Ruthie sat on the sofa holding Little Alfie's night shirt in her hands. She was supposed to be sewing closed the large hole he and his father had managed to rip in it while they pretended to wrestle in the sitting room floor the night before, but her mind was too distracted. It made her uneasy that someone would send her a letter insinuating that she had stepped out on her husband. Was it intended for her to receive or was it for Alfie to find instead? Ruthie knew Alfie would never believe she would sleep with another man, but she didn't want a letter like that to cause even the slightest doubt of her love for him. And then there was the subject of S. Who was it?

"Ruth?" Alfie said, dragging her attention to him as he sat in his chair with his paper across from her.

"Hm?" She responded, shaking her thoughts away.

"You alright?" He asked, his eyebrows cinching together.

"Yeah, um. I've just had a lot on my mind today." She gave a small smile, and he raised his eyebrows at her, silently telling her to continue. "You-um, what did you do with Simon's body? After you…." She trailed off.

Alfie folded his paper and leaned forward; his eyes full of alarm. "Your bothers took care of it. Why?"

She stared at her husband, an internal battle waging between her heart and her mind. Her heart said to tell him about the letter, but her mind told her to forget about it. She'd burned the letter. She hadn't actually had sex with anyone else. Their lives were so peaceful now, she didn't want that to change.

"I had a dream." She lied, deciding she would deal with the situation on her own. Perhaps this was a one-time thing. Maybe there would be no more letters.

"A dream? You want to talk about it?"

"No, not really. It's stupid. I don't know why I'm so focused on it."

"He's gone, Ruthie. He's not coming back." Alfie said gently.

Ruthie smiled at him. "Perhaps you should take my mind off of it." She said with a raise of her eyebrow.

"Now that I can most certainly do." Alfie said as he walked over to grab her hips and pull her to lay.

Afterward they lay on the floor in front of the sofa, Ruthie drawing lazy circles on Alfie's chest.

"I love you, Alfie." She said as she tilted her head up to look into his eyes. "You know that, don't you?"

Concern crossed Alfie's features before he said, "Yes, I know. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes. I just don't want you to ever doubt that you possess my whole heart. You're the reason I exist. To love you, to be loyal to you, to take care of you. All of it."

"And you do all of those things." Alfie insisted, deciding she was simply craving reassurance. "You are the best wife and mother to ever walk this fucking planet."

He searched her eyes before she turned her head and laid her cheek on his chest.

Three days had gone by since the initial letter and Ruthie had forgotten about it.

"Alfie, don't put flour on your sister's head." Ruthie chastised as she attempted to braid her challah.

The two-year-old boy looked up at his mother, his hand hovering over his sister's head.

"Don't. You. Dare." Ruthie said before he opened his fist, releasing the contents onto Maggie's head.

Before Ruthie could punish him, Alfie walked into the kitchen.

"What are you doing to my little angel?" He asked when he noticed his flour covered daughter.

"Ask your son."

Alfie gave his son a stern look and Little Alfie smiled wide, causing his father to laugh.

"He's hopeless." Alfie said as he kissed Ruthie, who rolled her eyes.

When the post came that afternoon, Edna approached Ruthie with another envelope. Ruthie's stomach dropped as she held it and when Edna left the room, she tore it open.

Ruthie,

You looked so beautiful today. Every time I look at my bed, I see your beautiful hair splayed across the sheets. I can't wait to see you again. I don't know when, but soon, I hope.

Thinking of your always,

S

Ruthie wanted to vomit. Who was this? Immediately she stood and stormed to the fire, throwing it in as she had the last one.

That evening, Alfie noticed his wife's distance once more. Walking into the nursery, he found Ruthie rocking their daughter, Maggie latched on drinking from her mother.

"We should have another." Alfie suggested with a nod to their baby.

"Many more." Ruthie answered with a smile at him.

The couple looked at the small bed opposite the crib to their sleeping son, his mouth open and loud snores protruding from his small body.

Ruthie pulled her daughter away and covered her breast before moving to put Maggie in her crib.

"They are perfect, aren't they?" Ruthie said with pride.

"Yeah. You realize they are going to be just like us, right? She will be sweet but stubborn and well, he'll be brutal, and women will fall all over him."

Ruthie laughed. "You are too much Mr. Solomons."

"Is that so?" Alfie replied as he kissed her neck. "What's say we start for that next one, mm?"

Ruthie pushed her bum back to rub against his groin, causing Alfie to growl in her ear.

"You know I'm not likely to get pregnant while I am still feeding her." Ruthie pointed out.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Absolutely."

Over the next three weeks, more letters had come, and Ruthie had burned them all. She felt on edge with each one as the sender continued to profess his or her love for Ruthie. On Thursday of the third week of letters, Ruthie was watching the letter turn to ash. She hadn't noticed the door opening but jumped as it closed.

She turned with wide eyes to see her husband shaking his head at her. "Always so fucking jumpy."

"I'm not jumpy." She argued.

"Fine, twitchy."

"I'm not twitchy either."

"What has you so worked up?"

"I'm not."

"Don't fucking lie to me." Alfie said, a sternness to his voice Ruthie wasn't used to. "You have been irritable with the children and distracted for weeks. What the fuck is going on?"

"Nothing." Ruthie insisted.

"Are you pregnant?"

"What? No."

Alfie exhaled a loud sigh and looked away.

"So now you are angry that I'm not pregnant? I told you the chances of me getting pregnant again while I am still feeding Mag-"

"I'm not fucking angry that you're not pregnant. I am trying to find out what has you so worked up and anxious. And don't lie to me and tell me it's fucking nothing. Is it about that dream?"

"What dream?"

"The dream about Simon?"

"Oh." Ruthie said, remembering that she had lied to him before. "Yes?"

Alfie inclined his head to her. "Was that a question or a fucking answer?"

Ruthie stared at him, her heart racing. She could feel the emotions building in her throat but instead of telling him the truth she shook her head. "I don't have time for this. I'm taking a bath and going to bed." She said before she walked away.

Ruthie sat in the warm water, her stomach in knots. She felt it when she went to the market, the eyes on her. She knew from the last letter that this person was watching her. The way the author discussed the way her dress fit and her legs. She had vomited after that letter.

"I just need to know that you are alright." Alfie said as she walked into the room with only a towel wrapped around her and sat on the edge of the bed.

Ruthie dropped her head into her hands and sighed. "I'm fine, Alfie."

"Would you tell me if you weren't?" Alfie grumbled under his breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a fucking Shelby. You lot are as stubborn as fucking mules. Which is exactly where our children get it from."

At that comment, Ruthie burst into laughter. "You think they get it from MY family? Have you met you? You are the most stubborn man on this planet. And your son is exactly like you!"

Alfie rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

"Look, I'm sorry. I have been a very difficult person these last few weeks." Tell him! Her inner voice yelled.

Pushing her conscience aside, she stood and gave her husband a sultry look before she dropped her towel to pool at her feet. "Let me make it up to you."

Alfie's eyebrow perked up as she dropped to her knees in front of him and licked her lips. She stared up at him through her lashes as she unbuttoned his trousers and brought him out. Alfie closed his eyes as she gave one long, slow lick from his base to his tip before she devoured him. She moaned around him as she swallowed him down her throat and he groaned. Alfie loved his wife and her mouth, which she used to her advantage at every open opportunity. She continued relentlessly, moaning and slurping around him. He tried to move back but she pulled his hips closer.

"Oh, no you don't!" Alfie growled before grabbing her hair and pulling himself out of her mouth. "We are having another fucking baby if I have to shoot inside you every fucking day."

Ruthie laughed as she stood and wrapped her arms around his neck, followed by her legs around his waist. He dropped them on the bed and pushed inside her. He thrust inside her over and over, hitting the spot he knew would make her fall apart. She moaned in pleasure and her buildup began.

"Come for me, Ruthie." He said in her ear.

"Make me, Alfie." She challenged and Alfie chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm the one that's stubborn." He replied as he moved his hand in between them, finding her clit.

"OH!" Ruthie said as she almost instantly convulsed around him, setting off his orgasm to meet hers.

"Alfie…" She mumbled as she began to drift off to sleep.

"Hmm?" Alfie responded as he watched his wife's eyebrows furrow slightly in the glow of the fire.

"Don't ever leave me." She said, barely audible as her dreams swept her away.

This statement worried Alfie. Things between the two of them were wonderful until recently and she had become distant. So why would she be worried that he would leave her? Deciding he would question her tomorrow, Alfie fell asleep.

Ruthie awoke with a start, her heart racing. Her husband's light snores and the crackling of the fire were the only things breaking through the quiet. Still, something was wrong, she could feel it. She felt exposed somehow. She leaned up, covering herself with the blanket until she found Alfie's shirt and pulled it on. She quietly left the room, walking to the nursery to check on her children. Finding them peacefully asleep, she walked back into her bedroom and toward the window to close the drapes. Grabbing each side, she began to quietly pull them together when she glanced outside and gasped in horror. Someone was watching her on the rooftop across street. There was no face that she could see, only the dark silhouette of a man.

"Alfie! Alfie!" She said as she turned to shake her husband awake.

"What? What is it?" he said groggily.

"Someone's watching!" She panicked.

"What?" Alfie asked, his mind clearing.

"Across the street, there's a man!" She said as he grabbed his gun off the side table and went toward the window to look.

"Where?"

"Right there-" She said as she pointed but the silhouette was gone. "Um- He- He was just there, watching us through the window."

"There's no one there, Ruthie."

"But-But he was, I saw him!"

"It's the middle of the night, love. You're tired. Maybe it was a dream."

"It wasn't a dream!" She insisted.

Alfie studied her. "Alright. Well, they're not there now. Let's just go back to bed. Mm?"

Ruthie nodded and Alfie put his hands on her upper arms.

"Ruthie, it's alright. You're safe. The children are safe." He pulled her close, trying to comfort her shaking body.

Ruthie allowed him to lead her to the bed and he wrapped his arms around her soothingly, but he was wrong. Whoever was watching through their window was the same person that was sending her letters. She could feel it in her bones. And they were most certainly NOT safe.