The silence that fell after that question was heavy. Both Maria and Nick had to take a breath. Both of them loved children, loved their own children, and losing one of them- one that had had such promise- well, they'd just never really gotten over it. Funny how quickly forty-two years went by.
But Henry wanted an answer. Nick looked up at Maria, the look in her eyes echoing his own sorrow. How to even begin to unpack that baggage?
"We have lost six sons," Nick said quietly. "It is always hard, but... Rudolf was... very hard." The other five had been considerably older, had been given a chance to live fruitful lives. It had been more expected. Even Carol and Frank, both elderly but still spry, he could take their imminent passing with better grace. Going through the trauma of Rudolf's loss again was just too much. Did that affect the way he treated his current youthful generation, brimming with potential? Most likely. But how, how to put that into words...