“Fine. Fine! I give up!” Robert sighed heavily. “You know, you’re even more stubborn than your mother was.”

Tabitha smiled. “That’s what you love about me!”

Robert laughed. “Okay, I admit,” he said with a smile. “That’s part of the reason I married her.” His smile faded. “It’s too bad she…” He stopped, his voice breaking. He started to shake.

“Daddy,” she said, worried, as she always was when he got like this. She reached out, following the sound of his voice. Once her hands found him, she held his face, touching her forehead to his. “Dad, listen to me,” she whispered. “That… thing we fought last year was not your wife. Do you hear me? Allen killed her and brought that thing back in her place!”

Robert shook his head. “No… No, he didn’t… I… It was…” He was starting to lose it. He’d been in therapy for six months, on anti-depressants for four of those. Most of the time, he was fine. But every so often…

Tabitha did all she could. She let him break down, and held her father while he did.