His gaze flickers between Caleb and his ghostly father, as if assessing how effective the answer is. Then, Chase.... actually tries to take another stab at resolving whatever it is that's keeping his mom here.

"Well. It might not have been so bad if--" He stops himself, looking back at the crying ghost again. Fuck, why is it so hard to talk about this crap? He can talk about just about anything else! "If I had her. I don't know." It depends on so much. What kind of a mom was she? What kind would she have been? His adoptive parents were nice, sure, and they provided for his every material need. But they were busy and distant to begin with. Throwing magic into the mix only pulled Chase deeper into his alienation. He never felt like he could tell them everything.

But who knows. Maybe his birth mom would've been different. Maybe he could've told her? Then he wouldn't have been completely alone.

Hey, though, it seems to actually work a little. Now there's the beginnings of a faint smile on her lips-- which is kind of eerie, because it only makes their family resemblance all the more noticeable.

"Anyway." BACK TO CALEB'S DADDY ISSUES. "You need to get over it. People die. Especially parents."