"Your mom's doing well." It's automatic, not to mention unrepentant: he's not going to make her wonder out of some kind of perverse dedication to the timeline. Actually seeing them would probably make things more complicated, but knowing they're fine is the least she deserves. "Your whole family is. Bill and Tara's kids are old enough to have conversations with, these days."
Not that he does, of course. Even when he and Scully were together, he's pretty sure Bill never trusted him further than he could throw him. But they were good kids, and Mulder's always at least tolerated them. Liked them, most of the time! But even the best kids have their run-around-and-shriek phases, and on bad days, looking at their carefully posed family photos occasionally made him want to throw the picture frames across the room.
He'd never managed to put it into words for the Scully who lived through it with him, and he's not going to try to do it now. The good news - that every tragedy since the cancer has been an impermanent one for the Scully clan - will have to speak for itself.
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Not that he does, of course. Even when he and Scully were together, he's pretty sure Bill never trusted him further than he could throw him. But they were good kids, and Mulder's always at least tolerated them. Liked them, most of the time! But even the best kids have their run-around-and-shriek phases, and on bad days, looking at their carefully posed family photos occasionally made him want to throw the picture frames across the room.
He'd never managed to put it into words for the Scully who lived through it with him, and he's not going to try to do it now. The good news - that every tragedy since the cancer has been an impermanent one for the Scully clan - will have to speak for itself.