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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the third chapter, written by Deedldee. You're probably wondering if I have any chapters, and yes, I wrote chapter 5. Hope you enjoy! Warning: pure happiness here, Jim and Pam are together!
- pamelamorganhalpert
Disclaimer: We still own nada.
Chapter 3 – Christmas 2007

“Hello?” Pam answered her cell phone, too distracted to see the caller ID.

“Good morning” Sounded the deep familiar voice of her boyfriend on the other end.

“Oh hey, good morning. Ouch, damn it!” Her attempt to maneuver a hot cookie sheet from the oven to the stovetop as she cradled her phone between her ear and shoulder did not go as she had planned as she nearly dropped the entire tray on the floor.

“Pam, what happened?” He said, almost too loudly, as he leapt off his couch and unconsciously went to grab his keys and wallet as he heard Pam muttering curse words.

“I was taking cookies out of the oven and the phone slipped. I tried to catch it and somehow I burned my finger on the cookie sheet.” She slightly whimpered as she immediately ran cold water on her finger.

“My girlfriend is so graceful. Are you ok? Want me to come over and kiss it better?” He said somewhat sarcastically, and feeling very much relieved that it wasn’t more serious.

“Very funny Jim. I think I’ll survive. What time are you picking me up? She asked, as she dried off her fingers and went to put the hot cookies on a cooling rack.

“Well, my mom said dinner is served promptly at six, so I’m thinking I can come over at three.” He said, as he turned off the television and went to his room to put on a shirt.

“OK, three is too early. Can we make it around four? I need time to finish this baking and get myself ready.” She replied, placing more cookie dough on a clean tray, preparing to put them in the oven.

“Honey it’s eight in the morning, what in the world are you making?” He asked, slipping on his sneakers.

“Right now I’m making sugar cookies. Next up is chocolate chips, and then I’m going to make an apple pie and some brownies, and maybe gingerbread cookies if I have time.” She rattled off the list as if she were the micro machine man from those eighties commercials.

“Wow, ok I knew I should have slept over last night. You’re out of your mind.” He chuckled as he picked up his keys again, locked his apartment door and made his way to his car.

“Jim, I want your family to like me! This is the first time I’m spending the holidays with them. I need to make a good impression.” She said, furrowing her brow while she tried to make sure her cookies were all the same size.

“And you figure raising their cholesterol and sugar levels is the way to go.” He deadpanned, as he got into his car.

“Jim!” Sounding higher pitched than she intended.

“Pam, they’re going to love you, don’t worry about it. Seriously. It’s not a big deal. It’s just Christmas dinner with my family. Trust me it’s going to be fine.” He said, trying to calm her down.

“Jim there’s no such thing as just Christmas dinner with your family. It’s a bid deal. It’s really important that they like me.” Her eyes wide, suddenly feeling emotional, but not teary eyed.

“I know it’s important to you. It’s important to me that you like them just as much. Don’t worry about it. Just be yourself and everything will be fine.” He replied, as he started his car.

“Jim, what’s that beeping?” She tilted her head sideways, placing the cookie tray in the oven.

“I’m in the car, on my way over to help my crazy girlfriend Betty Crocker.” He said with a wide grin.

“No you don’t have to.” She said, pretty non-convincingly.

“Oh, but I do. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I’ll grab you a breakfast sandwich and coffee. Do you want juice?” He asked as he put the phone on speaker, and began pulling out of his parking spot.

“Orange, please. Thank you.” She said, as she mixed more dough together, suddenly feeling giddy that he would be there to help.

“You got it. See you in a few. Oh, and Pam?” He said, lowering his voice a bit.

“Yeah?” She stopped mixing at the sound of his serious tone.

“I love you. Merry Christmas.” He said, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

“Merry Christmas Jim. I love you too. Oh and grab some brown sugar for me? I’m running out.” She said, bouncing on her feet a bit, smiling from ear to ear.

“You got it. On my way.” He said, as he flipped his phone closed and made his way to the grocery store, quickly picking up some breakfast items and brown sugar, then to Pam. Today was going to be a very good day, he thought.

Jim

I’m starting to worry that it’s not healthy to be this happy. I always knew being with Pam would make me happy. But I underestimated it. There was no big let down, like when you’re a kid and finally get the Christmas gift you wanted for months, that one that they hype up all over the local news and advertise during all the Saturday cartoons, and it isn’t what you hoping it would be. It’s nothing like that. Being with her is the exact opposite of that, it’s better than I imagined it. I am constantly amazed at how much I smile just talking to her on the phone.

I love that she’s so nervous about spending the holiday with my family. They’re really going to love her. What’s not to love? I mean, she’s gorgeous, she’s sweet. It’s an endless list. And every day that I get to spend with her, something else gets added to the list. Like today, I’m adding ‘bakes when nervous’ to the list. I can just see her now, hovering over a mixing bowl. She’s probably talking to herself about what needs to go in where. She’s absolutely adorable when she talks to herself. She’s adorable when she does just about everything.

It’s just unreal how our lives have meshed together so well since the first week we started dating. I knew it. I knew it would happen. I know how she feels today though. When we went to her parents for Thanksgiving, I was terrified of having to meet her father for the first time. I was so worried that he’d hate me, which would really put a wrench in the whole spending the rest of my life with Pam thing. Her father and I were sitting in the living room while Pam’s mom and sister were chatting in the kitchen, and I almost started to lose it. I mean, it’s a good thing I wore a suit jacket that day, because my Speed Stick failed the test miserably.

I wanted to show him how serious I was about his daughter, but all he did was glare at me for the first few minutes. So I just kept talking. I wound up telling him about the engagement ring I bought her, about how I plan on buying us a house and taking care of her and giving her the freedom to pursue her art. I think that’s what he wanted to hear, because he patted me on the back and welcomed me to the family. That back pat is pretty much the only thing Pam saw of the whole exchange so she thinks her dad and I hit it off immediately. Oh if she only knew.

The fear is gone now. The fear that I’ll wake up one morning and this will all be a dream. It’s been replaced with joy. And I just know that this is going to be the first of many holidays we’re going to spend together. I know it that this ridiculous happy feeling is never going to go away. I know it’s not healthy to be this happy, but I just don’t care. I can’t wait for more of it.

Pam

I shouldn’t be this nervous. Really, it’s just Jim’s family. It’s just me meeting his entire family. His brothers, sister, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles and his cousins and his niece and nephew are all going to be there. Judging me, because I’m the first girl Jim’s ever brought to Christmas dinner. No pressure. I’ll just be meeting the people I’m hoping to call my in laws one day. I better make the gingerbread cookies. At least I’ll win over the kids.

I’m just so scared that his parents are going to hate me. I’m the girl that broke their son’s heart not too long ago. I’m the girl that he moved out of state to get away from. I am the one to blame for that. I just hope that they can see past that, get to know me and not hate me. I don’t like people hating me. I just need to show them that I care so much about their son, and that I care about being included in their family. That I’m in this for the long haul. And when you can’t say it in words, say it with food. Not sure who said that, but hopefully they’re right.

I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s on his way over here to help me with all of this baking. I mean, it’s Jim. Jim does these things. He drops what he’s doing to help me. Now that I think about it he’s always been this way, even when we were just friends. I’m running out of ways to describe how insanely in love with him I am and how incredibly happy I am to be with him.

I don’t worry now. I don’t worry that one day he’s going to wake up and say ‘you know what, this isn’t what I thought it was going to be’ and leave me. I’m not sure when that fear was replaced, but I’m so sure of us now. We do such silly things together. Like when we went pumpkin picking in October. He tried to prove how strong he was by trying to pick up this gigantic pumpkin and he hurt his back. That night while I was rubbing some pain ointment onto his back, he just looked at me and said ‘our kids are going to be so lucky to have you as a mom.’

I know he sees our future together. And so do I. That’s why it’s so important that his family likes me. First impressions count. This is such a big day for me. And honestly, I’m so happy I can’t even stand it. It’s amazing how things change from year to year. And I can’t wait for next year, and the year after that, and the next sixty years or so. I’m also sure that now that I’m baking all of these things this year, his family is going to expect it every year. And I’ll be happy to do it with Jim by my side. I can’t wait.
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for reading, we hope you liked it.
-pamelamorganhalpert

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