"Well..." Cole opted for the less serious route, offering a smile. "I can think of a few unexpected things that have happened and weren't so bad."
He turned thoughtful, wondering if it was better or worse that he'd never met his father. "Maybe you're right. I used to imagine that there was some kind of justifiable explanation for him not being around, and for all I know it could have been true, even though it probably wasn't. But there was never that void - being raised by just my mom seemed normal. It would have been harder if I knew him and then he left."
He decided to approach the subject carefully, giving her the chance to talk about something else if she wanted. "Your mother... did she make you go?"