Broken Antler Fen and the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon

He was going to let that train of thought go. Reyes would rather get ahead of things and move on quickly, back to spending time with his son, but that didn't happen. The response from his son brought him some measure of surprise and, unsurprisingly, a sudden anger. She said what?

Reyes had heard Caracal properly. It stung to think that Towhee was already trying to turn the kids against him - or more against him, depending on what else she'd done to spoil their image of him.

He sighs. No, I didn't refuse, there was something indeterminate simmering beneath his words. It was hard to block out his anger towards Towhee while trying to discuss such a raw, painful moment in his own life; but he would try for Caracal's sake.

Her offer was, I could come back under certain.. conditions. I didn't agree with the conditions. It wasn't a flat-out refusal. I wouldn't do that - you and your sisters are too important to me. He watched Caracal, wondering what he would make of it all. At the same time, the boy was too young to handle the specifics and Reyes wasn't about to lay it all out for him. The issues he had with Towhee were between the two adults. When I came up with a shared space for you guys to visit, she got pissed at me and I had to convince her to let me see you at all.

Reyes shook his head, as if to rid himself of the memory of that fight.

What matters is that we're still a family, no matter what your mother and I are going through.