Things got much worse when Casey's dad died. He never managed to get his attention for more than a few minutes at a time and was basically ignored every time he tried to tell him something unless it involved needing a signature for school but he still couldn't stop crying at the funeral.
"So pitiful!"
"Look at them, they already lost their mother."
"Candace is such a dear for taking care of her brother instead of going off on her own. If I was in her shoes, I couldn't do it."
That was just it. Casey wasn't crying because he missed his dad. He had given up on trying to earn his approval years ago. He was crying because now he was stuck with Candy full time and had to get her permission on forms.
Candy liked holding things over his head. She was the "I'll only do this for you if you do that for me" type. And the things she wanted him to do were not things he enjoyed. At all.
