Journals of a Stay-at-home-Dad. Day 12. The weekend is once again upon us. I'm sure there will be much cleaning in and around the domicile as well as restocking of needed supplies. My quantum physics book still hasn't arrived; thus the space-time vortex of dishes persists. I really need to get a handle on that as I think it's also creating a gravity well of laundry too. Time to look in the deep freeze for sustenance, no not outside I'm not that insane. Small Human and Small Rabbit might look on wistfully, but no, this frozen pizza is all for Working Wife and myself.

“Almost done with that?”

Jim looked up at Pam who was carrying a laundry basket. He grinned and set aside his laptop.

“Yup, just finished. Need some help with that?”

“Please, thank you,” Pam grinned back. “By the time we get this last load folded the pizza should be ready.”

Following Pam upstairs to their room was much easier without the cast. Dumping the load of Cece’s clothes on the bed, they made quick work of folding and sorting them. Jim cracked the door to Cece’s room. Quickly and quietly he closed the door again.

“Shhh,” he hushed with a finger on his lips. “She’s still down.”

They made their way down to the kitchen. The oven timer was seconds from going off. Pam turned it off early and pulled the Tombstone pizza out of the oven. While she sliced it, Jim poured glasses of Coke. They had just sat down when Pam’s phone rang.

“Hi Rachel!” Pam brightened up as she answered. “Just sat down to lunch. Cardboard pizza. No, not like that, it’s actually pretty good, but it comes packed on a piece of cardboard, so we just call it cardboard pizza. Really! When did you get back? Maybe, I’ll ask.”

Pam pulled the phone away from her ear and turned to Jim. “Rachel’s back in town and wants to know if we’d like to join her for a walk at the park today.”

“Sounds fun,” Jim grinned as he picked an olive off his slice and put it on Pam’s plate. “Cece should be waking up soon so it’ll be nice to get out of the house for a bit.”

An hour later the Halperts were pulling into the parking lot of Nay Aug Park. Pam’s old roommate from her year at college was waiting for them. Jim had just strapped Cece into her baby carrier as Rachel walked up.

“Pam, so good to see you again,” Rachel said as she leaned in for a hug.

“You too,” Pam beamed back at her old friend.

Rachel leaned back at turned to Jim and Cece. “Lovely to see you again too Jim. It’s been a while.”

“It has,” Jim agreed as he held up an arm for a side hug since Cece was strapped to his chest. “If I remember right it was at that shin-dig Pam and everyone put together after sending me on that scavenger hunt.”

Rachel grinned broadly at the memory. “Yeah I think you’re right. That was a fun time.” She then turned all her attention to Cece. “And look at you! You’re so big!”

Cece started to giggle at the funny faces Rachel started to make. Jim and Pam laughed before they all set off down one of the park’s walking paths.

“So, how’s Washington?” Pam asked as they got under the cover of some trees.

“Eh,” Rachel shrugged. “It’s a city like anything else. Packed with tourists and government workers all the time. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to slam on my brakes because some moron is trying to get a picture of the Lincoln Memorial.”

“But working at the Smithsonian has got to be interesting, right?” Pam linked her hand with Jim’s as they strolled.

“Right,” Jim put in. “I mean a history major who’s actually using their degree in a history museum. We should all be so lucky.”

“Yeah,” Rachel nodded. “That’s kind of nice. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever leave Scranton. Just be stuck here in town find some job that pays the bills and that would be it.”

Jim and Pam shared a private glance as Rachel went on.

“I also didn’t think I’d ever get a job at the Smithsonian. I mean it’s not like I have a degree from some Ivy League school or anything. So, when they called and said I got the job at the American History Museum I was thrilled.”

“What’s the best thing you get to see every day?” Jim asked to keep the conversation going.

Rachel thought for a moment. “I mean there’s just so much stuff it’s hard to narrow it down just one thing. Seeing on of Mr. Rodger’s sweaters every day is kind of nice though.”

Jim nodded enthusiastically. “Yup, nothing wrong with a good cardigan. Right Pam?”

Pam just gave Jim a swat on his shoulder for the shit-eating grin on his face. They spend the next hour catching up on life. There was a pause in the walk for Pam to duck into a bathroom to change Cece’s diaper. Eventually they made their way back to the parking lot and said good-bye to Rachel who had other friends and family to see during her visit back to Scranton.

Cece drifted off to sleep for her afternoon nap on the drive home. Pam carried her upstairs to her room while Jim headed to the kitchen to unload their dishwasher.

“Thanks for doing that,” Pam said as she leaned against the doorway leading into the kitchen.

“No problem,” Jim smiled at her as put the last of the silverware away.

“Does it ever bother you?”

“Does what bother me?” Jim caught the note of uncertainty in Pam’s voice.

“That you got stuck here in Scranton, just doing a job that pays the bills rather than something more exciting?”

“We both know what happened when I tried to leave here,” Jim said and walked over to his wife.

“Scranton has nothing on Stamford and you know it,” Pam had a half frown on her face.

“Stamford?” Jim had a quizzical expression on his face. “I wasn’t talking about Stamford.”

Pam looked confused. “Then what...”

“There’s no way I could let you blow your pretty little cat brain away by moving to Maryland,” Jim smirked.

His joke cut the slight tension that had settled over the kitchen. Pam giggled as Jim’s arms came around her. “As long as I’ve got you and the Kiddo, it doesn’t matter where I am. I’m happy.”

This time Pam’s frown was offset by the light of happiness in her eyes. “You do realize you’re a walking talking Hallmark movie from time to time, right?”

Jim just grinned back down at her as he dipped his head towards hers. “You love it.”

From the way Pam kissed him back, Jim knew he was right. Not that she would ever admit it, he thought to himself.