It's not okay to lie to your children.
Troy's father was killed in an auto accident, but his mother Susan doesn't know how to tell him.
Susan wants to talk to Troy.
Susan tells Troy that his father is dead, and helps him process the grief.
Susan tells Troy that his father abandoned them, feeling unable to tell him the truth.
Troy is deeply saddened but learns to accept that people die, and bonds with his mother through their grief.
Troy grows up with abandonment issues, always wondering why his father left him.