Chapter 10

"Why did you forgive him?" Faith asked once they were in the air.

Sharon answered her daughter truthfully. "Because I loved him."

Faith looked between her and Adam, frowned, and then followed up. "How could you still love him knowing what he did?"

Sharon sighed. As much as she wanted the chance to explain, she just didn't know how to convey to her daughter where her head was back then. "How could I not?" She paused and then added, "I couldn't just turn off my feelings like you turn off a light switch. I was in too deep."

"But he stole me and lied to you for months, mom. It just doesn't make sense."

"I knew that he never set out to hurt me. I knew that he regretted what he did. And I knew that holding on to anger and resentment over it would only end up damaging me in the end. So, the only thing I could do for my own peace of mind was forgive him."

When Faith opened her mouth to ask another question, Sharon held up a hand to stop her. "People thought I chose Adam over you when I forgave him and let him back into my life, but I didn't. For me, it wasn't an either/or situation. I was selfish. I wanted you both. And I didn't think I should have to choose. Unfortunately, everyone else did. They believed that me choosing to love and build a life with Adam after learning the truth meant that I was betraying you."

"Weren't you?"

"No. I believed then, as I believe now, that loving him and loving you don't have to be mutually exclusive. I can hate what he did without having to hate him." Sharon looked at Adam and added, "Adam is not a bad person. He is as much his mother's son as he is his father's."

She turned her attention back to Faith. "Your grandfather has done reprehensible things to the people in his life, including me, yet no one questions why your grandmother loves and stands by him. So I've never understood why they are so quick to do that to me."

"Adam isn't grandpa," Noah interjected defensively.

"And I thank God everyday for that," Sharon replied.

"Adam is way worse than grandpa ever was!"

Sharon shifted in her seat to face her son. "Are you sure about that, Noah? Really? Or do you just choose to see Victor in one light and Adam in another?"

"Has grandpa ever stolen a baby and passed it off as someone else's?"

"No. He hasn't, at least not to my knowledge. But do you know who besides Adam has done that?"

"Who?"

"Me."

"Mom. That's not the same."

"Why?"

"Because you're sick."

"I wasn't sick when I lied about Christian. I was taking my medication."

"You didn't steal him."

"No. But I kept him after I learned the truth. And your father eventually forgave me for it."

"That's different."

"How is it different? Because it was me doing the stealing and your dad doing the forgiving? I love you, Noah, you know that, but I wonder how much of the hatred you have for Adam is based on what he actually did to Faith versus how much has been fed to you by your father and the rest of the Newman's."

"What about everything he has done to grandpa, dad, and Aunt Victoria?"

"Whatever Adam has done to Victor over the years has probably been provoked. Your dad gives as good as he gets. And Victoria can handle herself."

"Could Delia?"

Adam spoke for the first time since takeoff. "That was an accident."

Noah looked at Adam. "Was covering it up?"

"No. Covering up what happened was the biggest mistake of my life and I'll regret it until the day I die. I've never claimed to be a saint, Noah, but I'm not the devil everyone makes me out to be either. And your mother is the only person in Genoa City who has ever been able to see that."