The only reference I have is when someone like Piper or Macready acknowledges the fact that time has passed.

Whatever it is, it's definitely a prolonged period, because they make reference to things like "we've been together a while now" etc.

When I met Billy (the child Ghoul), my first thought was, I hope he's a Settler, I've got lots of advlts, but this might be my first kid Settler!

Unfortunately for me, his parents were also Ghouls and still alive, so he went to live with them.

A shame I couldn't invite all 3 of them to Sanctuary Hills.

It would be a lot safer then in a half derelict house with roaming Slaver gangs nearby.

Who are the Wilkins?

The only reference I could find that's currentish is Jas Wilkins (Fallout New Vegas).

And now I'm imagining Nat befriendling Billy, it would be interesting to see her having a Ghoul as a friend.

I could get on with someone instantly and spend a good amount fo time with them in a 2 month period. I still wouldn't take parenting advice from someone who lost their kid.

Plus, it's kind of Piper's own choice. Just because we give her advice doesn't mean she has to listen to them.

There's a world of difference between "lost" and "forcibly abducted".

The Sole Survivor was in suspended animation inside a sealed cryogenic chamber and barely conscious when Shaun was taken, so you can't put them at fault in this situation.

Not that it would have achieved anything if they had been fully capable, Kellogg had a gun+his cybernetic implants and what does the SS have? Fists!

And now Piper is hitting you with her hat for being insensitive.

We can only blame ourselves for life's outcomes, that is the nature of strategy. He chose to live in that town, signed up to that vault. Clearly his decision making isn't one the universe likes!

You are pre-selected, and have virtually no say in the matter. It's vault or die. While I mostly agree with GeneralLuBu's statement, I have to point out that there is NO decision that would end in an ideal outcome here. Even if you lived in another town there is a huge chance that you would be in the blast zone of one nuke or another, maybe more than one at once.