It just keeps getting worse.

Last spring, our family was horrified to learn of the arrest of someone we knew from our former town.  He was accused of a relationship with a minor.  Thomas had been good friends with this man's daughter, he was Catherine's first soccer coach, Andrew and I had been to their house for social events, and they had our boys one time when Catherine had to be taken to the hospital.  I just kept thinking it couldn't be true and there had to be some explanation that would make it all not true.  In early summer, I learned the identity of the girl, and she was a classmate of Thomas's...and they had made their First Communions together.  The man finally went to trial this week.  First we learned that he admitted they had contact but nothing had really happened.  Then we learned that when the young lady's family found out, they offered not to press charges as long as he promised to resign his coaching position.  After the family confiscated her phone, this man sent the young lady another phone so they couldn't continue to communicate.  I thought all of this was bad enough, but it got worse still.  During a lunch break after taking the stand in his own defense, this man somehow managed to disable his ankle monitor (he was out on bond), and left.  It's been three days, and his whereabouts are still unknown.  In the meantime, he has been found guilty, but sentencing is delayed until he is located.

Yesterday was his wife's birthday.  Wishing her "happy birthday" seemed absolutely ridiculous.  There is absolutely nothing "happy" about yesterday, or probably most of the last six months for that fact.  We texted back and forth for a bit, and honestly, it brought me to tears.  This woman and her kids are being so strong and brave, and my heart just breaks for them.  While I certainly didn't discuss this with her, for many of us who know them, our biggest concern is whether or not this man is still alive.  His mental state is clearly questionable, and I just can't imagine his family having to go through that on top of everything else.  Honestly, I am beginning to wonder if there are drugs involved.  I just can't reconcile everything that has happened with the man I knew.  Honestly, it feels as though each piece of information I learn makes the story worse.