In the cheap apartment building Tod and Buz are staying in in St. Louis, Tod notices a thirteen year old boy across the hall who doesn't want anyone to see that he is taking care of a passed out man. Tod will soon learn that they are widowed father and son, Muddy and Arnie Mullins, Muddy who is a pianist at a local honky-tonk and an alcoholic, the reason for Arnie needing to act the adult between the two. Tod wants to help Arnie cope with dealing with an alcoholic, but Buz may have a better handle on how best to get through to Arnie. What Tod and Buz don't know is that Muddy is an ex-con, who didn't see much of Arnie as Arnie was growing up being behind bars. And after Muddy's wife's death, Arnie was shipped from foster home to foster home until Muddy was released. Muddy is contemplating returning to a life of crime as that is the only way he knows to earn enough money to provide for what he believes Arnie needs. But Muddy may not figure out that he truly has to be a proper father figure to Arnie until it's too late.
—Huggo