On the Eleventh day of Christmas my office gave to me

Pam ignored the pointed looks coming her way from Jim’s parents and sister from across the Halpert family table and slid her next card out of its envelope. She started laughing uproariously at the image on the card. A dirt path snaked its way along the bottom of the card with trees set in the background. Along the path were eleven figures, each one playing on a neon green recorder. Every figure was dressed in a different costume, but the scowling face of Dwight stayed the same. There was Karate Dwight, Farmer Dwight, Star Wars Dwight, Recyclops Dwight, Bear Suit Dwight, Cylon Dwight, Regular Office Dwight, Elf Dwight, Volunteer Sheriff Dwight, CIA Dwight, and lastly Basketball Dwight complete with face mask. Pam wiped tears of merriment from her eyes and handed the card to Larrisa for her to look at as well as read the back.

Eleven Dwights a-piping
Ten Michaels leaping
Nine Kellys dancing
Eight Moses milking
Seven swans a-melting
Six geese a-flopping
Five teal teapots
Four calling phones
Three pointless meetings
Two Olympic doves
And a Dundie in a paper tree

“Has he really worn all those outfits?” Larrisa asked.

Jim looked up from Pam, who was still chortling on his shoulder, to answer his sister. “All but the bear suit and the Cylon. Those were just some creative photoshopping.”

“Pam honey, are you doing okay over there?” Betsy asked after she took a look at the card.

“Fine,” Pam managed in a tight voice.

“Nice job son,” Gerald said approvingly when it was his turn to look at the card.

“Thanks Dad,” Jim grinned as he took the card back. “My first choice would have been to have the line of Dwights lined up like the Rockettes doing a kick-line, but that would have messed up with the whole theme.”

Pam had almost gotten her laughter under control. However, the mental image of line of Dwights lined up with their arms over their shoulders, doing a high kicking dance number caused her to nearly fall out of her chair with laughter. Jim caught her though and made sure she wouldn’t fall over. Pam had her eyes closed due to the laughter escaping her and was holding her hands to her sides by this point.

“Ow,” she finally managed to croak out.

Jim rubbed her side and looked over at his mother. “So? Dessert?”

“I’ll get it,” Betsy said as she got up from the table. “You stay there and try not to hurt her anymore.”

“Hurt her?” Jim adopted a look of mock-concern. “I would never!”

“Uh-huh,” Betsy deadpanned as she gathered plates bring to the kitchen.

“I take it this is the latest in a series then?” Gerald pointed at the card that was now laying on the table.

“Yup,” Jim replied. “Just one more to go for tomorrow though.”

“What’ll that be?” Larissa asked.

“Ooh, sorry sis, you’ll just have to wait for Tuesday. I’m sure Pam will be willing to bring the whole set over when we get here on Christmas.”

Pam had finally regained her composure, mostly. The occasional giggle would still slip through. “I’ll bring them, don’t worry.”

Betsy came back in from the kitchen carrying plates, vanilla ice cream, and homemade apple crumble still warm from the oven. Betsy started in on a story of how three-year old Jim had decided he hated clothes. She spent the summer chasing the naked child through the house and yard. A task made harder since she was pregnant with Larissa at the time.

For his part Jim didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed. “I just wanted to get an early start on my tan,” he said smugly.

They exchanged a few more stories as they ate dessert. Larrisa said goodbye after they finished with a promise to share more stories when they gather again for Christmas. Gerald looked over at his son.

“C’mon Jim. Let’s get the dishes done. Let the ladies get off their feet since they made dinner.”

“No problem,” Jim agreed.

While Pam and Betsy retired to the family room, Gerald and Jim started cleaning the dishes.

“She really is wonderful,” Gerald said without preamble as he filled the sink with soap and water.

Jim looked down for a moment before turning to his father. “Yeah, she is. She always has been.”

Gerald adopted a more serious tone. “You’ve been talking to us about her for years Jim. It’s clear you two are great together. Hold onto that son. Hold onto it as hard as you can and never let it go.”

“I won’t,” Jim said simply.

“Good.”

Across the house in the family room Betsy and Pam were settling down on the couch.

“Thank you so much for dinner,” Pam started. “It was lovely.”

Betsy waved her off. “Our pleasure.”

Pam leaned back into the deep cushions of the couch. A feeling of golden contentment filled her.

“He’s never brought anyone else home you know.”

“What?” Pam perked back up.

“Jim,” Betsy pointed towards the kitchen. “Even during high school and college. Jim always said he might have ‘hung out’ with a girl but we never met any of them. You’re the first girlfriend he’s brought here.”

“Oh,” Pam found she couldn’t find anything else to say. In her mind she reviewed their history together, both the ups and downs. This new information threatened to overwhelm her. “I, um...”

Betsy smiled at the younger woman and put a motherly hand on Pam’s arm. “Pam honey, I didn’t say that to make you upset. We know how much you mean to Jim. I told you that because I want you to know how much you mean to him.”

Pam swallowed the lump in her throat, her heart warmed by Betsy’s kind words. “Thank you. I think I’ve gotten an idea of that though.”

“The cards, like the one he gave you at dinner?”

“Those,” Pam nodded. “And just the fact that I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my life being with Jim.”

Betsy’s face all but disappeared in a wide grin. “It shows.”

Jim and Gerald finished the dishes in short order. They chatted with Gerald and Betsy for a while longer before they also took their leave. They ended up back at Pam’s apartment curled up under her new blanket. It’s a Wonderful Life played on the TV while they indulged in a second dessert of cookie dough ice cream sundaes. Once the ice cream was eaten, they stretched out on the couch to watch the rest of the movie play. Jim wrapped his arms around her as they spooned under the blanket. By the time the end title card rolled; they were fast asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.