This has been such a delight to read, and the ending is too perfect. I've loved reading Pam's letters, but letting Jim have his say at the end is brilliant. You write them both with such humor and grace. Who wouldn't want parents like that? And Jim being all protective of the baby and crazy in love with Pam and signing the letter, "Love, Dad" just leaves me all melty inside.

And I don't care at all about the details that aren't in this. In fact, I think it's clever the way you worked around revealing any information that might be contradicted later. The important thing is that I really have a sense of Pam's emotional state and her feelings about the baby/pregnancy in every chapter, and the same with Jim in the last one. Very true to character and realistic.

Well done, my dear. Thanks for sharing this with us. It's been such a fun summer treat!

Author's Response:

OK - this is going to sound weird but bear with me.  As I wrote this I was not only thinking about how much I'd love to do the same for one of my kids (if I ever have one but that's a whole other sordid tale for another time) but how I can't wait to see their baby. 

I'm really ill.  I think I have a definite problem. :)

But if I have to have a problem like this one - it helps to know that  even with my obsession I'm able to convey what I intended to the people reading this story - basically that Jim and Pam are ridiculously in love and are both nervous as hell but cannot wait to meet this kid.

Alright.   I'm babbling.  Thank you so very much for your review and for reassuring me that not revealing all is just fine.   The point of this story was exactly what you just described.  To convey Pam's thoughts and emotions about her pregnancy (and of course - Jim) throughout.  It was never about what happens after.  Maybe some other time. 

Jim and Pam both know what the baby's name is - and I think that's enough.

I have been remiss in my duties as beta by not leaving you feedback here! You already know that I love this, but it's worth saying again. Your Michael voice is spot on. I so enjoy being inside his head when you're in charge of it. Of course he would use words like improvisationer and respond with a "that's what she said" to his own thoughts. And it's always great when he interacts with Jim and/or Pam on the show, which you've also captured beautifully.

And all of this is even more amazing since I know what you went through in the writing of this. It's so great to see you back here and I hope to see you back again soon.

I feel so privileged to have been able to go along with you in the crafting of this story, Callisto. I know you've agonized about it and worked really hard to get the characters just right, and in my opinion, you've succeeded utterly.

Karen is in a very difficult position here, and I think it's clear she's trying to figure out just where she stands with Jim. She's obviously torn between holding on tight and giving him the proper amount of space, but she also knows that she's got some stiff competition and she's got to bring out the big guns if she wants to keep her man. You've portrayed her as conflicted, complex and, most of all, human.

As for Pam, she's made her big speech already at this point. That was the moment she finally came into her own, and that's enough for her. As we saw on the show, she accepted that she would be okay no matter what Jim ended up doing. Of course, that doesn't mean she's not above getting those snarky little digs in when she can. She's not perfect; she's so much more interesting than that.

Finally, we come to Jim. He's the most conflicted of all. The writers gave him a whole week to think about things without actually doing anything about them. That's a wide gap, and would have to have been filled with lots of emotional turmoil, confusion and indecision. Jim is someone who feels too much, not too little. And Pam's speech obviously affected him, because he finally told her the truth about why he left. That little opening door had to have sent him into a tailspin, one that he would be struggling to hide from both Karen and Pam. At the end, where he's exhausted, raw and begging for a sign, my heart really goes out to him.

I feel like these people you're writing about are the familiar friends I've come to know on the show. This was a great idea for a story, and it was executed with maturity and finesse. Well done.

Author's Response: Blanca, thank you. We\'ve talked so much about this that I can\'t even thank you enough for putting up with my questions and drafts and \'but, what about this...\' You\'ve been such a help, in more ways than you know. I\'m grateful not only for your help but your friendship, and all the many times a day you make me snort with laughter. ::hugs:: :)

My dear xoxoxo, what a lovely thing to discover in your digital Christmas stocking. I can never get enough of the early days of Jim and Pam's relationship, probably because we didn't get to see it on the show. There are so many ways to go with it, and I really liked your choices here. Short and sweet. You've still got it.

For what it's worth, I don't think I've read this before, and I've read all of your stuff. Hmm.

Author's Response: Thank you dear Blanca.  Me either.  Someone should write a fic about the early days soon. :)

You already know I love this, but it's worth telling you again. It's so great to have something new from you. And I'm really glad you were feeling inspired enough to finish it!

As I've mentioned, my favorite part of this is their lovely slow dance, just exquisite torture. But there's a lot here to love. You keep it so real and true to the characters. I could hear their voices in my head as I was reading. The tone and the outcome were just perfect.

Great, great work, my dear Callisto!

Author's Response: Thanks so much, miss Blanca. I appreciate your taking the time to review--I know you've got other things on your mind about now. ;) Thank you again for being there and helping me kick around ideas for how to approach this. You gals make fanfic writing fun. And possible. :)