Jim loved his job. He really did. He told himself that every day when he snuck into the kids’ rooms to give them light kisses on their foreheads, his eyes lingering on their rosy-cheeked sleeping faces before he left for the day.

He loved going to the office, the expansive space and tall windows, basically the complete opposite of Dunder Mifflin; seeing Darryl and all of his buddies. He enjoyed what he did – meeting with basketball stars, baseball players, and getting to interact one-on-one with them was pretty much a boy’s dream. He even had his own office, with a door, and a great view. He only missed Dwight a little bit. The last few weeks, however, had required a lot of extra stamina, dedication, and more work than he was used to, and he was tired. He and Pam hadn’t been able to really connect on any sort of real level in months, and he knew he was partly to blame.

“What am I gonna do, man?” Jim bit into his peanut butter and jelly sandwich that Pam had made him the night before. She used the raspberry jam with seeds, just like he liked. He picked up the Post-It note she included in his lunch bag, and showed it to Darryl. It was a small sketch of a peanut and a raspberry hugging. The caption read:

Just like your sandwich, this Pam Beesly (Halpert) is hugging her Jim. <3

“Dude, you gotta do something,” Darryl agreed as he peeled a tangerine. “How about some jewelry?”

“No, I need to go big. Like, something she’ll remember.”

“She won’t remember jewelry?” Darryl’s eyebrow cocked up.

“She’s not like that. She’s more about making memories.” Jim chewed, thinking that he and the raspberry shared a remarkable resemblance. His chest grew warm at the thought of being as close to Pam as the peanut butter and jelly were on his sandwich.

“Look, man, I know Pam is different and all, but I know for a fact that all women love jewelry.”

“Maybe,” he allowed. “I feel like jewelry says ‘I’m sorry’, not ‘I want to spend quality time with my wife’.”

“I get you, man,” Darryl said, clapping a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “How about a spa day? I love a spa day,” he added dreamily.

Jim imagined himself with cucumber slices on his eyes, wearing a white terry-cloth bathrobe.

Nope.

---

Later that afternoon, as the day wore on, and the meeting ran long, fatigue set in, as did Jim’s guilt about not being home. He imagined Pam running around the house, chasing the kids, sweeping up messes, and putting her own needs on the back burner. She always did that, especially if it meant the kids or he needed something.

Drumming his fingers on the conference table, he glanced at his Apple watch, and saw 6:45pm glowing at him.

Damn it, let’s go!

Finally, the meeting closed, and Jim bolted out of his seat. Not really remembering how he got there, he was pulling into his driveway at 7:20pm, knowing Pam would already have the kids upstairs getting ready for bed. A fresh wave of guilt came over him as he entered the house, hearing Cece singing a silly song and Philip telling her to stop.

Jim’s breath caught in his throat at thinking about how Pam would react to him being home late, and not calling or texting her. This had to be the last time he disappointed her.

___

Pam was in her favorite nightgown, legs curled underneath her, and she was slowly turning pages in the Alex Guarnaschelli cookbook Jim had gotten her for Christmas. “How do spicy baked chicken wings sound? Do you think the kids will eat them?” she mused, lingering on the page with the picture. She took a sip of tea, feeling herself really relax for the first time all day.

Jim wandered into the family room, sat down on the couch next to Pam, and let out a big, drawn out breath as he tucked his hands behind his head.

“I’m sorry.” His eyes concentrated on the TV remote on the coffee table in front of him.

“For what?” Pam turned her eyes to her husband, looking over at him. She looked at the hair lining his neck, noticing he needed a haircut.

“I’ve been home late almost every day this week, you’re doing a ton around here, and I feel like… I don’t know, Pam. We’re off.” His brow was furrowed in frustration. “I don’t know what to do.” His breathing became shallow, his eyes closing.

She adjusted herself so she was facing him, giving him her full attention. Jim’s eyes were on the ceiling now, and it looked like they were brimming. Pam’s heart started to race just a bit. She could tell Jim was exhausted – in all senses of the word.

“You know what I was daydreaming about today?” Pam decided to take the optimist approach.

He blinked a few times, silent.

“Us, on the beach, toes in the sand, fruity drinks… sunshine.” She bounced slightly in her spot – and then she saw it. A shadow of a smile creeping onto his face. She grinned, her heart swelling knowing she could bring that smile of his back. “My mom could come and stay with the kids… And now that we’re closer to the equator, the flights are a lot cheaper.”

Jim finally lifted his head, turning his gaze to his wife. One tear spilled over, and he wiped it away quickly. “That sounds amazing.” He sat up a little straighter then, and pulled Pam into a hug. She tucked her face into the meat of his shoulder, inhaling his scent. She could tell he’d been active that day, but she liked that smell. His cologne mixed with a little bit of sweat – him. He stroked her back for a few more seconds before pulling away to look at her. “When do we leave?”