They're silent all the way home, while she takes her shower, while he takes his and she brushes her teeth. They're silent while he sets the alarm, while she picks out her outfit for the next day.

They're silent while he kisses her good night and turns off the light.

They're silent for at least ten minutes after until finally, "So what are you going to do about Pam?"

He's pretty sure he's groaning in his head but out loud he just says, "I don't know."

"Well what are you going to say to her? After that outburst you can't just…"

"Ignore it. I actually think ignoring it is the best thing to do."

"Jim…"

"Karen, its late, can't we just….leave it alone for tonight."

He heard her sigh, and then she was silent for so long that he thought she might have actually fallen asleep.

Just as he was closing his eyes he heard her move and then the bedside lamp went on.

"Karen…" he started.

"Jim, please don't ask me to leave it alone. We've left it alone for months now and…..we just celebrated our six month anniversary and I still spend half my time wondering if you're in love with someone else."

"Karen, I love being with you."

"You love i being /i with me, but do you love me Jim? And don't," she kept talking when he started to interrupt, "Don't just say yes, or that you're crazy about me, or that I make you happy. I know all of that Jim and I know you mean it, but….listen I don't need you to promise me forever right now or any of that. I just need to know….do you ever think you're going to look at me the way you look at Pam?"

He opened his mouth to say yes, to say of course, to say he loved her, that he was over Pam completely. But then his eyes met hers and the words dried up on his tongue.

And then he managed to get it out, "Yes, I….yeah."

But his hesitation said much more than his words.

She just nodded, "Right." She turned over and shut the light.

He lay awake most of the night staring at the blackness. The next day Karen took the afternoon off and by the time he got home all of her stuff was gone.

He felt about as crappy as he ever had, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved to.

Because in hi heart he knew Karen deserved a lot better that someone who had to hesitate before he said he loved her.