Pam got out of bed and jumped in the shower. She let the water rush over, warm and comforting. After she felt fresh and clean she dried off and dressed in a loose sundress to cover the baby bump. She gently tugged out all the tangles and knots from her damp hair and clipped it back. Today was a new day. The pregnancy was out in the open, they were going to put it up for adoption, their parents were supporting – considering the situation, Pam was pretty happy. She and Jim were going to interview adoption couples today. She studied herself in the mirror, hands automatically resting on her growing stomach. It was still so surreal that she was carrying an actual human being. A little baby. She headed downstairs to the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee. Just as she sat down with a steaming mug, a hand reached over and took it away from her.

"Mom, I was going to drink that." She said, confused. Her mother raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Pam, you're pregnant. You can't drink coffee! It's unhealthy for the baby."

"Oh." Mrs Beesly replaced the mug of coffee with a tall glass of milk. Pam smiled.

"I used to like milk," she teased. "Then I turned six."

"Drink the milk, honey. It'll make your baby strong."

"Thanks, mom." Pam said, secretly touched. She drank the milk obediently. Her mother went upstairs to dress for the day and Pam opened to fridge, suddenly craving pickles and peanut butter. She pulled out the jar of pickles and almost gagged as a smell hit her. She instantly felt nauseated. There was something off in the the fridge. She put the pickles on the bench and began to investigate. She expected something to be off but everything seemed to fine. But she could not stand that smell, it had to be something. She had to stop it.

When Mrs Beesly came downstairs she found her daughter on her knees, wearing a scarf around her nose and mouth, scrubbing pots and pans furiously.

"What on...Pam, what are you doing?" She almost laughed. Pam looked up.

"Oh, God, mom, can't you smell that? It's awful!" She scrubbed harder at the frying pan she was holding. "Can you open the windows?" Mrs Beesly did laugh now. She gently took the frying pan from her daughter.

"Pam, you're pregnant. Your food tastes and smells different." Pam nodded. She remembered reading that in the baby book Alexa had given her.

"But I can't stand it. What is it?" Her mother thought for a moment and then smiled.

"You know what? I think I know. She walked over to the fridge and rooted around for a minute.

"Aha!" She emerged with a couple of tomatoes. Pam reeled back as the terrible scent hit her stronger then ever.

"Ew!" She cried. "Oh, yuck." Mrs Beesly laughed.

"I was the same with tomatoes when I was pregnant with you. I couldn't stand them!" Pam laughed with her. Mrs Beesly replaced the tomatoes and promised to throw them out before Pam was home from the adoption interviews.

Jim knocked on his mother's door, taking a deep breath.

"Come on in." Her voice rang out. He gently pushed the door open and walked in. His father had already gone to work.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked his mother nervously.

"Of course." She pulled on her shoes and took off her glasses, studying Jim. "What about?"

"Pam wants to give the baby up for adoption." He confided, not wanting to beat around the bush.

"And you agree with this?"

"No. I mean, maybe. I don't know. I did but then we saw the baby's heartbeat and I just..." His mother nodded knowingly.

"I understand. It was a very touching thing to see, its natural that you feel this way."

"Well, I think even if we don't give the baby up for adoption we may as well keep our options open. I really don't want to give this baby up but just in case...do you know any adoption agencies?"

"Dr. Masen can provide you with agencies or your school guidance counselor." Mrs Halpert pointed out. She rubbed her neck with her thumb.

"I don't want any old agency." Jim said firmly. "I want the best agency there is for this baby." Mrs Halpert raised her eyebrows.

"I do know one very recommended agency, actually. My co worker, Alice, adopted from there last year and I went along with her a few times. They really are wonderful." She fumbled around with a jumble of business cards on her desk and finally produced one and held it out to Jim. He took it like it might explode.

"Thank you. I'm going over to Pam's house to have the adoption interviews with the agency she picked out."

"Okay. Have a good day." She kissed his cheek softly and he walked away.

Jim sat in the living room with Pam, waiting for the first couple to arrive. They'd set up a table with a notepad and pens that looked very efficient. But Jim and Pam sat tensely and silently, still shaky from their fight.

"I've arranged some more interviews for next Monday afternoon. I can make some more if necessary." Pam finally broke the ice.

"Good. But that's unnecessary; I already know what agency we should call." He pulled out the business card and showed it to Pam, who took it with interest. "If you are absolutely positive that you want to, and can, do this, we can call and schedule an appointment." Pam bit her lip and looked from the card to Jim to her stomach.

"Make the call." She whispered, releasing her lip and sighing heavily. "And please, will you get me some aspirin from the top shelf of the cabinet?"

"No." Jim answered immediately. "You shouldn't take aspirin."

"Why not? I have a headache." Pam said, narrowing her eyes.

"It can cause problems in your pregnancy." He insisted. "I don't know if that's true early on, but you should ask your doctor first." Pam's eyes widened a little and her mouth dropped.

"How did you know that?" She asked, resting her hands on her stomach. Without thinking, he placed my hands over hers.

"I read it. In that pregnancy book."

"Wow..." Pam said, amazed. "My mother told me I couldn't have coffee this morning." Jim nodded.

"That's bad for the baby too," he said, forgetting that they were fighting.

"Aw. Poor baby. I'll take good care of you from now on." Pam cooed to her stomach. Jim gently slid his hands off hers.

"Do you want to...talk to it?" She offered. "I heard it's good, that it can, you know, hear you or something."

"No."He muttered after hesitating. "Not yet." Not ever, he thought to himself. It was already hard enough to even consider giving up this baby and he couldn't let himself get any closer to it. 15 minutes later, the first couple arrived. Nicholas and Lara Jenkins. Pam began asking them questions and discussing the situation but Jim sat silently, studying them. He tried to imagine them raising his child. It didn't fit. Nothing did. It all seemed wrong, fake, set up. After what seemed like eternity, Pam thanked the couple and showed them out.

"Thanks for all your help." She said sarcastically to Jim. She rolled her eyes. He shrugged.

"I didn't like them. They seemed aggressive." He said.

"Oh, they did not. They were perfectly lovely. You're just being difficult." She tossed her head and sat down again.

"Okay, the next couple," she said as the doorbell rang. "Is Peter and Victoria Harcan." The interviews went on. Pam liked Peter and Victoria but they were in their mid-50's and Pam didn't want someone that age raising a teenager. So she denied their application. The next couple was David and Charlotte DeGraff. They also seemed nice but very nervous and shaky. Jim crossed them off the list, thinking they were too nervous to raise a baby.

"We're never going to find a suitable couple." Pam groaned after another three interviews, all disastrous. "Especially with you just sitting there like a mute." She added.

"I told you how I felt about this. You should just be happy I showed up." He said. Pam rolled her eyes.

"Now I really wish I could have some aspirin." She muttered under her breath.

Pam and Alexa sat on her bedroom floor later that day.

"Was everyone talking about me today at school?" Pam asked.

"...Maybe." Alexa stared at her fingernails. Pam groaned.

"This is so unfair, you know that right? I have sex one time and hey, I'm pregnant!"

"C'mon, things are going pretty good aren't they?" Alexa asked.

"There were going well. But none of the adoption applications worked out and Jim was being so difficult today."

"Well he doesn't want to give the baby up."

"I know."

"So you can't expect him to be ecstatic about this, can you?"

"I know, but he has to start trying. I mean, adoption really is the best choice and whether we choose to or not, we still need to give it a chance."

"Maybe you talk to him about this again." Pam shook her head.

"I don't think I can handle another fight right now. I'm completely exhausted and I have heartburn like hell." They were silent for a minute, lost in thought.

"I have some news!" Alexa said brightly. "Daniel asked me out for this Saturday night."

"Daniel?" Pam frowned, trying to remember. Alexa stared at her.

"Daniel." She repeated. "Daniel Goldsworth? Fell madly in love with him last year?"

"Ohh, Daniel!" Pam smiled, remembering the boy her friend had dated for almost 6 months. "Of course! He was cute."

"He's so sweet." Alexa said happily.

"But you guys broke up."

"Yeah, because his parents wanted him to concentrate on school. But now they've totally loosened up."

"Well, that's sweet." Pam said.

"Yeah. He's a good guy."

"Well, I hope you guys have fun. Where are you going?"

"To dinner and then the movies."

"Classic. Love it." Pam smiled. Somehow hearing that had cheered her up.

The next morning Pam woke up late and had to get a lift to school. She dressed hurriedly in a blue dress and tights and got a lift to school from her dad.

"Hey, honey." He said as she got in the car.

"Yeah?"

"I found this in the trash this morning." He held up her crumpled art school acceptance letter.

"Oh..." her smile faded. "Yeah. I decided not to go obviously. Not like this." Her father looked at her seriously.

"Why?"

"Because I...I'm pregnant dad." She laughed. "You can't seriously expect me to go to two schools. Double gossip, double trouble?"

"Pamela Morgan Beesly." Pam raised her eyebrows.

"Are you a Beesly?"'
"Da-ad..."

"Are you a Beesly?"

"Yes."

"And is this the best situation we've ever been in?"

"No."

"But is it the worst?"

"No." She admitted.

"Then we can do this. You can do this Pam. This is a huge oppurtunity for you and you can't give it up." Her father said. "You're a Beesly, Pam. Beeslys don't give up." She smiled and blinked away a tear.
"Then...I guess I'm going to art school!"