What is Ken's connection to Tommy in the story collection, We Live in Water?

Ken is Tommy’s stepfather. He is an army veteran. In “Can a Corn,” he is in prison for an unstated crime. Because his wife (Tommy’s mother) is deceased, Tommy is responsible for bringing Ken to his dialysis appointments outside of the prison. They have a tenuous relationship, but it is possible that there is some underlying affection between them. In “The Brakes,” Ken is recently deceased.