Chapter Twenty-Eight: Sunday Afternoon
Jim arrived at his parent's house a little late after finding himself talking half the morning away with Mark and then spending the rest of his time texting Pam. He let himself in and found his mother in the kitchen.
"You are late mister." She scolded with a vegetable peeler opposed to a wagging finger.
"Sorry mom." He kissed her on the cheek but she still looked annoyed. "How's dad?" He dad was still in plaster from his accident and he was far from an easy patient.
"Driving me crazy." She gestured to the window that overlooked the garden. Spread out on the lawn were various wood panels, windows and planks of wood. "He's bought a new potting shed."
"What was wrong with the old one?" Jim sighed and already felt a headache coming on, he wasn't looking forward to an afternoon of taking orders from his dad when he could be spending it with Pam. At least he could put together Ikea stuff without looking like someone who'd never held a screw driver before.
"Apparently it was too drafty for his tomatoes, I don't know, he got bored one afternoon, I swear I'll send him back to work at the rate he's going." His mom cut up potatoes with aggression Jim had seen before when it was directed at his father. His dad always needed a project and it was rarely small and always involved building something. His mother used to complain that he'd never redecorate but he was always happy to knock down and rebuild a wall.
Jim's back still ached from yesterday. "Are Pete or Tom coming over?"
"Sorry darling, it's just you and your dad." She had cooled off a bit now she'd vented. "How was your week?"
"Pretty great. Actually, I have some-" Jim was ready to tell his mom about Pam when his dad walked in.
"How long have you been here?" He questioned while opening and closing drawers and cabinets as noisily as he could. Jim could feel the tension emanating from his mom once again as he disrupted her kitchen.
"What are you looking for?" His mom hissed, gripping the peeler so tight her knuckles were white. Jim stayed out of their way, much like when he was a child. These spats rarely amounted to much; his dad had a way of charming his mom just as she was really going to lose it.
"I need scissors."
"In the knife block. You could have asked me."
"But where's the fun in that?" She flashed a grin and Jim watched as his mom smiled back like she was under a spell. Watch and learn, Jim thought to himself. "Come on boy, time to get your hands dirty."
"Actually, before we start I have some news." Both of his parents were still and completely focused on him, it was slightly unnerving. Jim cleared his throat. "Remember Pam, the receptionist from work?"
"Of course dear, is she ok?" His mother sounded concerned but her mind always went to the worst case scenario.
"She's fine, mom. We're dating." He beamed; it was so good to finally say but...
Silence.
He wasn't expecting this.
"Yeah, um, well you know we've been friend for ages so we're taking it seriously, I mean, I wouldn't be telling you guys if I weren't." The nervous laughter that followed spurred his mother to speak.
"This is wonderful news, isn't it Gerry?" His mom smiled but it was forced.
"Yes, wonderful. I better get back outside, I'll see you out there Jim." Jim was expecting jubilant hugs and demanding to invite Pam to dinner, not a brush off from his dad and a worried, motherly look from his mom.
"I thought you'd be happier."
"We are, but didn't she just break off a long engagement?"
"That was over a month ago. She's ready for this, it was her choice."
"Fair enough, darling, we are happy for you, the way you talk about that girl we thought you two might get together eventually." She still sounded dismissive, Jim couldn't understand it, he'd seen his mom fawn over his other brothers any time they'd even mentioned a girl. Granted, he hadn't told them about anyone he's dated since college but there hasn't been anyone special. Not like Pam.
"It's serious mom, it's not a rebound thing or some fling." He sounded terse at the least.
"I'm your mother; it's my job to worry about you." She returned to chopping vegetables.
Jim couldn't say the first words that popped into his head, he'd regret them immediately.
"I better go help dad before he breaks another limb." He kept his words purposefully clipped.
"Ok darling, I'll be out with cold drinks a little later." She didn't meet his eyes and kept her eyes on preparing the Sunday roast.
Jim left without another word in a furious mood.
"About time." Said his dad teasingly but Jim wasn't in the mood to take it.
"What is yours and mom's problem?"
His dad sighed. "I'm happy for you boy, I am, I expected it after you told us she left that Roy person." He moved some bags of screws and washers around with his good hand. "I even thought that maybe you were dating before all of that business."
"Come on dad, you know me better than that." Jim knew he wouldn't have had an affair with Pam but it probably wasn't for the moral reason it looked like, he just wouldn't have been able to share her with someone else. That's a moot point though and he shook it from his mind.
"But I also know how smitten you are, I didn't miss how concerned Mark looked when you'd talk about her sometimes, he never said anything though."
"You and mom are blowing things out of proportion, seriously, I like her, she likes me too and now she's moved into her new place she feels ready to date. It's simple, I'm happy." He purposefully left out mentions of love; he honestly didn't feel like they deserved to know even if his dad was being straighter with him than his mom was.
"Maybe we are and I'm glad you're happy son, that's all we really want. You're a grown man but we'll always be your parents. I'm looking forward to meeting her at last, when you're ready of course; don't let your mom push you."
"Well I don't think she cares to meet her right now." He said all too bitterly.
"Problem is she cares too much, you'll always be the baby of the family." His dad pulled up a chair while Jim brooded, there wasn't much point in arguing, he'd only end up sounding like a teenager which wouldn't help his cause. "Right, you're going to need base A and panel 1A to start, look alive, boy."
After two hours of solid building and cursing under his breath they had half the structure up minus the roof. Jim's mom brought out a cold drink which Jim downed in one. He didn't fancy hanging around with his mom, he was still irked at their earlier conversation and really didn't want to make it worse. With his brothers living too far away to call upon it was Jim that was picking up the slack due to his dad's injury, even if his dad had a habit of creating work for him, he couldn't risk his mom not calling if he was needed. She was proud and stubborn in equal parts.
His dad was keeping his mom busy showing her what they'd done so far so Jim snuck inside and hid in the bathroom to call Pam.
"Hey." She answered, one simple word calming and relaxing him. "Give me a second, my parents are here and I don't want my mom eavesdropping." Jim could hear her mom jokingly protest and laugh. "Ok, I'm in my bedroom."
"Say sane things to me." He closed his eyes and rested his head against the door.
"E equals MC squared, the sky is blue, the grass is green and Jim Halpert is hot." She said in faux seriousness.
Jim sighed contentedly. "Thanks, I needed that."
"Rough time at your folks?"
"Little bit." He wasn't sure if he should tell her about the reaction he got but he felt like keeping a secret was worse. Either way, it was more about what his parents thought about him than her. "I told my folks about you."
"Oh god, did it not go well?" She sounded more than a little worried.
"I don't know, I think I was expecting something different, I thought they would be happy and excited."
"What happened?"
"I told them that we were dating and they were both silent and my mom always has something to say, especially about her boys and the girls they choose."
"Oh god, they hate me already?"
"No, no, no" he corrected quickly. "No one could hate you, I think it's me. Dad seems to think we've been dating a while, like before you and Roy split which shows how much he thinks about me and mom thinks I'm naive getting involved with someone fresh out of a long-term relationship. It's probably my own fault; I've not given them much to go on so they've assumed I'm hiding something and filled in the gaps."
"You gonna talk to them?"
"Yeah, I'm still pissed at my mom, but at least my dad was up front with me and accepted my side. Believe me, when they finally meet you, they are going to love you, I promise you. Don't doubt that. You are too wonderful for them not to love you."
"Well my parents are big fans of you already, I just told them a little while ago."
"So they support you?"
"A hundred percent. They've seen how much happier I am and even Roy is doing better, he's getting his own place soon, my mom and his mom still talk. At least one of us has it good. Are you going to be ok?"
"I am now I've spoken to you. My dad's making me build a potting shed."
"On your own?"
"Well he's instructing me so yes, on my own." He said flatly.
"Oh man." She giggled at his predicament. "Well, you're welcome to come here tonight, if you want, dad brought over a spare DVD player and I have about three DVDs left after Pen and Is took theirs back."
"Hmm, which three?"
"Fargo is one of them."
"So you're not admitting to the other two?"
"You'll have to come over and see them; I'll be here alone from about eight."
"If I can move by then. My back is killing me." He grunted and groaned as he stretched out his knotted back. "Hell, even if I can't move I'll be there, all it'll take is a wheel barrow and bribing Mark with imported beer and cheese."
"Cheese?"
"What that man will do for French cheeses and crackers doesn't bare thinking about."
"I'll leave that to my imagination."
"I've been gone a while, I better go before my mom comes looking and tries to talk to me again."
"Ok, call me if you need another sanity infusion."
"I will, I love you."
"Love you too."
Jim regretfully hung up his cell, he didn't really want to stop talking and he had so much more on his mind about the way his parents were behaving.
So once again a slightly different chapter building on Jim and Pam's relationship. We'll find out more about Jim's parents and his relationship with them when Jim gets some alone time with Pam tonight.
