(Strip Number 4166, Original Publication Date, 7 May 1982)
Panel 1: We start things off with Phil trying to break the ice with Lawrence; since he's not really all that bright, his asking "How's it going, guy" more or less deserves the half-hearted "Uh, okay" Lawrence uses as a response. Since he's used to having Mommy ignore him while she goes crazy over some man who always goes away, he's just not willing to talk to someone who never stays anyway. Why bother getting to like him if he's just going to leave sooner or later?
Panel 2: Phil reminds us that he still can't quite read the room when offsprings are concerned by pointing out that he hasn't seen Lawrence in ages.
Panel 3: Lawrence's mildly surly reminder that that's because Phil hasn't been around for ages saddens our hero. Lawrence has a weak grasp of adult behavior but he does know that Phil hasn't been there, probably won't be there for long and says so; since Phil is a bit thick, this floors him.
Panel 4: He proves himself to be more uncle material than father material by ruffling his fingers through a reluctant Lawrence's hair and making an asinine comment to Connie about how fast he's growing.
Summary: This, of course, is because he really doesn't seem to get (or especially want to) that his need for a good time is of lesser importance than that child's need for stability. He also doesn't quite get that Lawrence is also resentful because he gets blamed for something he can't understand or see as being his fault: the inevitable departure of whatever man Mommy is ignoring him to chase. The poor kid's life has up until now consisted of the following cycle: Mommy meets some man who she thinks is the one, the man goes away for reasons that baffle him and somehow it's his fault that it happened even though he can't see why that is.