Well, the guy's ex-wife called him, which should lead to the question: How often does he see his son? If he got shafted in divorce court, which usually happens, does he get to see him one or two weekends a month? If so, then he likely can't do much to help his son, and that may be why he could only cry.
Exactly. He may have been crying because he is not able to be there to be a Dad to his own son in any meaningful way.