September, 2017
Dear Philly Jim,
I’m a 21 year old guy who’s in deep for a girl at my school. The problem is, she’s with another guy. Sometimes I want to go give up, because it’s like she’s giving me signs that she wants to be with me. But at the same time, it doesn’t look like she’s going to be leaving the guy any time soon. In fact, they just recently got engaged. The thing is, he isn’t right for her. I’m not just saying that because I want her, I’m saying it because it seems that he’s holding her back. So what should I do? Do I just give up, and go on with my life?
Brian
Scranton, Penn.
Brian,
First, I just have to say, I have been in your shoes, man. About thirteen years ago, I met a girl who was engaged, and we quickly became friends. I eventually fell in love with her, but I didn’t know what to do. I mean, she was engaged, you know? I eventually just settled on being just friends with her, but that would tear me apart. One night, they finally set a date. That also happened to be the night that I almost broke down and told her how I felt about her, and all this happened right in front of me. Needless to say, I was devastated…but then I received advice from the least likely person to give good advice. He told me to never give up. Never ever give up.
So I’m going to give you the same advice. Don’t give up. If you truly feel something for this girl, never give up. If you’re willing to get your butt kicked, and if you’re willing to bend over backwards for this girl, then I think you truly deserve her.
As for me, I married this girl about four years after that night. And since then, we both encouraged each other to go for our goals. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and she helped me achieve that dream. And Brian, if you know that this girl is right for you, then don’t give up, man.
Philly Jim
Jim leaned back on his chair, stretching, and cracking his knuckles. He re-read his letter, and then hit the send button to his editor. He smiled to himself, and walked out of his home office into the living room where he saw Pam sitting outside in the terrace that he had constructed for her. She was tending to her flower bed, and Jim smiled to himself as he watched Pam smelling the flowers.
“Daddy!”
“Hey, Emily!” Jim said, scooping his daughter up. She was a splitting image of Pam.
“Daddy, can you buy me some ice cream?” Emily asked.
“What’s the magic word?” Jim said, smiling.
“Please? Pretty please?” Emily begged.
“Now, how could I say no to that?” Jim chuckled, giving his 3 year old daughter a kiss. “Go see if Mommy wants to come with, okay? I’ll go grab your jacket.”
Jim smiled, as he put Emily down, and watched her running towards Pam, screaming in excitement.
July, 2009
“You know how you always encouraged me to be an artist?” Pam had asked Jim, curling up next to him in bed.
“Yeah,” Jim replied.
“I just wanted to say thank you,” Pam said, giving Jim a kiss.
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Halpert,” Jim said, chuckling.
“Wow…we’re actually married…” Pam sighed. “I give it about two years before you start getting fat, and lose your hair.”
Jim laughed, and tickled Pam. After they had settled down, Pam rested against Jim again.
“Jim?”
“Pam?” Jim replied back in a high voice, trying to imitate Pam.
“I think you should try becoming a writer again,” Pam said. “I mean, we still have a lot of money saved up, and we can get by for awhile. You can take night classes, or online courses.”
Jim smiled, and said, “Come on, Pam…It’s been like a hundred years since I’ve been in school.”
“Seriously, Jim, you should. I mean, what do you have to lose?” Pam asked, getting up on her elbow. “I already looked at some schools that you can apply to, and I’m pretty sure you can get your degree in less than a year. You only have eight more credits for your degree, right?”
“Yeah,” Jim said, holding Pam tighter, “You really think I should go back to school?”
“Of course, Mr. Halpert,” Pam giggled, kissing Jim.
“Then I will, Mrs. Beesley,” Jim said laughing.
*****
Jim was able to receive all of the credits that he had needed by February, 2010. After years of not being challenged at Dunder-Mifflin, he was happy to have some challenge back in his life. He had worked part time at Dunder-Mifflin, and went to night classes at Marywood University.
The documentary finally aired in January, and Jim, Pam, Michael, and Dwight were quite the celebrities. “The Office” was a hit. So Jim wasn’t surprised when he had been receiving job offers from various websites and newspapers. All of the jobs had to do with giving people advice, which Jim didn’t really plan, but he took a job offer from Variety anyway. It was good money. After being reluctant to give people advice at first, Jim found that it came very easy to him.
Although Jim was making plenty of money writing advice blogs, he decided to stay at Dunder-Mifflin. After years of resenting the place, Jim realized that he never resented it. How could he go on for the rest of his life without pulling pranks on Dwight? Besides, Michael left the company to move in with Holly in Nashua, so Jim was now officially Dwight’s boss. Who knew that Dwight following your every word would be so fun?
Pam decided to leave Dunder-Mifflin, and go back to school to get a degree for Art Education. She was happy, because this wasn’t like Pratt. She was actually at the top of her class, and received her degree in two years. After a few months of job searching, she got a job as an art teacher at her old high school. She and Jim were very happy.
*****
April, 2013
“Jim! We have termites!” Pam said, hanging up the phone.
“What?” Jim called from his computer.
“We have termites! That inspector that you had come today just called, and said we had termites!” Pam cried.
“Oh…” Jim said, trying as hard as he could to contain his smile. “So do we have to like…get out?”
“Yeah, they’re coming tomorrow to do that crazy tent thing, and spray the shit out of the house,” Pam said, walking into Jim’s home office.
“Well, that sucks,” Jim said, “So…do you just want to stay at a hotel?”
“That’s too expensive, Jim,” Pam said, sitting down at the edge of Jim’s desk.
“But,” Jim said, rubbing Pam’s stomach. “You’re pregnant, and I want you to be comfortable…it’s either a hotel, or Dwight’s beet farm. Do you really want to eat five pounds of bacon every morning?”
Pam giggled, and rubbed her bump as well.
“Fine…” she sighed, and moved down to sit on Jim’s lap, giving him a quick kiss. “You’re going to be a daddy…”
“I know,” Jim laughed. “And I thank you for carrying my seed.”
Pam laughed, and slapped Jim’s arm.
*****
“Jesus Christ!” Pam cried a month later. “We have foundation damage?”
“That’s what Chris just told me, and please don’t call me by my full name,” Jim laughed.
“I just want to go home…I mean, we spent all that time redecorating the house…” Pam sighed. “And it took us years to figure out how to get that creepy clown painting down. Seriously, the week after we found out how to take it down, we get termites. That painting was cursed…”
Jim laughed.
“Maybe it was…” Jim said. “But we should be able to go back to the house in two weeks, so…be patient.”
Jim held out his arms, inviting Pam to come sit on his laugh. Pam still tried to keep her angry face on, but she couldn’t help but smile as Jim’s arms wrapped around her body.
“So,” Pam said. “What should we name the baby?”
Jim had a look of deep concentration on his face, and he answered, “Well, if it’s a boy…”
“We’re not naming him Dwight,” Pam interrupted, and Jim laughed.
“You know me too well…but I don’t know,” Jim said. “What’s a good name?”
“I don’t know either…” Pam sighed. “I want a unique name, but nothing crazy like Motor Carriage or Pineapple.”
“How about Broderick? Brodie for short,” Jim suggested. Pam smiled.
“That’s a good name…Brodie Halpert,” Pam said, nodding. “Broderick Dwight Halpert.”
Jim laughed, and gently tickled Pam.
“Stop! You’re gonna make me pee!”
“So,” Jim said, a couple of minutes later. “What if it’s a girl?”
“Emily,” Pam immediately answered. “After my grandma…”
“Emily,” Jim repeated, nodding. “That’s a great name…”
*****
“It’s about time we get to go home,” Jim said, getting into his car.
“I know,” Pam agreed. “I just want to go home, and just have you cook for me. I’m so tired of eating out…”
“And,” Jim said, “That’s what she said.”
“You are gross, sir,” Pam laughed. “Disgusting.”
“You know, I actually kind of miss Michael,” Jim said. “And I don’t blame him for being such a jackass…being a manager is actually tough. You try to make people happy, but that ends up pissing someone else off…”
“Yeah,” Pam said. “He was a good guy…deep down.”
Michael had quit Dunder-Mifflin about a month after Jim received his degree, and moved to Nashua to live with Holly. Jim was regional manager of the branch now, and he enjoyed Dwight brown nosing him.
“Wonder what he’s up to?” Jim wondered out loud, pulling into Gerrity’s parking lot, so he and Pam can grab some groceries.
*****
“Home, sweet home!” Jim cried, as they pulled into their driveway.
Pam got out of the car, and felt her jaw drop. Right where Jim’s parents’ old bedroom used to be, there was a terrace. She felt Jim’s arms wrapping around her stomach, and felt him kissing her cheek.
“I watched the documentary,” Jim said. “And the day Jan came to do the women of the workplace seminar, I heard that you always wanted a terrace…so I figured since we don’t sleep in my parents old room…you know…I had some people come, and…do you like it?”
Pam turned around, and Jim saw that she had tears in her eyes. She was nodding her head, and smiling.
“Jim!” she cried happily, “I love it!”
*****
September, 2017
Jim and Pam were walking down the street. Emily was walking between them, holding both of their hands, excited that she was going to get ice cream.
“I want chocolate ice cream with spwinkles!” Emily exclaimed.
“What kind of sprinkles do you want?” Pam asked her daughter.
“Wainbow!”
“She wants ‘wainbow,’ Pam,” Jim smiled. “You should have known that already. I mean, she is your daughter.”
Pam laughed.
“I know, but she sounds so cute when she says it,” Pam said, stroking Emily’s hair. “What kind of sprinkles did you want again?”
“Wainbow!” Emily cried excitedly.
They were sitting outside, eating ice cream, and enjoying the cool fall breeze. Emily was laughing about something that nobody seemed to get but her. Jim and Pam watched Emily, smiling, as she was saying something about Princess Unicorn.
“So,” Jim said. “Michael and Holly are coming to visit…”
“Yeah?” Pam said.
“Yup…I was thinking about throwing Michael a party.”
“What kind of party?”
“Well, before he left, he asked me to host the Dundies,” Jim said. “And we haven’t had a Dundie night since he left, so I figured we can have one. Something fun for the office, don’t you think?”
“Do I get a Dundie?” Pam asked, smiling.
“Yeah, I’m gonna give you the hottest outside of the office award,” Jim said, giving Pam a kiss.
Author's Chapter Notes:
This takes place in the future...whooooooo....
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Chapter End Notes:
Hope you guys enjoyed that!
One more chapter and an epilogue left! Please review!
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