1 [Report This]Date: January 29, 2021 01:10 am Title: Chapter 2
First of all, sorry to hear that things have been difficult - as if life wasn't challenging enough right now. Here's hoping the new year will bring better times for you.
Secondly, you don't need to be so hard on yourself. I thought this was charming: great premise, I loved what you did with the characters, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of festive cheese!
1 [Report This]Date: January 17, 2021 08:38 pm Title: Chapter 2
He must have known that it wasn’t a coincidence - that with the press of his lips to hers he had unraveled the careful stitching she had done to bind her life to Roy’s. Jim had found the loose thread and tugged at it, instead of cutting it precisely like you were supposed to do, and the entire thing had fallen apart.
I’m sorry. How dare you?
She let his words and the soft tone of his voice roll over her and then there was a ladder in her pit of despair and when she glanced skyward there was light on the horizon where before there had only been swirling, thunderous clouds.
I’M SORRY. HOW DARE YOU?
And then this ENDING??? Thank god you posted both chapters cause I have to know *now*
Author's Response:
Is it really a Christmas movie if there isn’t a very uninspired B plot “mystery” in there somewhere. Who is leaving me this elaborate days of Christmas calendar? Who is the anonymous donor that got us over our fundraising goal? My new neighbor who looks exactly the same as me just found out she had a sibling who was adopted out & what a coincidence I was adopted too so I’m going to help her figure this out. Why is my neighbor so intent on shoving a Christmas tree up on his roof?
Did I... watch too many Hallmark Christmas movies... Help.
1 [Report This]Date: January 02, 2021 10:08 am Title: Chapter 2
I love this - needs that final chapter though!
Author's Response: Thanks! Oh there was no way I was leaving it there!
1 [Report This]Date: January 01, 2021 05:56 pm Title: Chapter 2
This is so good! I started noting lines I wanted to comment on, but there were too many. This is such a great story. And now, with Michael? Three chapters doesn't seem like enough.
Author's Response:
Too many lines to comment on is such high praise. Thank you Sprinkles!
1 [Report This]Date: January 01, 2021 12:52 pm Title: Chapter 2
OK the second chapter is every bit as delightful as the first even with all the angst. The up and down roller coaster with everything with Karen really kept me on edge and you really captured Pam's emotions here and Jim's too and the conversation between them hit on all the things eating at them since fallout of the Casino night.
The way the CN dress brought up such feelings was portrayed so well and I love her thoughts on keeping Dwight out of trouble at a corporate party.
I say this with the UTMOST of love for your story and am being 100% colloquial (but I also love my city-I raised my kids there) NYC is not so unsafe. But kidding (and NYC defensiveness) aside, I could also 100% see how people who don't live there (Jim and Pam) could think so and any time a car slowly creeps behind you would be be creeped no matter where you are. But I also thought of Big pulling up to Carrie with this scene so it was Perfect - as to me Jim and Big have that same witty playfulness that just makes me melt so you got me twice as excited here. And OF COURSE Jim would never let Pam walk the streets alone EVER. And had he not picked her up we could not have this line:
“It’s you, Pam,” he shrugged. “It’s always going to be you for me.”
Just as I thought you were about to bring this wonderful Cinderella story to a close you surprised us again with that twist.
Ok so Michael's not the fairy godmother then who is? and what happened to Michael- I'm so intrigued as to what's to come with the bonus chapter and can't wait.
Loved it!
Happy New Year to you. Cheers.
Author's Response:
Haha, no shade on NYC intended! I walked around the streets there on my own as a young twenty-something & did not die once. Although, I did have a car creep along behind me in another city & I 100% did think that my murder was imminent. Ahh travel, how I miss thee...
1 [Report This]Date: December 31, 2020 11:31 pm Title: Chapter 2
It's 8:40 a.m., and I have my cup of coffee and the new chapter of your story. Pretty awesome beginning of the year!
'Hi,' 'Hey.' Oh, my! Their exchange! LOVE IT!
And exactly when I was about to grin... 'she was all elegance and class and the easy familiarity with which she grabbed at Jim had a heavy lump forming deep in Pam’s chest.'
Okay, okay, I had to know that we should test our hearts first, continue.
'The Jim shaped wound' feels so, so real. Poor Pam...
'The funny thing about rock bottom was that it went a lot deeper than she thought.' Okay, right now, I want to scream to her that it's not over yet and there's only one way up.
What are you doing to us, Jenna?
I totally can't blame Pam for wanting to leave...
'It wasn’t what it looked like.' Oh god, I hate that expression so, so much (buuut it suits too well for Jim right now, or, at least, before he could explain himself...)
Do I love when they fight over the aftermath of the CN event? Yes.
I skipped a little the part about Pam wandering and thinking of being killed (not worth it, Pam, trust me), and then...
“It’s always going to be you for me.” Okay, okay, I'm okay, but you should know, Jenna, that you'll kill me that way one day. Just saying.
“I was kidnapped.” Oh boy, I need to know everything about that!
It's 9:30 a.m., I still have icy coffee in my cup, but I couldn't care less about that now. It's a fantastic journey! Thank you so much for writing it!
And I'm looking forward to the bonus chapter ;)
Author's Response: Oh Dernhelm, I adore your reviews so much. You have such a way with words. I’m sorry that your coffee went cold as you were reading, but not sorry at all that you included that detail because it’s such a compliment!
1 [Report This]Date: December 31, 2020 11:09 pm Title: Chapter 2
I really like that Pam is still very actively trying to grow here, even after a punishing few months. That’s our Fancy New Beesly.
This moment of her accidentally encountering the Casino Night dress and not being emotionally prepared for it is a real stomach-punch. (Only moderately eased by the fact that in this universe, at least she’s not also ruining the brown dress for herself.)
I love the description of the party and their first few encounters. I will note that I have some pretty distinct limits on my sympathy for Pam here. In this scenario, she has now gone seven/eight months without attempting to reach out to Jim. After rejecting him. That allows for the possibility of other things happening in his life. I do love that ultimately the Karen kiss forces them into a situation where they can punch at each other a bit, something that they could both clearly use.
Jim following her with the car is a lovely moment. And really? “It’s you. It’s always going to be you for me.” “It’s you for me, too.” Well, Happy New Year to you, too, Jenna. And “There hasn’t been a moment since I left that I haven’t been missing you.” Really? How dare you.
The twist at the end is fascinating. I stand by my “the whole thing was fake and orchestrated” theory, which, I mean, you made it pretty explicitly clear something else is happening here, but apparently it’s not Michael. Which I guess leaves Dwight? Or possibly Michael in concert with Dwight but Dwight having neglected to fill him in on some details? Maybe Kelly – this does sound like a scheme you might see in a rom com that Kelly would want to emulate. Maybe several people in the office pursuing their own schemes without talking to each other?
Anyways, I’m eager to see how you’re going to put a button on this.
(I think you officially clinched “last fic of 2020” with this one. Congrats!)
Author's Response:
I absolutely love the idea of several people in the office with their own schemes all tripping each other up with it. That would be hilarious and perfect for the rom-com trope. I’m a little mad I didn’t think of it to be honest.
I am so with you on the Pam not being all that deserving of sympathy, but is a trashy Hallmark Christmas and the rules of time/reality/logic do not apply. I feel like as an expert in the genre I can get away with such bold claims...
1 [Report This]Date: December 31, 2020 09:25 pm Title: Chapter 2
I literally don't know where to begin. I had assumed Jim would be the one Michael invited, so I was so sad when at first it seemed like he was there with Karen. And then when Pam caught them kissing, I had to take a moment. I was ready to kill Jimothy. I totally get why Pam thought what she did and even though the line "Spare me, Jim. I know what I saw. Or do you kiss all your friends at formal work events?" literally crushed my soul into a million pieces, I get why she said that too. She's angry and upset and not thinking straight. ugh. my heart hurts.
and then I really thought he just up and left her out in the cold. But I was so happy when he was in the car and then when she got in. Ughhhhh. Then their confessions. "It's always going to be you" just throw me in a casket because I'm deceased.
And just like Pam, I did *not* expect Michael to say he was kidnapped. I love how excited he was over Jim being there with Pam, but I am SO curious on what happened. I have to assume it has something to do with Dwight, but I can't wait to find out.
Again, amazing story. I love it so much.
Author's Response: “I have to assume it has something to do with Dwight” because of course Michael getting into strife has Dwight written all over it! It’s such a given.
1 [Report This]Date: December 31, 2020 09:24 pm Title: Chapter 2
omg the angst killed me but that ending brought me back to life!
Author's Response: I’m glad the end brought you back! My bad for the killing...
Date: December 31, 2020 08:48 pm Title: Chapter 2
“ She let his words and the soft tone of his voice roll over her and then there was a ladder in her pit of despair and when she glanced skyward there was light on the horizon where before there had only been swirling, thunderous clouds”
I love the symbolism, friend. Of course there’s light on the horizon if Jim will always be there for her. Isn’t that true of all of us? If we always have someone waiting for us when we call, is there not light on the horizon?
And I swear, if Dwight set this all up for her, I’m going to cry. This is so sweet.
BlindManCassidy
Author's Response: Thank you BlindManCassidy!
1 [Report This]Date: December 31, 2020 08:39 pm Title: Chapter 2
A crazy fast update and a crazy fast roller coaster of a chapter. Pam's tossed every which way, especially with seeing Jim and then even more with Karen acting like that. Five more seconds Pam. Just give the guy five more seconds sometimes.
However Jim finding her walking the street and offering to drive her home? Wonderful. The secrets and confessions that come out on the way home? Even more so. The return of hope, laughter, and love to both of their eyes? Beautiful.
Oh Michael. What did you get yourself into this time?
Author's Response:
It’s not a cheesy Christmas movie if there isn’t a whole lot of misunderstanding that could be solved so very easily... Five seconds like you say. It all comes down to five seconds...
He’s not Michael if he’s not getting himself into some mischief...