As he sits there, looking at her holding her child on her lap, he sees everything he could have had. And suddenly, as if she could read his thoughts, she asks him, "Do you ever wish things turned out differently?"
He looks down at his coffee and sighs. "Pam, if I had it to do all over again, I would have walked out of that interview with David Wallace, broke up with Karen, and rushed back to Scranton to be with you." He pauses, and looks at the little boy, who was playing with packets of sugar. "I love my son more than anything," he continues, "but I made a lot of mistakes. Too many to count."
She's quiet, and her eyes look a little teary. "I wish there was a way to go back in time and fix everything I've done," he added. Her eyes tell him that she wishes this too.
Ben is starting to get restless, so they prepare to say goodbye. Jim doesn't know if it's for forever, or just for now, but they don't exchange phone numbers or promise to meet again. He knows that it's probably too late, and he will probably have to live with the reality of that for the rest of his life.
They hug for a long moment, and then she turns, pushing the stroller away. He watches until he loses sight of her, and then he sits down again. He closes his eyes and imagines.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
