Two days later

Jessica decided to come to the church, despite her instincts. Make no mistake though, she only came for Poul's funeral. She knew it would be a sad turn out and wanted to see him off.

"Poul Bækel Hermann…," Ivan began, "known to friend and foe as Poul Nordkap… lived a long and full life. In his life Poul learned that to know God you must dance with the Devil. If any, Poul Nordkap surely did that. Poul learned that it's futile to fight good because… despite all the cruelty, screaming and tears… he had caused in his youth… he realized in the end that it was just a mere moment. The ocean heaved but it was a wasted effort. The world continued and good prevailed as always. That's why Poul can return to God with peace of mind. Adam and I were by his side when he passed quietly away."

All eyes turned to Adam who had a bored look on his face, like he wanted to be anywhere but there.

"His last words were: "I'm not afraid. I'm ready." But this is not all about Poul… because today Christoffer turns nine. Before we gorge ourselves on cake… let's honor Poul with a hymn. Kaj Munk's number six hundred and thirty-four. "You know my heart"."

Ivan reached down to where the radio was in Christoffer's wheelchair and turned on the accompanying instrumental for the song. Ivan, Jessica, and Gunnar began to sing while the others merely stared at Poul's coffin.

After Poul's funeral and a round of cake slices being passed around a silent kitchen, everyone began to clean up. Everyone except for Adam, of course.

"There you are. I thought you had gone to bed," Ivan addressed Adam.

"I'd like to talk to you."

"Can't it wait? It has been a long day for Christoffer with all this attention."

"I'd like to talk to you now."

"Okay then."

"Go into dad's office and cuddle up under a blanket," Ivan said to Christoffer.

Jessica began to wheel him through the door. She turned and looked at Ivan over her shoulder, giving him a 'be-assertive" look.

She wheeled Christoffer up to Ivan's office, placing him in front of the heater with a light blanket.

"There, now. Got you all cozied up next to the heater. You should be snug as a bug in a rug," she said, reaching over to pat his hand.

After situating Christoffer, Jessica made her way back to the auditorium. She stopped abruptly when she heard Adam talking to Ivan.

"What if the Devil isn't testing you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if it isn't him who's been dogging you?"

"I see. You're reaching again. If not the Devil then who? A little elf? Maybe all the birds, the cooker and the worms are just a coincidence? Is that what you're telling people?"

"God."

"Pardon?"

"God."

"I don't understand."

"What if God is on your case?"

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he hates you. I've read this book. Book of Job."

"You've read it, right?"

"No. It's about a crocodile. That's what I've heard."

"Yes, it's about a crocodile. But it's also about much more. Remember God killed Job's cattle? His seven camels and his ten kids? He takes everything away from him and makes him a leper. Does that remind you of anything? Look at me. Look at me, Ivan! You know that God is behind this, right? God is not on your side, Ivan."

"Yes, he is."

Jessica ran to Ivan's side, sitting beside him.

"You really can't leave well enough can you? You literally live to inflict hurt and pain and you have no remorse for it. How do you live with yourself?," Jessica ranted.

"I don't believe any of this shit. I just want you to know that it's God. The Devil hasn't wasted any time on you. God wants to kill you. You're just so dense that you don't get it."

"Why are you doing this to me?," Ivan asked, his voice starting to weaken.

Jessica put her hand on Ivan's arm, giving it a light squeeze, but he didn't seem to notice. Ivan began bleeding from his ear again.

"Because I'm evil. You can't change that."

Jessica began to panic.

'You can kill him by making him understand?'

Jessica went into panic mode. Ivan suddenly looked very light headed, then crashed to the floor. She dropped to her knees next to him as Adam walked off. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes, as she looked at Ivan's pale face. She put her head on his chest. His heart was racing. He likely had a severe anxiety attack before he fainted.

"GUNNAR, I NEED HELP!," she yelled.

Gunnar looked down, with a curious look on his face.

"He fainted and his ear is bleeding again, we need to get him to the hospital!"

Gunnar picked Ivan up and carried him out to the van. Jessica hopped into the driver's seat, and floored it. She drove like mad to get Ivan to the doctor before he had a lot of blood loss or his heart went awry.

A couple hours later, Dr. Kohlberg approached her in the waiting room.

"He's done for. Have you had coffee?"

Jessica was taken aback at the doctor's bluntness.

"No. Is he going to…"

"Die? You bet your ass he is."

'Does this guy not believe in bedside manners? The audacity, really...,' she thought.

She felt her throat tighten and her lip twitch, trying to not burst into hysterics.

"Why do you think that the bloke began bleeding from all orifices in his skull? I give him four weeks, five tops. From a medical point of view it doesn't matter. He's come to his senses. Somehow Adam managed to take away his faith."

'Ohmygod ohmygod! How can this be happening to me? How could he go downhill so fast just because some jackass wanted to upset him?'

She began to walk what felt like a mile to Ivan's room. Halfway down the hall, she broke down. She couldn't control the flow of tears streaming down her face, and her breathing became very erratic. She needed to calm down.

'For Ivan,' she told herself.

She stopped outside his door and took a deep breath trying to compose herself.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Get up, Ivan, we need the room. Go with her," one of the nurses ordered.

"Call me when he gets too weak. We'll give him a room and a shot of morphine."

Jessica nodded. She and Ivan drove in silence, until Jessica tried to lighten the mood by turning on the radio. Ivan just reached forward and shut it off.

They pulled up to the church. Ivan got out, not even giving her a glance. She followed him up to the office, where Sarah was waiting with Christoffer. He stood beside his wheelchair, looking down on his son with pity.

"God hates us, Christoffer. He's always hated us. It doesn't look too good."

Jessica felt her heart breaking into pieces.

"Gather the others," he said coldly.

Jessica made her way to the kitchen.

"Ivan would like us all in the auditorium."

Everyone gathered and sat in the front pew.

"Well, the fact is… Adam and Jessica already know but… I'm dying."

Sarah and Gunnar exchanged shocked glances.

"Die how?," Gunnar asked.

"I'll sleep with the worms."

"Are you not going to stay?"

"No, that would be difficult."

"What are we to do?," Sarah asked.

"Well, I hope that you… I don't know. I don't know what you should do. I don't know anything anymore. If I said anything that you can use then do that. Or don't. I don't care. That's all," Ivan announced.

He left without another word.

Jessica vividly remembered the sorrow she felt when her parents died. This was far more painful to witness. At least they chose to die. Ivan didn't get to have that luxury. Watching Ivan become so pessimistic made her feel sick to her stomach.

'What if he doesn't want me to stay with him? Could I really just leave? What about Christoffer? What will happen to him when Ivan…,' she couldn't even finish her thought without feeling bile rise into her throat.

She had to talk to him. She needed to let him know that even if he didn't want help or company she would be available.

Gunnar got up to leave.

"Where are you going?," Sarah asked Gunnar.

"I feel like drinking. I've earned that," he snapped.

Later that evening, Jessica waited for Ivan in the car. She figured he would appreciate it if she drove. After almost an hour, Ivan emerged out of the doors and made his way to the car, sitting in the passenger seat. The ride home was eerie and somber. Even walking up the stairs to Ivan's apartment was painfully awkward. When they made it through the door, Jessica wasn't sure if she should initiate conversation or wait for him to say something. She got tired of waiting.

"I'm going to boil water for tea. Would you like some?"

Ivan sat at the table, but said nothing. She got down two teacups, sitting one in front of him. She took a seat at the table across from him.

"Ivan… please say something to me," she pleaded.

He gave her an empty look. Then a silent awkward stare.

Getting frustrated, she got up and put the tea kettle on a burner. She tried to keep herself busy by looking through the tea selection he had. It was no use though. The anxiety was mounting in her as her eyes began to fill with tears. She silently began sobbing. She had had enough of Ivan's silent treatment, and turned to him with a determined look on her face.

"You know, the Book of Job may be about God allowing someone to suffer, but are you aware of the ending?," Jessica bellowed at Ivan.

He finally turned to look at her.

"It ends with God rewarding Job tenfold with everything he lost. He was praised by God himself, and given the title of being his friend. And his hecklers and accusers? They were shamed, and it was up to Job to pray for them so God wouldn't punish them. So think of the actual message behind what Adam was trying to condemn you with. He was wrong. And he always has been. There's no need for you to ignore the people who actually care about you just because some ignorant jackass wants to bring you down. Take the situation for what it is, but don't mope around and depress yourself on his account. Spend time with the people who love and care for you," she ranted.

Ivan felt his eyes widen when the word "love" passed her lips. He couldn't recall the last time in his that word being directed at him. He was speechless. The young girl he took in five years ago was now a woman; a strong one at that. And she was putting up a fight for him to stop giving people the cold shoulder because of Adam.

When he didn't say anything back after a moment, she turned back around and snatched two tea bags from the shelf. She paused and looked down at the counter. Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her waist and abruptly spin her around. Her and Ivan's faces were mere centimeters apart.

He stared into her eyes before grabbing her shoulders and crashing their lips together.

Jessica felt herself melt in his arms as she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Ivan put his hands on the small of her back and slowly ran his hands up into her hair. Their kiss began to get more erratic. She placed her hands on the sides of his head and kissed his cheeks and forehead, while he moved his lips over her neck.

The kettle began to whistle. They pulled away from each other for air, then leaned in to touch their foreheads together. Jessica dove in to give him a light kiss before turning her attention back to the kettle and pouring their cups full of water.

They both sat back down at the table with their tea; this time they were closer and the negative tension was gone. Ivan placed his hand over Jessica's that was lying on the table. She looked up at him.

"I promise, Ivan… I will stay with you no matter what. I can't let you go through all this alone. I'll even take care of Christoffer if worse comes to worst. I don't want you to worry about anything more than you need to."

Ivan felt his icy attitude melt at her words. He might not have had the protection of bind optimism anymore, but now he had something better: the knowledge that Jessica loved him (even if she didn't outright admit it).

"I appreciate that, Jess. I really do. Please know that my bad attitude wasn't directed at you. I'm having a hard time accepting everything. I would like to say I'll get over it, but I'm not sure I will. I'm sorry ahead of time if I get snappy and cold."

"It's perfectly understandable. I won't take it personally."

With that, they finished up their tea and sat on the couch in the living room. Jessica sat at his side, leaning her head on his shoulder, while he snaked his arm around her. Ivan did his best to comfort her, but he wasn't sure if it was doing any good.

Finally, they got ready for bed. But when it came time for them to say goodnight…

"Could I sleep in your bed tonight? I want to have as much time with you as I can."

Ivan's eyebrows must have gone back into his hairline with how high they rose. He thought about it for a moment.

"I… I suppose."

She gave him a soft smile. She slipped into her pajamas then knocked on his door to make sure he was ready.

"Come in."

She slipped into his room and looked around as she made her way to his bed. He turned down the covers, and they climbed in. They laid down and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. Jessica scooted closer and cuddled up next to him. Ivan didn't know what to do at first. He hadn't had a woman in his bed since his wife. Ten years was a long time… Such a long time…

Ivan turned on his side and held Jessica to his chest. She reached up and gave him a light kiss.

"Goodnight, Ivan."

"Goodnight Jessica."

And they fell asleep in each other's arms. All seemed right with the world. For the time being.