It was 6:00 on Saturday night as Pam sat at her kitchen table, by herself, peering over a Chinese food menu.

“Ooo…how about Garlic Thai shrimp?” She said.

“Only if you let me try some.” The voice on the other end of the phone responded.

“No way! I’m eating for two now, remember? That means no sharing with husbands.”

“Oh, that’s just the excuse pregnant women use to legally eat more food. Besides, you’re really only eating for, like, 1.1, seeing as how he’s so tiny his weight is incalculable.”

“Oh, okay, so when your son is born, I’ll let you explain to him how his daddy let him starve.”

“Such a drama queen.” He chuckled.

“Hey, buddy, keep this up and you may not get lucky tonight.”

“Uh…that’s going to be a little difficult considering we’re, like, 2,000 miles away.”

“Yeah, some date. Whose idea was this anyway?”

“Are you complaining?! You said you missed having date night, so I’m improvising.”

“I know, I know.” She let out a happy sigh. “I think you’re adorable, by the way.”

“Yeah, I am, but not as adorable as you.”

Jim’s idea formed late last night when Pam told him she missed having their weekly date night. He’d had flowers delivered to her earlier today, and he’d even arranged to have Debbie watch Jackson while they had their ‘date’. Now they were both looking over menus for Chinese food, deciding what to order.

------------------------------

Two hours later, the food was long gone, the mood had changed, and Jim and Pam found themselves lying down on their beds, deep into the type of conversation that they’d had so many times before, but each time seemed like it was their first.

“I remember what you said to me right after he was born.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, you wiped the hair off my brow, leaned down, and said ‘Is it too early to sign him up for soccer lessons? I kind of have a thing for soccer moms.”

“Wow…you remember that? I thought you were all drugged up…”

“Oh, I was, but it was probably the cutest post-labor thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Wait, how many post-labor things have you heard?”

“Never mind…your turn!”

“Hmmm….Lets see.” He paused for a few moments, trying to think of the perfect moment.

“Quit stalling, Jim. First thing that comes to your mind, remember?”

“The first time you told me you loved me.”

“Oh, why’d you have to bring that up?”

“Why not? I was one of the best moments of my life. Very romantic.”

“I hardly think that a drive home from the airport at 3 in the morning qualifies as ‘romantic’.”

“It is when you force me to pull over, just so I can kiss you. Besides, a trip to the city dump would be romantic as long as you were there with me.”

“Hmm…city dump. I’ll have to remember that.”

“Done. That’ll be our first weekly-date-night date when we come back from Phoenix.”

“So, refresh my memory…I only remember what happened after I told you.”

“I was picking you up after you flew home for your uncles funeral, and you told me how much you appreciated me picking you up on such short notice, and I said, ‘That’s what I’m here for.’ I guess at that moment you decided you loved me, because a few silent moments later, you turned to me with a shocked look on your face and said, ‘Oh my God, Jim. I love you!’”

“Did I really say ‘Oh my God’?”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I realized I loved you long before that, I just didn’t say anything until then.”

“Why’d you choose that moment to tell me?”

“You came to pick me up, no questions asked, at 3 in the morning. You had to drive to New York early that morning, and the fact that you were willing to pick me up told me something.”

“That I was crazy in love with you?”

“Yeah. Crazy enough to not care about your own well-being, and help someone in need.”

“I loved you, Pam. I wasn’t going to let you take a cab home…that’s rather lame.”

“I know.”

“Then I slammed on the brakes, pulled over to the side of the freeway, and kissed you.”

“No, you told me you loved me back, and then you kissed me.”

“Right. Actually, I think I told you before and after I kissed you.”

“And you haven’t stopped since.”

“And never will.”

“Good.”

“I sure wish I could kiss you right now.” He said quietly.

“11 days, babe. Then you won’t be able to keep your hands off me.”

“Yep, you’re right, I’m so going to be all over you when you get here.”

“I can’t wait.”

It’s during moments like this that make Jim realize just how lucky he is to be married to Pam. Of all the things they’ve gone through before and after they’ve been married, and as hard as this 1 month absence has been, he’s just grateful that she’s his, and he’ll spend the rest of his life proving it to her.

It was as that moment that Pam's house phone rang, bringing their date to an abrupt end.