watched her face, bathed in blue light from the screen. Something was definitely wrong, he knew.
“What’s up Pam? I told you, I’m cool that you took a sick day. Just-”
Pam interrupted him with a small whimper. She dropped the remote to the floor and stood suddenly.
“I’ll be right back,” she blurted out, her voice breaking. Jim could tell she was barely containing her tears. She darted from the room and Jim heard a door slam down the hall. Jim, not sure what to do, turned off the television and reclined on the couch. He loved Pam, and he wanted to be there for her, but he knew when she was upset, she needed her space. He waited for almost ten minutes before Jim got worried. He was just standing to check on his wife when Pam poked her head back into the room. Her face was streaked with tears, and she wouldn’t meet Jim’s eyes. Jim knew he should be concerned, but he couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening. He tried to manage words, but managed nothing but a choked groan when she sat down next to him and he saw that she had something in her hands.
“Pam, what’s wrong?” he asked. His heart sank. Something was wrong. A million possibilities flashed through his head. Was she sick? Dying? What in the world was she holding?
“Jim, I…” Pam started, pausing as she sobbed. “Jim, I don’t know how this happened. I thought that- I was sure, and…”
It was obvious that Pam wasn’t going to speak, so Jim grabbed her hands in his. She still had the thing clenched in her hand, and she wasn’t letting anyone see it.
“Pam, whatever it is, you need to tell me,” Jim whispered, moving one arm around Pam’s shoulders. Pam finally met his eyes and the two just sat for a moment, and when Jim looked back down, he saw it. And his heart skipped a beat.
Chapter End Notes:
I'm sorry if this part seems a bit unreal. It's how I think Pam would react in this situation...
