He saw them one day, her laughing and rushing to the passenger door in the car, eyes full of promise as if they had made plans she didn’t want to be late for. She looked beautiful, happy even and it broke his heart she could be like that. He would have given anything to be that man, but no, he wasn’t. She had rejected him. So he kept his distance and narrowed his eyes at the man who followed her out of the Dunkin Donuts shop.  Now he did hate him. He came out behind her, smiling just as wide and beeped his keyless entry for her to get in the car. They didn’t even have any donuts.

The couple had been seen all over Scranton, always giggling and smiling, like huge idiots. And it didn’t seem to matter to her that his heart was broken and stepped on, she seemed happy. They were always holding hands, kissing, and being grossly affectionate. He stopped going to Poor Richard’s, because one night while at the bar they entered, and started to dance. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and he swayed with her to the music, before cupping her face and kissing her like they were the only two people in the room. Well they WEREN’T, he was there too! And finally they needed air, and pulled back, with those stupid smiles on their faces and everyone whistled. Apparently they came there a lot, and the patrons were celebrating their return from their honeymoon. He didn’t even gulp down the rest of his beer before he slipped out the back into the alley.

He doesn’t go to Chili’s either. Even if she was banned, she still went. And he happened to walked in one night and saw her feeding that idiot some awesome blossom, which made him cringe. He turned around and left without a word, revolted.

He wanted her happy, but really did she have to exploit it? It was almost like she was rubbing it in his face.

“Look at me, I’m in wedded bliss and you’re not.”

Her hair as much curlier nowadays and she frequently wore it down around her shoulders, which made her glow even more.  Her cheeks were rosy, probably because she was always smiling, and her eyes beamed with great joy.

It made him want to sling a chair or punch someone in the face.

Not that he was a violent man, he wasn’t…but the tension and rage in him made him angry. Why wasn’t he good enough? He loved her so long and so much, when she looked in his eyes and said she couldn’t---

It broke him. He turned to alcohol, and maybe he thought he could make her change her mind by falling into despair but she seemed grounded in her decision. So instead he just kept his distance, getting to see glances of her ever so often, happy, smiling, and married.

Her ring finger caught his eye one day as he was across the street. He doesn’t follow her, Scranton isn’t that big, and he was walking out of a convenience store when he caught sight of her admiring some flowers outside the hardware store. He was going to walk over, and speak, because they hadn’t spoken in so long, and it hurt not to hear her voice.

But he caught sight of the ring, as the sun hit it and beamed a flash across his eyes. DAMN. And to confirm that the ring was real, he watched the man he hated come out the store and wrap his arms around her, holding her the way he wanted to. If it was even possible she smiled wider and slapped his chest at the joke he probably whispered in her ear.

He would have picked out flowers to plant in the garden. Anything she wanted, but she never gave him a chance. He heard later that the flowers were for the terrace they got on their new home. She liked to paint, and apparently, she painted on the terrace.  She had finally gotten her dream home, and in a way, it made him sad he didn't get to have the chance to give that to her. She had always mentioned a terrace, and he would have gotten her one. If she was with him. Their laughter made his ears hurt. From that day, every time he saw her, his heart broke a little until he grew slightly numb to it all.

Friends were no help. They rallied “FORGET HER! She isn’t worth it!” But they didn’t know her the way he did. He had memorized her smile, the way she smelled, her kiss. He longed for it, he missed it and it made it hard for him to just forget, he couldn’t.

He saw her every now and then, her face scrunched as she exited the pharmacy one day, her face scrunched as she clutched a brown bag. She looked determines as she hopped in her car and pulled out a box he couldn’t read, and began studying it. He didn’t want to intrude so he just walked into the store across the street.  A little time passed when he saw her come out of Dunder Mifflin’s office, her belly protruding out of her floral shirt, a smile on her face as usual, and her cheeks rosier than ever. She looked beautiful. Amazing. Pregnancy agreed with her. Apparently she was having a baby by this man. Tied to this guy forever, it made him sick.  And it made him sick that the idiot was in the car, waiting patiently, and she leaned over and pointed in his direction. Oh no, this can’t be good.

She was coming over to talk to him.  But he was frozen in his spot, and part of him wished he never came to work today, the other wished he never lived or else he wouldn’t miss her so much. She laid a hand on her stomach as she walked across the parking lot, coming closer to where he stood. Her smile seemed to tighten, and she gave a wave, that he was almost afraid to return. He was too stiff to move. She approached him, the smell of fresh spring rain assaulted him, and he blinked back tears as he studied her face.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” He managed to choke out.

“I um…I saw you over here, and I just wanted to say hi.”

“’Kay.”

When she bit her bottom lip, he wanted to crumble up and die. “I’m sorry you still hate me.”

“I don’t Pam…”he said softly. “I hate him.”

She touched her belly absentmindedly, and the action made him wish it was his baby she was carrying. Oh well too late, as she always made it clear before. “I’m happy, isn’t that what you want?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“I’m sorry.” She almost whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. The ring on her finger was distracting him, he wanted nothing more than to yank it off and throw it across the parking lot.

He shifted. “You said that already.” Cheeks were flushed, eyes were burning. Will power was diminishing. Behind her, he could see him looking out the car window, making sure he could see her and she was okay.

She nodded and turned away. But he wasn’t ready for her to leave and go back to her happy world yet… “Wait. I’m sorry about being an ass.”

“No, it’s okay.” She replied. “I wouldn’t be nice to me either after I rejected you. But I do care about you. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but I had to do it. But you will always be important to me.”

“Is he okay with that?” He pointed to the man in the car, looking at them with the watchful eye.

“Yeah he gets it. He knows I love him but I care about you.”

He couldn’t breath; he needed a change of subject. “What are you going to name the baby?”

Her face lit up with such happiness he felt like vomiting. She obviously loved being pregnant.

“It’s a girl and we aren’t sure what we want to name her. Something after his grandmother and my nanna.”

Tears formed in his eyes. “You really love him don’t you?”

She nodded. “Yes. With everything I have.”

“Well...” he took a deep breath and pointed at him. “I can see he loves you too. You deserve that and much more.”

Her face went soft and she smiled. “Thank you Roy. You do too.”

“Wow, New York…how’d that happen?”

She gave him a look.

"Darryl told me. And Michael made a special trip down to rub it in my face I guess."

“I'm sorry about that. Michael can be so...Well, I finished my internship and once I have the baby and get my maternity leave from here, I start working in the Graphics department in Corporate. Jim has transferred out of here to marketing.”

Roy shuffled his feet. “Wow, seems like Halpert makes dreams come true.”

Pam looked down at her feet. “Jim didn’t do anything. I worked hard and earned it. Please be happy for me.”

“I’m trying but it’s hard.”

She bit her lip again. “I’m sorry. You have to believe me Roy. I never meant to hurt you. I hope nothing more than good things for you. I-I  think you’re an awesome guy.  Take care.”

With that she walked back to towards the car, and her tall lanky husband stepped out, giving her a smile. Pam probably didn’t do it to hurt Roy but she smiled as Jim leaned in and kissed her, and walked over to help her in the car. She had probably seen Roy watching her for months, and wanted to let him know, he needs to move on.

With the simplest gesture, Jim bent over slightly and kissed her belly, causing her to smile again.

And for some reason, it kind of made Roy smile a bit too. She was happy, and if he really loved her, he would want her happy. Jim made her happy.

The End.