"My dad was a really good dad." Milo said quietly, following Xander's gaze but not understanding the significance of the tree. "It was a really long time ago, now, but I remember everything I did made him so excited. One time, I had this really bad fever, and he picked me up, put me in the car, and drove to get popsicles. He was a firefighter, before he got sick, so he'd have two days off, and one twenty-four hour shift on, so I got to spend a lot of time with him. Then when he was at work, those are the days I'd be with my mom, so it was kind of like spending the weekends with your other parent, except it was scattered throughout the week."
He swallowed, looking away from the tree, "That's why I think I'd like to have kids, you know? I'd like to be like that. Not a firefighter, but... My dad would come home from saving lives and still take me on a bike ride the next day."