Disclaimer: I do not own the office or the characters. I also don't own Chili's, but that would be pretty cool if I did.
It was Cecila Halpert's seventh birthday when she first asked to go to Chili's.
"Mommy, can we go to Chili's? Annie went there for her birthday, and she really liked their baby back ribs," Cece poked Pam in the side.
"Baby, Chili's is closed on...What's today?" Pam sighed.
"Mommy, it's my birthday! I'm seven today! How could you forget? I'm super old now, you even said so this morning while you and Daddy were laying in bed together!"
"Cece! How many times has Daddy told you to stop eavesdropping on our conversations?" Pam turned on her mom voice.
"Sorry," Cece jutted out her bottom lip.
"Oh baby, it's okay. But Chili's isn't open today, I'm sorry," Pam held a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Oh, that's okay! Let's go to Cugino's then." Pam made a mental note to talk to Jim later that night about figuring out how to tell her daughter why they really couldn't go to Chili's.
"Jim, honey where are we going?" Pam sighed. "I'm so tired and honestly, I'd be okay with just staying in with the kids tonight."
"Baby, just relax," Jim lay his right hand on top of her thigh. "Just relax. I promise it's gonna be okay."
Pam closed her eyes as they passed Chili's, praying her children wouldn't want to go there. They always seemed to want to go there for the ribs.
"Dad! Can we please, please, please go to Chili's?" Phillip whined.
"Phil, Dad's belly hurts a little bit. We can go, just me you and Cece tomorrow while Mommy enjoys her surprise I have tomorrow," Jim watched as his wife's eyes snapped open. Jim just winked at her and mouthed an 'I love you'. She mouthed it back and settled back into her seat with a content smile.
Later that night, Jim rolled over and pulled his wife into him. "You gotta tell them sometime, babe."
"How am I supposed to tell my nine and eleven year olds their mom got banned from Chili's for life?"
"Should've thought of this before you snuck drinks off of the tables that night," He pulled Pam impossibly closer to him.
"I hate you," Pam tried to pull away from him.
"No you don't Bees," Jim kissed her forehead.
"I haven't been Beesly for eleven years. It's Halpert now."
"Oh please Beesly. You know I'm always gonna call you Beesly. I love you baby," he drifted off to sleep with the love of his life in his arms.
"I love you too," she mumbled into his chest.
"Mom, we want to go to Chili's, and we already asked Dad how his stomach felt so you can't get out of Chili's this time," Cece was driving the family out to their monthly dinner out. They were in Scranton this month visiting.
"Cece, no. We can't," Pam put her head in her hands in the back seat.
"Cecilia, anywhere else," Jim sighed, already feeling his wife's hand tense in his hand.
Cece pulled over the car. "Why Mom? Really? It's been 17 years and we've never been to Chili's with you! Only ever with Dad!"
"Cece, please," Pam felt a lump in her throat. Even after 20 years, she was still embarrassed.
"Mom, why?" Phillip groaned from the front seat. I just want my damned ribs."
"Phil, language," Jim chided. "And guys, just let Mom be. She doesn't like Chili's." Jim knew his line wouldn't get past his kids.
"Dad, you bring Mom your leftovers every time," Cece deadpanned.
"Cecilia Marie," Jim began to get frustrated. "Just-"
"I got banned for life," Pam blurted out and immediately buried her face into Jim's chest, hot tears pouring over. Cece and Phillip had no idea how to react.
"Pam honey, it's okay baby. They were gonna find out eventually. It's not a big deal," Jim rubbed his wife's back. "Cec, drive somewhere. Anywhere but Chili's."
"I was so stupid," she mumbled into his shirt. "I can't believe I got banned from fucking Chili's."
"Sweetie, it's really okay," Jim lifted her head off his chest and wiped the tears from her face.
"Uh, mom?" Cece asked.
"I was banned because Roy left Uncle Mike's Dundies," her kids cringed when they heard about Roy. They thought it was weird Pam was engaged to another man besides Jim. "and I was upset. Your dad was making sure I was okay, and I just kept taking drinks from Uncle Stanley's table. I got more drunk than I should have, and they told me I wasn't allowed to come back," Pam laughed a little as she wiped her tears.
"Oh," Cece looked at her mother through the rearview mirror. "I was just gonna ask if you wanted to go to Cugino's? It's been awhile." Pam nodded and rested her head against Jim.
Pam rolled over in bed to cuddle with Jim. "I guess it wasn't as bad as I was anticipating."
"I told you. The kids don't care. They just wanted to know why you never wanted to go to their favorite restaurant."
"You're always right Halpert," She sighed falling back asleep, smelling Jim.
It was Pam's sixtieth birthday when she was given the most comical and one of the best gifts from her children.
"Mom, we didn't get you a gift, per say," Cece stifled a laugh. "But I think you're gonna like what we did for you. Dad was even in on it."
"Honey, you didn't need to do anything," Pam turned towards her husband.
"Come on Beesly," Jim stopped at the red light. "You know I wanted to do something. It's the big sixty!"
"Jim! We agreed, I'm turning thirty now until forever. But, I love you," She kissed him softly.
"Mom! No PDA!" Phillip laughed.
"Oh, like I didn't catch you doing things with your girlfriends," The rest of the drive was silent.
When Jim pulled up to the restaurant that he and the kids chose in surprise, Pam burst into a fit of laughter.
"Jim, you know I can't. Come on, no jokes," She laughed nervously.
"Baby, come on," Jim got out of the car and walked over to Pam's side, helping her out.
"Jim, you're crazy. They zeroxed my license years ago, and there's video evidence they banned me," She tried to pull him back to the car, but Jim lifted her onto his shoulder and carried her inside.
"Surprise!" Everyone from the Dunder Mifflin office was there. Pam was taken back.
"Mom, we did this instead of getting you a gift. We hope you like it," Cece smiled.
"Honey, I love it," Pam smiled through misty eyes. She hugged her daughter, son, and husband before greeting all of her old co workers. "I can't believe you all came out to Texas for me!"
Jim tapped her shoulder as she was talking animatedly with Holly. "Pam? I just have a couple little things to give to you, come with me?"
"Oh yeah, of course babe," Pam turned back to Holly. "I'll be back! I wanna see more pictures of Anna's graduation!"
Jim led Pam back into a quiet room and pulled out a chair for her before sitting in the chair across from her. "So," Pam drawled out, waiting expectantly.
"Well, honey it's not much, but I think you'll find it very good," Jim slid an envelope and a box in front of her. Pam reached for the envelope first and slowly opened it. Her eyes glossed over it before she captured Jim's lips.
"How?" She smiled into him.
"Cece and Phil thought it would be nice if they could finally be able to go to their favorite restaurant with their mother for once. They actually called up Chili's and somehow convinced the CEO to let you be a customer again. It took them a couple weeks. Turns out after twenty-eight years, they still hold a grudge."
"They're really the best kids ever," Pam laughed. "I'm going to assume this next one is from just you?"
"You are correct," Jim smiled. Pam stood from her seat and sat in Jim's lap before opening the box.
"Is it... that really pretty sweater I wanted?" She shook the box a little.
"Jeez, what's with the shaking? After thirty-two years of marriage, you still feel the need to shake everything," He shook his head in a joking manner.
"Sorry, not sorry," She ripped the wrapping paper and opened the box. "Jim," She smiled as she unfolded the sweater. Her eyes landed on the box and pieces of paper falling from the sweater.
"Why don't you look at the papers first?" Jim lifted Pam to her feet before bending down and getting them for her. Once he sat down, Pam situated herself in his lap again before looking at the papers, her eyes wide.
"I love you so much. You didn't have to do any of this," Tears welled in her eyes.
"I wanted to renew our vows. It's been thirty-two years, and I still love you just as much as I did the first day I walked into Dunder Mifflin. Actually, I love you more than that day, and I love you more and more everyday. I figured we could get married again where we eloped," Jim wrapped his arms around her waist.
Pam rested her head against his shoulder and whispered, "I love you so much." She reached for the final jewelry box.
"Jim," she sighed before opening it. "Jim!" It was ring with an engraving.
"The engraving says, 'I don't know, it was a good day' because I remember saying that on Diversity Day when you fell asleep."
"And I said that the day Michael threw himself a birthday party at the ice rink," Pam smiled. "Jim, I love you so much."
Two months later, Jim and Pam were on the same boat they got married on over thirty years ago.
"Pam," Jim smiled as he renewed his vows. "You are everything. I am so lucky to be the man you've chosen to spend the rest of your life with, the one you raised children with, and your best friend. Everyday has been day I would never change even if it wasn't the best day. I am so so grateful to have you by my side every step of the way. Pamela Morgan Halpert, I love you. I still promise you that I am always going to be there for you; to love and cherish everything about you. I always knew I was waiting for my wife, and I now always know that you are always there for me. I love you."
Pam choked down a sob before renewing hers, "Jim, I love you. I love you. I love you. I can't find the words to even begin to express how much I love you or why I love you. Just you as a whole are my definition of love. I heard something once. It was simple and elegant and beautiful. It said something along the lines of, 'You're never really in love with someone until you don't know why you love them. You just do. Everything about them and every little thing, you love. Words just aren't enough to compare to the love you feel.' and Jim, that's how I feel about you. I felt that about you from the first prank we pulled on Dwight. Baby, I promise I'm always going to love you and cherish you and support you and be everything I can be for you. I love you so much," She had tears streaming down her face, and Jim let go of her hands to wipe her tears.
"You are everything just by being you. You hold a whole universe in five feet and five inches, Pam." Jim kissed Pam swiftly before slowly dipping her. When the two broke apart, Jim grinned devilishly at her.
"After we get off this boat, wanna go to Chili's?"