I like this story, and the idea for it, a lot. But I think you could have gone a lot deeper into each of the chapters... You kind of just grazed the surface of what Pam and Jim and Pam's mom were thinking. I think it was good, but if you'd made it longer, shown more of a detailed progression and more of a prodding into the REALLY sensitive things (like why Pam is afraid to tell Jim that he's it, rather than just that she is afraid...) it would have been phenomenal. Good story, but next time, try and go deeper.

Author's Response: I really appreciate your thoughts, AvilaGrace. Thank you for the kind and constructive review!\r\nYes, wow...if I were braver, I would have probed a little more. Maybe I should have run through some coals ahead of time! I wanted to be able to live with each chapter a little bit, to give it a few days and let it breathe, but I\'m really new at this and don\'t trust myself yet. If that makes sense.\r\nAlso, I was somewhat limited by the fact that it was first person, Pam\'s mom. She gleaned a lot of information from her daughter just by knowing her so well, but you\'re right, she could have really probed Pam into spilling the whys and wherefores.\r\nThanks again for you honest review.

Meeting for coffee when pregnant! Uht oht!

Ugh, as someone who has once been stranded in Philadelphia's airport, I totally relate to this story. except mine wasn't as cool. We were actually stranded overnight after the air conditioning, back wheel, and some other random part broke down. We started loading, and only then did the police find some sort of weed on the ground of the airplane. Woo hoo. I got to take a 4 AM flight the next morning.

 Cute story, though! Love it!

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of this story. And not because he chooses Karen over Pam, that's fine if you can do it while keeping him in character. I just think it was way out of character, which is a pet peeve of mine. Maybe you can show me where it was in character that Jim would leave his wife for Karen? I just didn't see that kind of loyalty, devotion, love, whatever you want to call it.

Author's Response: First, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for leaving a negative review that was still respectful. You have no idea how much I appreciate your honesty and candor. I am sorry you didn't like my fic, though. I dunno, I guess to me, Jim's proven that he has a tendency to settle, and my goal was to address the restlessness that is inevitable when you settle. He thought he wanted Pam, but he realized that he had over-idealized her and it was in fact Karen that he loved. But being the settler (and simultaneously idealist) that he is, he would actually go through with it and leave Pam. I think he would try to keep whomever he truly loved in his life, whatever the context may be. But once married, I don't think he would actually leave his wife. He might really want to, but he could never carry through with it, because don't think he's one to break a commitment as serious as marriage. Hence, the chapter title and lyric: sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.

Yay! Can't wait to see where the rest of this goes. And the wedding was May 10. And i liked it. and that's all i can say, really.