"Believe it or not, I know the feeling of being kept at arms' length, as well as being told something other than the truth. My mother told me that my father was a demolitions expert, when I could get her to talk about him, that is. I didn't meet him until I was ten years old. By then, I thought I was old enough to not care by that point but...meeting one's father for the first time is a powerful thing." Alexander said.

"He and I had a lot of trouble starting out. I was a very willful boy and he is a very willful man. We butted heads about a lot of things. But as difficult as our relationship was, it's nothing compared to my relationship with my grandfather. Father and I /both/ have a lot of trouble with him." Alexander said.

"Over time I came to understand my father and why he'd been so distant. I got to know him and his life and found that I truly enjoyed it. But it came at the cost of my relationship with my mother." Alexander said.

"Are you still close with your mother?" he asked.