“Jasper you have to come see this! Hurry up!”  Martha was practically screaming. The truck was dripping wet as it was coming out of the water.  There was nobody inside. Keys were left in the ignition.  It was hanging behind a tow truck.

“Is that the same truck you’ve been spotting around town?”  Jasper was standing behind Martha, his hands on his shoulders for comfort.  His eyes were open wide, like he was trying to see more details than the TV would give off.

Martha looked and saw the broken brake light and spare tire.  It had to be the same truck. It was even rusted. There certainly couldn’t be two of those trucks driving around.  What if the body just wasn't found yet, and the stalker was dead?

“We will keep an update for you later.  If anyone knows any information about the owner of this truck, please call your local police department,” the newscaster finished the story and the sports news came next.

“Do you think this means anything?” Martha asked Jasper.  She didn’t know for sure that the truck had indeed been following her, but she had a really strong hunch.  Those types of things don’t just happen.

“I don’t know, but if that truck was following you then I guess we won’t have to worry about it anymore, right?”  Martha could hear the shakiness in Jasper’s voice, but decided to ignore it. It’s been a tough two days for the both of them and she didn’t want to point out more grief.  

Martha thought about the photos upstairs.  She wanted to just throw them away and pretend like the affair never happened.  She decided she would do it when Jasper went to pick up the boys from soccer practice.  If the truck was somehow connected to the photos, then she wouldn't need them anymore.

Jasper went to the kitchen and came back with lunch for the both of them.  It has been a while since just the two of them were home alone together. They’ve either been working or the boys have been home with them.  They ate lunch on the couch like two college students who were newly in love, using the coffee table as a dining table. Feeling relieved that the truck has been destroyed, they started talking about the boys and laughing about the silly things they do or say.  It was almost as if the affair never happened.

When they were done, Jasper collected the plates and brought them to the kitchen.  He came back to Martha and noticed that she was nodding off on the couch.

“Do you want to take a nap together?” Martha was surprised by Jasper’s question.  They have never taken a nap together. It was something so simple, but it meant a lot to Martha thinking that Jasper wanted to lay next to her.  

They headed upstairs together, hand in hand.  It was surreal. Martha actually got butterflies in her stomach.  She got all giddy and felt like a high school girl with a crush on the captain of the football team.  At the same time, she didn't feel like she deserved any respect from Jasper.

They got to the room and both laid down in bed together.  Lying there, it suddenly got awkward. Now what? Should she make a move?  Does Jasper feel nervous like Martha did? They were married, but Martha felt like this was the first time for them.  The both lay side by side like two stiff boards.  Putting her nerves aside, Martha turns over to lay right next to Jasper and puts her arm around his waist. She immediately felt him tense up.

“It’s OK, Jasper.  I am OK,” Martha told him thinking that he is concerned about the stitches on her head.  They have had such an eventful morning after they came home that Martha almost forgot about them.

“It’s not that,” Jasper answers. “It just doesn’t feel right.  Honestly, I do want it, but I can’t trust you yet.” Jasper picks up Martha’s arm and gently takes it off of him.  

Martha was heartbroken and speechless.  She turned over to face the wall. She felt like an idiot for thinking that Jasper was going to make love to her this soon after finding out about her mistake.  She held back her tears. She didn’t want Jasper taking pity on her.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep now, but she laid there anyways.  She would lay there until Jasper fell asleep to make him think that she wasn't bothered.

As soon as Jasper fell asleep Martha heard her phone ringing.  She jumped out of bed so much that she got a dizzy spell. She ran downstairs anyways, taking deep breathes to control her head.  It was the school.

“Hello?”  Teegan and Carter were never in trouble, why would the school be calling her?

“Martha? It’s Anne.  Something’s happened to Carter.”  Anne sounded worried. 

Martha knew that she shouldn’t be driving with her head not being in the best condition, but her son needed her and she didn’t want to bother Jasper more than his mind could take it.  Stress was not a thing he could handle so she wanted to help in any way that she could. Letting him nap when she knew he didn’t get the best rest last night was a good start.

She got into the car and took a deep breath.  She should have left Jasper a note, thinking that he would think she had gone to see Richard.  If he had any concern, he could just text her, right?  Hopefully he won't assume the worst and start trusting her again.  Richard was out of town anyways, there should be no reason for Jasper to think like that.

Pulling up to the school, Martha barely had her vehicle turned off before she got out of it and practically ran to the front door.  She walked into the office.  She knew Richard wasn’t there, but she still felt uneasy.  What if Anne knew about him and her?

“How is he?”  Martha asked Anne, who was buried in papers behind her desk.  

“He’s ok.  He is laying down with the nurse.  I think it’s just the flu that’s been going around.  He only threw up once, right after lunch. Could’ve been what he ate too.  Just best for him to get some rest at home. I assumed Jasper would be the one to pick him up?  I thought you weren’t feeling well?” Martha thought that Anne sounded disappointed to see her up and about.

“My son comes first always.  Jasper was taking a nap when I left, didn’t want to disturb him.  Do you know if Carter ate any gluten today?"

"No, I don't think so.  The whole school knows." Anne didn't look at Martha when she spoke.

"Are you OK? You seem a little, overworked."

“Yeah, I am just stressing a little taking on Richard’s work.  It’s only been a day, but I can already tell it’s going to be a long week.”  Anne chuckled slightly like she was trying to lighten up the situation.  She looked like her mind was in a million places at once.  She was very distracted.

“I am sorry, Anne.  But like I said, if you need any help from me I am here for you.  Did you hear from Richard’s conference? They were suppose to call and confirm his arrival.”  Martha tried to sound nonchalant.  The best thing to do was make it seem casual.

“No, I haven’t heard from anyone.  But I will let you know as soon as I do.  Carter is with Joan.”

“Thank you Anne.  I will hopefully be back by Thursday.  Can you bring Teegan home after soccer practice please?”  Jasper could relax at home, and not have to go anywhere.  They both had a stressful and exhausting night.

Martha headed to the nurses office. She opened the door and Carter was laying down on the cot to the left.  He was curled up in the fetal position with his arms across his belly. A bucket sat on the side of his bed.

“Carter?”  Carter turned over and looked at his mom, his smile revealed how happy he was to see her, but his tears showing how he really felt.

“Mom, I am so glad you are here.  I don’t feel good. I threw up after lunch.”  Carter already looked pale in the face. Martha hated seeing him like this.  She knew there was nothing she could do to make him feel better. Just offering comfort is what was possible.  

Driving Carter home, bucket in his lap, he started vomiting again.  Martha became nervous. Carter started crying.

“Mom, it hurts so much!”  Martha looked in the rearview mirror to offer some comforting words to Carter.  When she looked she noticed that Carter’s eyes had moved to the back of his head, and his head went limp to the side.  Carter had passed out.

Martha quickly turned the car around, making the tires squeal, and drove straight to the hospital.  The last time Carter had passed out was when he had an allergic reaction to gluten.

He was four years old when they found out he was celiac.  He had a bite of garlic bread at the local pizza joint when they were having dinner.  Carter has always eaten bread before that day so Jasper and Martha didn’t think anything of it.  Carter had started shaking and he tipped over almost falling out of the restaurant high chair. Martha and Jasper hurried out with Teegan to take Carter to the hospital that was next door.  The doctor had told them that they made it just in time. He couldn’t explain how he got a sudden intolerance for gluten, but they ran some tests and said that his gluten intolerance could be fatal if eaten in large doses.  That was the day that the whole Critch family had become gluten free from everything.

Whenever he would go somewhere Martha would be sure to let everyone know that Carter had celiac disease.  Martha would pack him food when he would go to sleepovers and she started packing him lunches for school. She was extremely careful reading food labels at the grocery store.  They never even went out to eat anymore, and if they did Martha would pack his food for him.

Martha called Jasper when Carter got taken away from her at the emergency room.  He showed up ten minutes later, speeding she assumed.   He didn't seem frustrated that Martha had left without telling him.  And since she had woken up from his nap, he had no time to assume that she went to see Richard. 

They both paced in the waiting room.  Neither of them could sit down.  Nerves and anxiety took over their bodies.

An hour later, a doctor had come out of the swinging doors, his head looking at the ground.  Martha could tell something was wrong, and it was the doctor's worse part of the job.

Carter was announced dead due to gluten overdose.  Martha didn’t understand. She was so careful. The school knew and Anne knew. Even the mailman knew. Everybody knew that Carter had fatal celiac.  Where would he have eaten it?

Martha sat in the waiting room crying in Jasper’s arms.  She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to feel.  How was she going to tell Teegan? Why was this happening to her?  She couldn’t feel anymore. Her heart felt like it stopped dead in her chest.  She had never felt so empty.

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket.  It was a message from the unknown number again.  She swiped at her phone away from Jasper’s eyesight and opened the message.

STAY AWAY FROM RICHARD!!