This is the second time TheWho has made this comment. Interestingly, in both instances, he mentioned the money first, then the child. Very revealing indeed. This is the way he thinks: money first. Hence, he has a dead kid. The checks were clearing, so all was good. Now Mike is dead because of his father's actions.
If Mike was stack of money being controlled by others, Reuben would have made sure he came home right away. But Reuben, lacking normal human emotions, just sat at home with his favorite adopted son, the Geico Money Stack, and forgot about Mike. And Max, too, but that's another story.