Pam ducked out of the room, because she really didn’t want to have this conversation in front of either Halpert. She knew what her mom was calling about—knew it was the same conversation they had had for almost week now, ever since she’d broken things off with Roy.

“Hi, honey, I’m just checking in on you. Wanted to know how my girl is doing.”

“I’m fine, mom.”

“Now, honey, you don’t have to pretend with me. It’s OK to be hurting. This thing with Roy…”

“The thing with Roy is over, mom. I chose to have it be over. I broke up with him.”

“I know, Pam.”

Well that was different. Her mom had been so solicitous the last week, calling her honey and sweetie and my girl—not Pam. Not Pammy, either, which was good; at least one of the major figures in her life from childhood had learned that she didn’t like that name anymore. But not Pam either. It sounded like her mom was getting serious.

“I know you broke up with him. I just don’t want you to pretend that because you started it, you’re not allowed to have feelings about it.”

This was usually the point where she got off the phone. But today something was different. Today she was standing in the hallway outside Jim’s room, where she’d just told him she loved him. Today she was joking around with Jim Halpert about marrying him. So today she didn’t get off the phone. Instead she decided to finally actually talk to her mother about what had been bothering her ever since she broke up with Roy—and for a good long time before too.

“I do have feelings about it, mom. I’m relieved. I’m happy. I’m done.”

“You haven’t sounded relieved, dear. You’ve sounded…”

“Terrified. I know. I haven’t been terrified of Roy.”

“I would hope not!”

“Not like that! I mean I haven’t been terrified of…what you think I’ve been terrified of. Of life without Roy. Of not having him around. Of…really of anything to do with Roy. To be honest, mom, I haven’t really been thinking of Roy at all when I didn’t have to.”

“I’m glad we’re finally being honest…so what have you been thinking of?”

“Jim.”

“Oh, sweetie.”

“It’s not like that! I didn’t break up with Roy to be with Jim…”

“I know that, dear. You told me he transferred, right? Right after he told you…all those things?”

“Yeah. So…”

“So?”

“So I broke up with Roy because Jim made me realize that Roy and I…we didn’t really matter to each other anymore. I mean, Roy matters to me, but he matters to me in that he and I have a long history and I wish him well. I don’t love him. I don’t want to spend my life making sure he does well. I just…hope things go well for him. Without me. And I’m pretty sure that once he gets over the surprise and really looks at his life he’s going to realize he didn’t really want to be with me either. Maybe with his idea of me. But not me. And I deserve better than that.”

“You do, dear. I’ve always thought so.”

“Always?”

“Well, I’ll admit I thought Roy could give you more than that, but if…”

Something about her mother using those particular words made Pam interrupt her.

“Mom.”

“Yes, honey?”

“I was terrified I’d never see Jim again.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Yesterday, when I said I needed time to myself—that was time to psych myself up to call him. Even if I was only going to get his voicemail because he was on his trip to Australia to avoid what he thought was my wedding.”

“Oh! Did…”

“I didn’t call him. But his sister called me. I’m…I’m at the hospital right now, mom. Geisinger. Because he’s here. He’s not in Stamford, not in Australia. He’s here. And I need to go back into his room right now, mom, because I think something wonderful is happening.”

“So what are you doing on the phone with me?”

“What?”

“I’m your mother, I’ll call back. Go tell Jim how you feel.”

“Um, I kinda already did that.”

“Jesus, Pam.” She giggled. Her soft-spoken mother never swore—this was as close as she could remember her coming in ten years, even including the call to tell her she’d broken up with Roy, or the one three weeks earlier to tell her Jim had kissed her in a parking lot. “Get back in there already. But one thing…”

“Yeah?”

“Can we come by? You know, the one time I was supposed to meet this boy your oaf of a fiancé interrupted me and took us out to dinner before I could.”

“Mom!”

“What? I always thought he was an oaf. Just an oaf that you loved, so that was alright.”

“That’s fair, I did.”

“Is this one an oaf?”

Sigh. “No, mom.”

“Then can we meet him? Your father says he better be a Phillies fan, by the way.”

“Mom! I’ll…I guess I’ll ask. But…”

“But first you better go back in that room. We’ll talk later. Love you, dear.”

“Love you, mom.”

She shut the phone. Well, that had taken an unexpected turn. She stuck her head back in the room. How to explain this…well, today was showing that maybe the direct method was best.

“Hey, Halpert, my mom wants to meet you.”