I. Table

Jim and Pam wandered slowly through the aisles of the giant discount store. Jim was pushing the cart, and both of them clutched small pieces of paper, which they consulted frequently.

"What's next on your list?" Pam said, her forehead slightly creased. "Everything else I need is on the other side of the store."

"I need..." Jim read down his list quickly. "Laundry detergent." Pam chuckled a little bit, but her smile was wistful rather than amused. "What's the matter?" Jim asked, concerned.

"Oh, nothing. Just...I was thinking how sad buying laundry soap and fabric softener made me while you were gone...you know, in Stamford." Pam gave him a half-smile, as if in apology for saying something so foolish. Jim didn't know what she was apologetic about, though; actually, he had no idea what she was talking about whatsoever.

"Seriously? Why?"

Pam looked surprised. "You don't remember? That day we went to the store and bought presents because we thought Kevin might be sick. You bought fabric softener and I was teasing you about it? Wow, you have no idea what I am talking about, do you?"

"Sorry." Jim's whole face scrunched up as he tried to think. "I remember Kevin waiting for the test results...wait, was that the time you talked on the PA system?"

"Yes. Which I still can't believe you got me to do, by the way." Pam laughed, and Jim was relieved to see her real smile- the one that lit up whole rooms and whole days for him. Still, the shadow remained in her eyes, and he took her hand.

"I'm sorry it made you sad to remember that day," he said softly.

"Well, lots of things made me sad when you were gone," she said. She was still smiling, though, and Jim realized with relief that it no longer hurt to talk about those days, for either of them. Pam went on, "I mean, seriously, everything reminded me of you. Everything. It was getting ridiculous."

"'Everything’? Really? I doubt that."

"Really. Name something. I'm not kidding." She wasn't kidding; he could see that, although she was wearing the challenging expression she got at the beginning of a game or a prank. If that was how she was going to be, well, then...

"Fine." He looked around at the cluttered chaos of the store. He spotted patio furniture stacked neatly in the middle of the aisle. "A table."

"A table?" Pam asked incredulously. "That's the best you got? Try every table, Halpert. Every table in the office, because I had memories of sitting with you at all of them. Every table in any restaurant, because either I was eating alone or eating with someone I wished was you. The table at my Mom's house at Christmas, because all I wanted was for you to be there. My kitchen table...in my one kitchen ...every meal. Every time I sat there, I thought about how you should be there." She paused. "And random patio tables at Wal-Mart? Easy. That would have reminded me of your barbecue, and how you really needed more food and more table space." She looked into his eyes, looking very serious for just a second before she broke into a triumphant grin.

"Wow." Even now, after all these months together, it was incredible for Jim to think about Pam missing him as much as he had missed her, and he felt himself fall even farther in love with her. Of course, he also couldn't resist teasing her. "I had no idea you associated me so strongly with tables, Pam."

She shook her head. "Not tables, dummy. I told you. It was everything. Everything reminded me of you. Now, let's get your laundry soap." She headed off in the direction of the next aisle. Jim admired the view for a second before following behind.