Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter! Thank you so much for all your reviews last chapter, you guys are so sweet. :) Thank you to all my guest reviewers, sorry I can't reply to you because that's how it's set up but thank you all the same! PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you think of this chapter! God Bless.

-Vegter999

Authors note: Any non-English words in this chapter will be in Norwegian.

Chapter 5

Erik's POV:

When Ruth and I arrived back at the barn she quickly unsaddled Sarie and hooked the cross ties to his halter in order to keep him still while he was groomed.

"Erik would you mind grooming him and putting him back in his stall and throwing a blanket on him. I'm sure Naomi needs to get home now so I should probably go and say good-bye and then watch the kids."

"Sure I don't mind."

"Thank you" she gave me a kiss and headed out of the barn. I stared after her for a moment until all of a sudden I felt Sarie's head butt against me.

"Hey! What was that for!" I giggled playfully.

Sarie snorted and stomped his foot.

"Oh you wanted a kiss from her too is that it?"

Sarie nickered.

"What it's not like I'm blaming you. Her kisses are great."

I quickly rubbed him down and placed him back in his stall, throwing a blanket over him and leaving some extra hay for him to soothe his ruffled feelings.

I made my way out of the barn, closing the door securely behind me, and into the winter air, which had now turned increasingly frigid as the sun had now sunk below the horizon.

I noticed Naomi getting into her car.

"Good night Naomi!" I called, waving to her.

She turned and waved back.

"Good night Erik."

Naomi then got into her car and drove away.

I watched her leave until she was out of sight and then made my way into the house, stamping my boots against the floor several times to rid them of any remaining snow and slipped my coat off, hanging it in the closet by the door.

I made my way into the living room to find all four of the kids currently enraptured by the movie Sing. Ruth was sitting on the couch with them, Annalise in her lap.

I grabbed the remote off the table and switched the TV off.

"Ok bed time" I turned to them.

"Awww come on Pappa five more minutes" Jakob begged.

"Nope."

"Two more minutes..."

"I said no Jakob" I replied, gently yet firmly. "Now all of you change into your bedclothes and get in bed. Mamma and I will be up there to say goodnight soon."

Reluctantly, they all obeyed and scurried upstairs.

I placed the remote back down on the table and sighed, running a hand through my hair. What a day it had been. Why did Magnus have to come back into my life? After all he'd put Torsten and I through...

I felt my fist clench at my side and rubbed my eyes.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and glanced over into the worried yet understanding gaze of Ruth.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah" I said softly.

She gazed at me thoughtfully for a moment.

"Would you mind tucking the kids in tonight? I have to take care of something in our room. It will help you."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion at her.

"Trust me you'll like it" she laughed warmly upon seeing my expression.

She gave me a kiss and headed upstairs.
I shook my head in amusement at her secretiveness and rubbed my forehead before making my way upstairs to the girls room.

I knocked on the door.

"Girls, it's Pappa can I come in?"

A chorus of yes resounded from inside the room and I opened the door.

The girls were each settled into bed in their nightclothes.

"Alright good night my beautiful ones" I said, giving first Maryam and then Katarina a kiss on the forehead.

As I made my way over to Annalise and bestowed her with a Fatherly kiss and tucked the covers over her she spoke up.

"Pappa?"

"Yes mitt barn (my child)?"

"Vil gud vakte over meg i løpet av natten?" (Will god watch over me during the night?)

I smiled.

"Yes of course he will. He watches over you all the time." I tapped her nose with my finger playfully which made her giggle.

"Good night my love" I whispered.

"Good night Pappa" she said.

I got up and left the room, closing the door behind me.

I then made my way down the hall to Jakob's room.

The door to his room was open and I couldn't help but grin as I spied him on his knees on the side of his bed praying in his baseball-covered nightclothes.

When he was finished he crossed himself and got in bed.

I knocked on the open door with my knuckles.

"You ready for bed Jakob?"

"Yep" he chirped.

I grinned and came to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I saw you praying. What were you praying for?"

He looked down for a moment.

"Well, I know one of the kids from the neighborhood and I've been wanting to invite him to come to church with us but, I keep chickening out. So I decided to pray about it and ask God for help."

I beamed proudly at him.

"I'm so glad you decided to pray about it. Prayer is one of the most important things we can do."

"I still feel scared though. I feel like such a wimp."

"Hey" I gently raised his chin so he would look me in the eye "Everyone gets scared. That's nothing to be ashamed of. What matters is you don't let that fear stop you. You know what that's called?"

He shook his head.

"Courage."
"Well how do I get that?"

I grinned.

"I'll tell you how. You just ask him and then you won't be afraid anymore because you'll actually be doing it. You face it head on."

Jakob slowly nodded as his brain gradually processed this new bit of information.

"Ok I'll do it" he said, determinedly.

"That's my boy" I said proudly.

"Come here" I held my arms open and Jakob moved into my embrace.

I kissed him on the head and whispered "I love you."

"I love you too Pappa."

When we released each other I said "Now time to go to sleep."

He settled back against his pillow as I tucked the sheets around him.

"Goodnight my little warrior" I said, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before turning out the light and exiting the room, closing the door softly behind me.

I yawned and finally made my way to Ruth and I's bedroom.

I opened the door and stopped dead in my tracks.

Around the room lay various candles. They emitted scents ranging from lavender to jasmine and something else I couldn't quite place. I couldn't help but relax and allow the tension to go out of my shoulders as I inhaled the wonderful aromas.

"I take it you approve" Ruth sat on the bed, grinning warmly at me.

"Very much so" I said.

"Come here" she said, holding out her hand.

I obediently padded over and took her hand, sitting down on the bed myself.

"I figured you deserved something to help relax you after today."

"It was desperately needed thank you."

"So what took you so long by the way? Did the kids just not want to go to sleep?"

"No. It was just Jakob and I ended up having a talk. He's been afraid to ask this kid in the neighborhood to come to church and he was even praying about it."

"That's great!"

"I told him the same thing. Yet he was ashamed because he felt afraid, but I told him about courage and how to help overcome that fear. After that he seemed more determined to do it."

"That is wonderful Erik."

I grinned.

"Know what else is wonderful?"

"What?"

"You."
She blushed and looked down.

"I mean it you know" I said softly, tilting her face up to look at me.

"You are a wonderful wife and mother and I couldn't be happier that the Lord brought you into my life."

I gazed at her seriously.

"I don't ever wanna lose you Ruth. It would kill me."

"Erik I'm here. I will always be here until the Lord calls my name."

I kissed her and lay my head in her lap. She softly stroked my hair.

"I'm here. I will always be here" she soothed.

Between her soft caresses and her soothing voice I began to have trouble keeping my eyes open.

I didn't realize I had nodded off until Ruth shook me.

"Erik we should get to my bed my love."

I only yawned and nodded, sitting up and getting changed into my nightclothes while Ruth did the same.

She snuggled under the blankets as I turned off the light and I could feel her cuddle closer to me in the dark.

I placed my arm around her and pulled her to my chest, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"Good night my love" I whispered, before sleep quickly claimed me.

Hey guys I hope I did this chapter alright. Please REVIEW and let me know what you think. God Bless.