That's the way things come clear. All of a sudden.

Caleb Walker is not an adult yet, but he rather feels like one. His mom did a great job growin' him up, and all, but having asthma still meant he never felt like he figures most kids do. He couldn't run and jump and play basketball and baseball like other boys without going into a spasm of coughing - or worse - so he did a lot of reading and watching TV. But mostly reading. Especially comic books.

So when his Mama came across the Nexus it was like he'd finally woken up in his comics, and mutants were real. And angels. And demons, too, though the one he met was only a half demon and wasn't all fire and brimstone like he'd heard. (But then again, maybe that's what they wanted him to think!) And then Mama met Casper, and things Changed.

Big-C changed, and all of a sudden maybe Caleb didn't feel so much like a freak. And he wasn't feeling lonely, either, because Casper was around. Casper liked to play with him, made him feel like a normal kid. One that could even go outside and throw a ball around with his dad.

And Casper made his mom really, really happy. Like syrupy romance novel happy, or one of those stupid girl-movies on Lifetime. Except this one had more video gaming, which Caleb was currently kicking booty at, he wasn't afraid to say.

It was like flipping a switch, and there was brand-new life, all wrapped up and shiny for him.

Caleb was starting to think that maybe Casper would want to marry his mom, and maybe give him a little sister.
Little sisters would be cool.

And then his biological dad came in the picture and ruined everything. He didn't even think his biological dad was alive, that's how much his dad loved him! Caleb didn't even know what the guy looked like - and didn't care to know. He wanted to yell at his mom, yell at his grandparents and especially his grandparent's son, Jordan.

Jordan was not his dad.
And he didn't want to see him.

So that's why he totally dragged his feet the morning of their first supervised visit. He and his mom were going to his grandparent's house after breakfast, and he'd be introduced to ... him. He took five minutes picking out his cereal, and another five minutes reading the back of the box. And then he poured the milk.

"I know I haveta see him," Jordan began around a mouthful of Frosted Flakes. "But I don't haveta call him dad, right? You won't make me, willya?"

His mom stopped washing dishes - why she did that when they have a perfectly good dishwasher he'll never know - and looked at him. One of those Serious Looks. "No, Caleb. You don't have to call him dad." She sounded a little sad and worried.

"Good, 'cause he's not. I know we're related but we're related to monkeys too but I don't call them dad." He squirms in his chair and slurps up some cereal. He was relieved when she laughed.

"Just an hour or two, then we'll.. leave. Maybe do something unexpected and unplanned, alright?"
"Can Casper come with us?"
"No, not this time. I -- I'll need you to myself for a little while, okay? You understand, right?"
He didn't, not really. He liked it when it was the three of them. When it was just the two of them his mom always looked sad. "Yeah, I guess."

And just like that, his cereal is gone, and he can't waste any more time.