Pam felt weird about even taking it home from the christmas party, let alone putting it in her kitchen and using it in the kitchen she shared with Roy. So she kept it in the little white box, with all the bonus gifts still inside, in another box of knick knacks she kept in the back of the closet. She was scared about what would happen if Roy found it, especially what was inside. She knew it was somewhat irrational, but it still felt weird to her, to use such an intimate gift from Jim while she was engaged to Roy. So there it sat, in a box, waiting.

Pam had packed all her other things into boxes, put them in her new little blue car. She had almost forgotten about that teapot sitting in the box, wanting to push Jim from her mind. All her furniture had finally arrived so she began unpacking boxes. She unpacked her clothes and then to a box that wasn’t packed in a moving box. She Untucked the flaps and came across, volleyball ribbons from high school, old pieces of artwork, random souvenirs that had seemed so important at the time, and a white box. She pulled back the lid, and a tear came to her eye. The teapot. The teal teapot that was perfect and had so much meaning. The golf pencil, the hot sauce packet, and the yearbook picture. The yearbook picture. Upon seeing it, that face, that stupid grin, tears fell involuntarily. She had the urge to call him, let him know, but it seemed arbitrary, he left.  She took the bonus presents and put them back in the white box, to keep them safe. She put the teapot itself on the counter, proudly displayed in the kitchen.

This time when she was packing she was happy, and she had someone to help. The teapot was still on the counter in its spot, but soon it was put back into box, ready for a new adventure.

In its new home it was placed on a bookshelf, they bonus presents nearby. This spot was short lived. Soon it was back in the box, unsure of its new home.

The teapot was lifted joyfully out of the box, by a new, well not new but almost forgotten, pair of hands, bigger and stronger than what it was usually handled with. They lifted the lid, “ wait, you still keep these in here?”

“Only when its not in use. We can put them in my keepsake box now.”

The lid was replaced and put on a shelf when it lived happily for nearly 4 years.

Around the 4th year it was used a lot. Similar to when just after it had been freed from its prison in the dark box. Sometimes it was handled with frustration. The last time during this time it was used with care and love and in  a new way, like there was a new understood meaning behind it.