Redhawk Caldera pineflower

Teya spoke up with a succinct answer, moving beyond Reyes to interface with the boys. She must have noticed the strangeness between the father and his son; Reyes could see it just as plainly, and wasn't sure what to do.

It hurt him in a profound way, hearing that Caracal was already aware of things. That the Caldera had splintered apart and he had chosen the road rather than his father. The other boy spoke up to answer Teya's question and Reyes looked at him with some surprise, but he quickly masked it.

I'm not sure where anyone went. They didn't tell us they were splitting up. He answered with a level of calm that would sound out of place. Reyes wasn't very good at hiding his feelings when he was angry or irritated, and he was touchy about the subject of Towhee and the kids especially.

He took a breath and opened his mouth to say something else - such as make an offer to the boys, let them know they were welcome, but... He wasn't sure about that either. Caracal and the girls, wherever they were, hadn't chosen him when it mattered, despite all he had done to stay a part of their lives.

Why should he bother?