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Five-year-old Sammy comes home from his very first day at school clutching a crumpled flyer in his hand and wearing a happy grin. He hands the piece of paper to his dad, who glances over the announcement for a "Parent/Child Breakfast" briefly and chucks it in the trash. Sammy, still smiling, says, "Daddy! I can bring you to school for a day an' we c'n eat doughnuts and stuff!"
John just gives him a hard look and says, "Son, I don't have time for that. I've got work to do."
Sam's little face falls. "But, Dad, all the other kids will have their moms and dads there." He pleads, Dean even pitches in - "c'mon, Dad, he just wants you to go eat a doughnut with him!" - but John remains steadfast in his refusal. Eventually he rises, grabs his wallet and keys, and declares that he's going out for a few hours.
When he's gone Sam climbs up on a rickety wooden chair in the kitchen of the cheap mobile home John is renting while they're in town for a few months. He hunches over, sobs racking his tiny shoulders. Dean coaxes him down and takes care of his little Sammy, leading him to the ratty old couch and rocking him in his arms until Sam quiets down.
Holding his little brother in his lap, Dean resolves to fix this. And he does. After school the next day, he heads to collect Sammy from his classroom across the school. When he reaches the room where his brother is waiting impatiently Sam bounds over to him and wraps his arms around Dean like a vice; he gently pries Sammy off, pokes his head in the door, and asks to speak with the kindly old teacher, Mrs. McGrath. She smiles warmly at Dean and invites him in.
Sam bounces energetically around the room while he waits on his brother, not caring to listen in to their conversation.
They leave ten minutes later. Dean has a small, satisfied smile as he grabs Sammy's chubby little hand in his own. He had explained their situation with their dad, with as much detail as he could safely disclose, and asked Sam's teacher if he could stand in for his father at the parent breakfast next week. She agreed and wrote him an excuse note so he could miss the beginning of class that day.
When he surprises Sam by showing up to his class on the day of the breakfast, the glowing love on his baby brother's face is exactly what Dean was aiming for.