"Well," Pam grinned in spite of herself.  "I guess we're stuck for the night.  Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Absolutely.  We'll do our nails, braid each others hair, play--" Jim was cut off by his cell phone.  He glanced at the caller ID.  "Oh.  Uh, I should probably take this."  Pam knew by his tone of voice that it was Karen.  Jim answered, "Hey...wait, Karen...slow down...what did Kelly say?"  He motioned to Pam that he needed a minute slone, and she directed him into the guest room.  He shut the door and Pam collapsed on the living room sofa.  Her mom, who had been lurking in the kitchen, joined her daughter.

"How're you doing, sweetie?" Mrs. Beesly asked, as if she hadn't just spent three hours talking to her daughter.  Pam whimpered and lay her head on mommy's shoulder.

"Oh mom.  I think I missed my chance..."

"Baby, look at me," she guided Pam's head so she was looking in her eyes.  "I watched you and Roy together for ten years.  I saw you the night of your first date; the night he gave you your first kiss; the day you got engaged.  But tonight, I saw the two most madly in love people in the world sitting in my living room.  You have to trust that everything will work out in the end, even if it takes a little more effort than you anticipated."

Pam nodded as her mom kissed her forehead.  "Well, Pamela.  I'm off to bed.  I'll, uh, let the two of you work out sleeping arrangements."

"Mom!" Pam rolled her eyes, feeling her cheeks burn.  After her mom went upstairs, Pam paced around the room.  She eventually settled in the loveseat by the guest room door.  From there, she could watch for Jim without being obvious that she was watching for Jim.  She couldn't help but be curious what he and Karen were talking about--knowing Kelly, Karen ended the day with a lot more information than she started with.

An hour later, Jim emerged, his face oddly blank.

"Ohmigod, what happened?  Is everything okay?"  Pam jumped up from her seat, forgetting that she was supposed to be nonchalant.

"Um, well...Karen and I kind of just broke up."  Jim's eyes pleaded with Pam not to ask anything more, so she didn't.  Instead, she put on her sympathetic friend face and suggested Ben + Jerry's and a chick flick.

"I know I couldn't have made it through High School without Cherry Garcia," she said, and Jim gave the tiniest smile.   "My mom usually has a pint in the freezer, and I also happen to know that there is a very well worn copy of Say Anything in the entertainment center.

Jim bobbed his head.  "Tht sounds better than manicures and hair braiding. Let's do it, Beesly."

"Once again, that's what she said."