“howdy, joe willow,” i said. “you coming home from work? ” he stopped and grinned. “that’s right,” he said. he leaned on the mailbox, and we said nothing for a few moments until he spoke again. “you’re edmund’s boy, aren’t you? ” “huh-uh. i belong to rosa.” “oh.” he squatted down. “you know what? i’m the same way. everybody calls me jimmy bear’s boy, but i’m not. he’s not my daddy.”

based on this excerpt from “the passing,” it can be inferred that the boys

a: will become best friends
b: respect their stepfathers
c: have a similar sense of identity
d: enjoy talking about their families