This girl who had experienced so much hurt in her young life seemed torn. She wanted to believe me, anyone could see that, and when she glanced at her father, then down to where I had placed my hand over his, her face crumbled and she asked a shaky, “Is that why you shot him?”

I looked at my husband. He squeezed my fingers. I turned back to Ella and said quietly, “Yes.”

Ella’s shoulders shook as she began to cry. Tears streamed down her face and her voice croaked when she said, “I hated you.” She swiped at her face and tried again. “I hated you for what you did.” Her breathing hitched when she turned her wet lashes to her father. “But you deserved it.”

My heart clenched painfully at the thought of Tor hearing these words from his precious daughter. I wasn’t going to sit here and stay quiet. “That’s not fair,” I told her. “Ella, your dad and I have both done horrible things to each other. Terrible, horrible, really bad things. But that doesn’t make us bad people. It makes us human.”

Her view of her father had changed. It was obvious her little heart was breaking. “I don’t want to hear any more.” She slipped out of her seat and attempted to flee.

Tor remained silent and seated. I blinked at him, then at her, and next thing I knew I was standing. “Ella, stop. Let’s talk about this.”

“I don’t want to talk. You’re an idiot and so is he.”

She wasn’t getting away that easily. I was hot on her heels. “You can say what you want about me. I’ll take it and keep my mouth shut, but I’m asking you to listen to me for a minute.”

Ella really was her father’s daughter. She proved that when all she offered back was a cool, “No.”