She listens to his words - to his story of why he and her mother ended up together. She listens not just because she wants to know the truth behind it, but because it means she doesn’t have to speak. Nor does she have to think, which seems to be good for her, because it’s the time she spends locked in her head that’s led her down this dark, dark road.
“Mom really didn’t like you being in the bureau. I can remember her crying a few times after Jack was born. She didn’t know that I heard her, but I did…” She trails off, unsure if she should be divulging this or not. She doesn’t want to make her father feel worse than he probably already does, given everything that happened to Haley. She bites her lip, refraining from speaking any more on the subject, and continues to stare down and away from him. She knows that if she looks at him - if she truly takes in everything he’s telling her - that she won’t be able to hold back the tears any longer.
“Yeah, you’re here…” she responds in a whisper. “I’m happy you’re here…” The saddest smile she’s ever conjured appears on her face for half a second before completely disappearing. His next question catches her off guard somewhat, but she manages not to say anything right away. How can she admit to being scared? To not knowing if she would ever have the guts to do what she wants so badly to do at times?
After sitting in silence for a couple of minutes, she decides she has to answer. It’s now or never, and she has a feeling if she says nothing, that won’t mean the issue will be dropped. “All the time,” she answers, her voice still quiet, just barely above a whisper now. “When I lay down at night. When I’m not busy doing something. Any time my mind isn’t focused on other things, all I think about is how much better life would be for everyone else if I wasn’t in it. How much better things might be if it wasn’t mom who had died that night…”
And that’s all it takes. The first tear falls, and they continue to come. He’s telling her she’s not alone, but she doesn’t believe him. She feels alone every day of her life. She feels like nobody notices her struggling. Or if they do, they don’t care. Not enough to say anything to her. Not enough to really want to listen when they ask her how she’s doing each day.
“You’re not bad at your job. I’m just really good at hiding things from you. That’s how it’s supposed to be. You weren’t ever supposed to find out about any of this. Not until it was too late for you to do anything. I didn’t want to bother you with my stupid teenage hormones and my feelings of inadequacy. How was I supposed to tell you that I think I’m the worst daughter in the world? Or that I think you and Jack would be so better off without me in your lives?”
Her crying doesn’t cease. She’s unable to stop, even if she wanted to. She’s looking at her father now and wondering why her mind is like this. Why she’s so messed up. And she voices it out loud.
“Why am I such damaged goods?”
like it--that’s something Aaron’s always
known, but there’s something about actually
hearing it that still hurts. His actions had
consequences, his stupid devotion had hurt
his family, still hurt his family. He’s such an idiot,
isn’t he? “Well, at least you didn’t make her
cry as much as I did, huh?” Not really a
comforting thing to say, Aaron, jeez. Get your
life together.
She’s happy he’s here and that hurts him,
that hurts him so much, because what’s he
ever done for her? What’s he done but be a
shitty parent who’s never there until it’s almost
too late, until it is too late? “Yeah,” he says,
trying to not let his self-hatred show. “I’m here.”
And she’s scared, and what’s he supposed to
tell her? That he can make it go away? He’s
definitely not telling her he’s still struggling with
all of this. He’s got to be strong, she doesn’t need
to be comforting him, he’s her dad. “Oh, Alex--”
And she’s crying, and he stops, and he has to
breathe. He’s going to have to pull over on the
side of the road, he can’t keep driving like this
(but he continues to do so anyway, because
there’s no one on the road). “My job’s uncovering
secrets, I--I don’t know.” His voice strains, and he
lets out a noise that kind of sounds like a groan
and a moan without actually opening his mouth.
It’s her final words that make him hit the brakes,
make him pull over next to a house, make him
look at her with determined, warm eyes. “Alex,
you’re not damaged goods, you’re--oh my God,
I’m so, so sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t realize. I’m--
I love you, Alex. I don’t know what would’ve
happened if--I don’t know where I’d be if you
were gone, too.”