Last Night (Jessica's PoV)

As Jessica sang "Annie's Song" by John Denver (her favorite song), she could sense Ivan's presence behind her, but was too absorbed in her work to pay him any mind. She knew they were comfortable enough around each other to not have to give each other constant attention.

Just as she reached the end of the song, she heard Ivan scurry off.

'Wonder what's gotten into him...,' she thought.

Suddenly, her phone started to ring. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Tatianna.

'Maybe my parents are making progress,' she hoped.

"Hey Tatianna! How are mom and dad?"

"Jessica, I have an update for you, but it's not a good one, I'm sad to say. Apparently your mom stopped taking her anti-seizure medication and went into cardiac arrest in her sleep and passed away. Shortly after, your dad stopped taking his anti-rejection meds for his heart transplant and he's also gone. Your mom passed a few days ago but I didn't want to tell you so close to Christmas. Once your dad went though, I thought you should be informed. I'm terribly sorry. If there's anythi-"

Jessica dropped the phone in shock. She couldn't believe it. How could her parents so selfishly just leave her to fend for herself and take their leave so easily? Was she really that bad of a daughter that she wasn't worthy of them keeping themselves alive? Her mind was racing with questions.

Suddenly she heard footsteps and knew it was Ivan. She turned to face him, her eyes bloodshot and her skin marred with thick streams of tears.

"Jess? Jess, what's wrong?"

She was almost frozen to the spot as she tried to get out words. Giving up on explaining, she ran to him, clinging onto him for dear life as sobs wracked through her.

"I- I just got a call from Tatianna. Sh-she said my parents are both dead!", she choked out.

"I'm so sorry, Jess. Do they know what happened?"

"She said that my mom passed in her sleep and my dad couldn't deal with it so he skipped his medications and he just... Let himself die," she sobbed.

She felt safe and cared for in his arms. She felt his large hand go to her temple and he stroked the back of head. She let out a shiver; she felt cold.

"Why don't you go to the library and I'll light us a fire?," he suggested.

"Okay," she said.

They made their way to the library in silence, aside from the occasional sniffle from Jessica.

She snuck a few sideways glances at Ivan as they walked. She loved that he was so much taller than her; so masculine, and an air of protection about him.

They came to the double doors; Ivan went off to get an armload of wood, and Jessica turned the doorknobs. When she stepped foot into the room, it was cold and dark. Empty feeling.

Ivan soon returned and set to lighting up the fireplace. She sat on the blue loveseat in front of the fireplace with her knees up to her chest. Ivan threw a match on to the wood and turned to her. He took a seat beside her.

She stayed on her side, but she randomly had an urge to be close to him... Against him even. She scooted up next to him and laid her head on his chest, emotionally exhausted. She felt him slide his arm around her shoulders. She stared up at him.

'So... beautiful,' she thought as sleep overtook her. She barely caught him staring back at her, but he had a look of admiration on his face.

Jessica awoke the next morning in the library. She squirmed slightly and realized she wasn't alone; Ivan was asleep upright with his arm still around her. And she was cuddled up next to him, comfy as could be... He stayed with her all through the night!

'But... why would he do that?,' she asked herself.

'Probably out of pity... Why else?'

Ivan began to stir and she snapped her eyes shut again to pretend she was asleep. She reopened her eyes a few moments later to give the appearance she hadn't been watching him while he slept.

'God, I'm such a creep,' she chastised herself.

"Good morning, Ivan," she said with a smile.

He gave her a sleepy-eyed smile, and she couldn't think of a more lovely sight to wake up to.

'Dear lord, Jessica, get yourself together!'

"Good morning, Jess. How did you sleep?"

"Well enough. You're quite comfy," she said with a soft laugh.

Ivan gave her a fractional smirk.

"Really though, I appreciate you staying with me. You didn't have to, but...," she trailed off, the sad feeling returning.

"Of course I had to! I couldn't just leave you after getting a bomb like that dropped on you. What else are friends for?"

She was a little disappointed. That word... "Friends".

'No, I can't think that way. He's my caretaker, not my boyfriend.'

"Right, what else?"

"Now that you're awake, how about some coffee?," he asked.

"Strong coffee would be great."

They made their way to the kitchen. Halfway there her phone rang. It was Tatianna again.

'Ugh, please not now,' she mentally complained.

"Hello, Tatianna."

"Hello, Jessica. How are you?"

"As good as can be expected. To what do I owe the pleasure?," she snapped.

"I hate to ask this after you just finding out about what happened, but what would you be up to doing funeral arrangements? As their next of kin, the responsibility unfortunately falls to you."

"Um... I don't think they would want anything big. And I already know none of the other family will attend, so maybe we just do a cremation and I can have their ashes?"

"That's doable. What day should we expect you?"

"As soon as possible. How about Friday, in two days?"

"I'll come get you."

"Okay, see you then."

"Goodbye."

She hung up her phone and laid it on the counter next to a mug Ivan had placed by her.

"I'll be leaving for a few days on Friday. They just need me to make funeral arrangements and all that."

"Would you like me to come with you?"

'Yes. Yes I would.'

"I appreciate the offer, but who would look after Gunnar and Khalid?"

'She has a point,' he thought to himself.

"True. Would you at least like me to help you pack?"

"No, it's quite alright. I would like to just have a little time to myself to process everything."

"Of course. If you need anything, just holler."

"I will. And... Thank you, Ivan... For last night," she said with a shy smile.

He smiled back, then left.

'This won't be easy. Not only do I have to tend to my parent's affairs, but I have to be away from my new friends. And Ivan.'

She went up to her room and started putting a few pairs of pants and some shirts in a small suitcase. Close to two hours went by before she was done; she simoly didn't have the energy. She's not the type to be overly emotional; why was it happening now? Her parents were no longer in pain and they found peace, she had a new group of friends, and she had a friend crush that she was fairly certain was now a mild infatuation; life honestly wasn't that bad.

Friday

"Bye, Jess. We'll all be here waiting for you when you come back," Ivan told her, giving her a small hug.

"I'll be back Monday. So I'll see you all then," she said and got in Tatianna's car.

The ride to Copenhagen was silent until they reached her parent's house.

"Would you like help doing inventory, or do you want to sell everything?"

"There's a few specific things I'd like to keep; my dad's paintings and my mom's jewelry. Other than that, everything can go with the house when it sells."

"Okay, that will simplify things. And you said cremation, correct?"

"Yes, and I would like to scatter them in a place of my choosing when I feel the time is right."

"Okay. Do you want to stay here or do you want a hotel?"

"I'll stay here. I'd like to take one last look around before I let it go."

"I understand. But I have to wonder why you want to sell rather than keep it or keep renting it... It could easily be paid off by the life insurance they left you..."

"I have my reasons. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to sleep before I have to pick up their ashes in the morning."

"Of course. Goodnight, Jessica."

"Goodnight."

Jessica retreated back to her old room, which she hadn't seen in a year. Her bookshelves were completely empty of her books and trinkets. It was no longer the hermit cave she once made it into.

She changed into a pair of pajamas and sat on the bed, looking around the room. Each corner of the room held a memory.

The wall with her writing desk, where she was writing a letter to one of her cousins she considered herself close to; only to get a reply that she was beneath said cousin's station. Brought on by their parents, no doubt. Her parents assured her that she had done nothing wrong and that she was a kind and loving person.

The corner where her TV used to be brought back the memory of when she watched a sad movie and her mom came in and slept with her through the night to comfort her.

And her bookshelves. Those in themselves held one of her favorite moments she had with her dad; when he was trying to teach her to read, and when she made out a sentence he was so proud that he gathered her plushies in a group and said they enjoyed her reading so much they wanted to be read to.

With her mind replaying all of those times she got to spend with her parents, she laid down and fell asleep.

~~~

"But I don't understand... How did this happen?!," Jessica yelled as the house was swarmed with cops and family services.

"They apparently met up with an old crowd they knew, and it went from there. Your parents were given hard drugs and they overdosed."

"But they went to an art gallery and had dinner; when could they possibly-"

"More than likely after they left the art exhibit. The people they met up with said they ran into them on the street and offered for them to come to an after party the artist was throwing. You know how those parties can go... They can turn into drug cesspools fairly quickly."

"So, that's it then? It took that little bit of temptation for them to be so careless!?"

"I know things look bad, miss, but at least they're alive. Unstable, but living."

~~~

Jessica woke up to a ray of sun shining directly in her eyes.

"Todays the day. I say goodbye to them forever," she lamented.

She got dressed in a black dress and hat and Tatiana picked her up in front of the house. She noticed that Jessica had her bags packed to leave already.

"I can't stay here... I just want to go back as soon as we get up the ashes."

'Or, to be honest, I need Ivan. I need him to lean on.'

"Understandable," said Tatianna.

They came upon the coroner's office sooner than she would have liked. She went ti reception and signed the release forms to claim their bodies. She waited in the waiting room for the cremation to be finished. They were brought to her in two black velvet bags that were placed in a box. She said a quick thank you and raced back out to the car.

"All done?"

"All done. I would like to not talk on the way back to the church if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

The hour car ride was silent the whole way. Once Jessica saw the dirt road leading up to the church she began to get antsy.

When the church came into view she felt her heart beat rapidly. She quickly opened the passenger door and hopped out.

When she saw Ivan at his desk through the window she got a warm feeling in her chest. When he waved to her with a pleasantly surprised look, her heart skipped a beat.

At that moment, her emotions struck her like a bolt of lightning, and there was no mistaking them. She was in love with Ivan.