ODDS OF LOVE

Episode Forty Two

                                                                   

                                                                 ( Texts )

DuBuis : You don't know me. I'm just the man who married the son you abandoned when he was nine. My name is Dr. DuBuis Lane. Where you been all these years , you bastard ?

Andrew : Nice to meet you , DuBuis. Lol. Sorry. I use humor when nervous. I've been in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh. I'm no longer a lawyer for obvious reasons. I own a bookstore and gift shop. Books & Treasures. I am married again. Glory and I have been married for six years. My second marriage is better than my first. My first was hell. My wife has two children from her first marriage. A boy and a girl. They're forty and thirty eight now. She was a widow when I met her.  I'm sixty five. She's sixty three. I'm a fool. I'm a coward. But my wife loves me for some reason. Glory kept telling me I should reconnect with my children but I was always scared. I didn't know what Doris told them about me. She lied in court that I beat her for years. I didn't. She had my daughter , my little girl , on the stand during the custody battle lying that I beat her and her mother. They ruled against me. I lost all my rights to my children. Doris used her influence to get me disbarred. I had nothing. I spent many years drunk and wanting nothing but a liquor bottle. I've been sober for ten years. Spencer is right to hate me. So is Richard. I hate myself. If I hurt Spencer by texting I'm sorry. I will not contact him again. But please tell him I do love him. I've always loved him and his siblings. They were my life. When I lost them I lost my life. 

DuBuis lowered the phone and sighed. He put the phone back in his jeans pocket and climbed out of the minivan that was parked in front of their house. He didn't know what to say to the father in law he didn't know from Adam and Eve. He didn't even know what to say to his own husband to help him through this. Although when he saw Spencer he would show him this text from Andrew. 

He was still deep in thought over the whole business when he let himself in the house. But he was not so deep in thought that he didn't see the tall broadly built White man standing in his front hallway. Holding a gun to his niece's head. Luci looked scared and rightfully so. 

" Who the fuck are you ? , " He demanded. " What do you want ? Let her go. "

The man laughed eerily. He released Luci and she ran towards the bottom of the staircase. Her small hands were fiddling with the zipper of her beloved bag. " Hello , Dr. Lane. I have a message from Doris. " He pointed the gun directly at DuBuis. " She said you don't fuck with what belongs to her. Meaning her son. She wants you gone. That's where I come in.  Goodbye , Dr. Lane. "

DuBuis suddenly saw his life flashing before his eyes. And so much of it had Spencer in it. Dear God. No..... He didn't want to die. And what about Luci ! What was this man going to do to Luci ! 

Spencer......... 

He held up his hand almost like it could hold off a bullet. How stupid. He was going to die. He didn't want to die. 

Spencer ..........

The man smiled coldly at him. 

Then out of the corner of his eye DuBuis saw his niece make her move. 

He saw Luci pull what looked like a sharp knife from her bag and plunge it into the back of the stranger who was about to shoot him. The man's face contorted in pain and he turned abruptly with the gun. As he did DuBuis jumped on him and wrestled the weapon from his hand just as the man fell down to his knees. 

" I'm sorry , " Luci whispered softly.