Page 468 of Chaos has a Name

“Can I ask you both about your children?” she asked, ignoring that question.

Both men looked confused.

“I guess,” Redbear said. “I’m not sure why you want to know. Mine have been gone for a long time. At least fifteen years. My sons only come in for my birthday, and most of the other visits, I go to them.”

She was listening.

So far, nothing was out of the ordinary. They’d run his family, and found that his sons were professional men on two different sides of the country.

It didn’t fit for her.

“How about your son who went missing?” she asked.

He looked surprised, but didn’t get offended that she asked.

“Steven?” he asked.

She nodded.

He sighed.

“My son was a drug addict. He was using heavily, and I told him if he continued, he’d need to leave. He did. I’ve never heard from him again. I imagine he took his own life with drugs. While we all have choices, his hurt the family deeply. Losing him to the world was difficult, but I’d rather lose him than allow that addiction to spread to all three of my sons.”

She could hear the emotion.

When he wiped his eye, she understood. She’d cried a lot of tears over Takoda, just not because of bad choices.

Brave choices.

Tom cleared his throat of the emotion.

“Anyway, every few months I go to New York and see my one son. He has this jacuzzi tub that I could soak in for days. My son Josh is very busy with his life and science. I see him at Christmas when I head there to be with him and his family. I like to spend the holidays with my grandchildren, as I imagine Wyler also enjoys.”

Likely, but this wasn’t about Wyler. It was about him. So, Elizabeth kept asking questions.

“You like to leave the rez?” she asked.

The man nodded.

“Unlike your grandfather, Callen and Elizabeth, I actually like seeing the world. I’m more progressive than Timothy was. My God but he was stubborn. I saw this play in New York, and it was so good. I can’t wait to go back. There is nothing like apretzel hot off of a street cart before a musical. My son spoils me. I admit it.”

Oh, well, tell them about Timothy’s stubbornness. It was notorious. He only left the reservation once, and that was to have a conversation with Gene about Ethan.

She focused on the other man.

“And do you have sons?” she asked.

Abe nodded.

“I do. My sons are about to turn eighteen and seventeen. They are from my second marriage,” he stated. “My first wife walked out when I refused to have children with her. She had a drinking problem. Why do you ask?”

His sons were kind of young to be gnawing on bones over three years ago.

But…

Koda had been practically an adult at seventeen. It depended on the child.

“Would you mind me talking to them?”