Cillian couldn't fathom being a father in the position of having to literally save his own kid's life. He could barely fathom being a father and didn't feel close to being one save for a few random numbers spat out in a DNA sequence that told him was one. He knew a little about Justin, of course, but mostly through his mum and sister, who were professional dancers. When Cillian finally found out who his son was - Justin's Broadway co-star - they filled him in a little on Justin's career and he did some reading about the Footloose show and how Merlin won a rigorous international talent competition to score the role. It was nice to hear that Justin and Merlin were somewhat in a similar boat with this father thing, though no doubt extremely different circumstances, considering his sister had told him Justin was a huge advocate for young people with mental illness because he was a survivor himself. "So... if Justin's dad had any advice for someone like me, what do ya' think it'd be? Don't get me wrong, I did have a wee chat to my own pop 'bout this kind o' thing but his response somethin' along the line's o' the basic 'I don't know how to be a dad to an American'. Let's just say Irish Catholic parents can be a unique breed sometimes. I think he's pretty convinced Merlin won't want to visit us o'er there because it's a far, far cry from a place like New York and bein' married to a celebrity. Brandon did very seem down-to-earth with the wee chat I had with him, though I'm conscious he was stressed and exhausted, so maybe he's the epitome o' a celebrity when he's feelin' fine. I'd say my dad just tryin' not to get his hopes up 'bout any o' it."