Remington didn't like that he'd become a shitty brother, but it all stemmed back to the day he walked out on his family. He couldn't undo that, and the divide had grown from there. He loved his brother, but they were very different, and they barely knew each other anymore. He owed Riley a massive debt, and that was a big part of why he'd agreed to come to dinner. If Riley really wanted Remington to be part of Mara's life, then so be it. He was anxious about doing something wrong in her presence, and terrified of becoming even more like their father, but this was what Riley wanted, and Remington couldn't say no.
"I hope your mom gets better," Remington said honestly as he looked over at her. Mara was lucky to have two parents left, even if her situation was less than ideal. At least no one was beating her, and she was loved. Riley appeared to be doing alright as a dad, though Remington worried about what kind of role model his brother really was. Could he put all his own needs aside in order to put Mara first? That's what it took to be a good parent. Not that Remington knew a lot about parenting. His own example of fatherhood was shit.
"So you think this is a permanent thing?" Remington asked his brother. "Not much room for advancement at the school, but if you like it.. and it pays the bills.." he trailed off. His brother was extremely intelligent but made bad choices. He could have been working somewhere with prestige and a bigger paycheck. "I can always help if you need it. I haven't spent much of mom's money. Hardly any." In fact, the only times he'd dipped into the fund were when he first left home and needed some cash to get started and when he'd sent money to his siblings. The rest remained untouched. Maybe it could go toward a college fund for Mara.