ODDS OF LOVE: Season Nine

Episode 111

Faith was stunned beyond belief as she stared at the older man. " You hit a child? While drunk? Does anyone else know this? "

Oh please God don't let him be confessing to her right now. She was not turning this man in. For anything.

Andrew nodded and stared down at his worn work boots. He sighed and for the first time in a long time actually looked his age of sixty five. " It happened in Pennsylvania. Yes. People know. It was night. Foggy. I was leaving a bar around eight. Bartender put me out. He said I was too drunk to keep drinking. He was right. He tried to take my keys. I refused to give them up. I was driving home to a little room I rented. Some kids were playing ball in their yard. One boy ran into the street after the ball that got away and I hit him. "

Faith exhaled the breath she had been holding in. " It was an accident. "

He shook his head. " No. I was drinking. I was drinking and driving. If I had been sober I could have stopped in time. But I hit him. He was seven at the time. "

" You kill him? "

" No. Thank God. He made it. Broken leg. Bruises. Fractured collarbone. His dad saw it. So did his friends in the yard. I apologized for it. I wanted to be arrested and put away for it. I blamed myself more than they blamed me. The parents actually talked the DA into giving me a plea deal. Two years probation. Thousand dollar fine which took forever to pay by the way. I was a handyman then. Community service. And they made me go to AA. That's where I met Glory. It was in a church and Glory volunteered there. She saved me. The moment I met her and we began talking I realized I wanted to change. I wanted to be better and atone for everything bad I had ever done in my life. "

Faith was quiet. He kept speaking," I'm telling you this because I understand guilt. My guilt is more real than yours because I actually deserve it. I did the crime and thank God the child survived. Yours is still valid though because you feel it and nothing I say will ever make you stop feeling it. But I want you to know you can move beyond it. You don't need that clutch called booze , Faith. When you feel the urge to drink please call your AA sponsor or call me. Any time. I will answer your call at four in the morning. I will meet you anywhere. I will listen and help as I can. And I will never judge you. Because I am the last person to be judging anyone. "

Faith instinctively wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. " Is it stupid that I would love you to be my father? I mean don't get me wrong. I love my real daddy but he's been gone so long. I barely remember him now. DuBuis has been more of a daddy to me growing up. He sacrificed his childhood for me and Sylvia and we have treated him so wrong. I told him I hated him. I don't. I love him so much. How can he ever forgive me for how I have been acting? "

Then she heard from the open doorway to the bedroom her brother DuBuis  say," Nothing to forgive, little sis. I love you too. I just want you to be happy and safe. "