But he was learning.
With support from her counselor, he began asking different questions.
Not simply whether she'd completed her homework or enjoyed school.
He asked what had made her happy.
What had been difficult.
Whether she needed help.
And whether something he'd said had made her uncomfortable.
At first, Nia answered cautiously.
Then she began talking more.
She told him about a girl at school who borrowed her colored pencils without returning them.
About a teacher who encouraged her to submit artwork for a student exhibition.
And about how she sometimes felt guilty enjoying herself when she remembered her mother wasn't there to see it.
Marcus listened.
He didn't turn every conversation into a lesson.
Sometimes he simply sat beside her.
Other times he asked whether she wanted advice.
And occasionally he admitted that he didn't know the right answer.
Nia seemed surprised by that.
She'd spent so long believing adults were supposed to know what was right that hearing her father acknowledge uncertainty felt strange.
But it also made him easier to approach.
One evening, while they were washing dishes together, she looked toward him.
"Dad?"
He turned.
"Yeah?"
"Can I tell you something without you getting upset?"
Marcus put down the plate.
"Of course."
Nia hesitated.
Then whispered.
"I was mad at you too."
For a moment, Marcus felt pain move through his chest.
But he remained quiet.
She continued.
"I kept thinking you didn't care that I was unhappy."
He looked toward her.
"I'm sorry I made you feel that way."
Nia stared at the sink.
Then said something he would never forget.
"I know you loved me. I just needed you to notice me."
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
Then nodded.
"You're right."
He didn't explain how busy he'd been.
Didn't describe the pressure of running his company.
And didn't tell her how hard he'd found life after her mother died.
Those things were real.
But they weren't answers to what his daughter had just said.
Instead, he reached for a towel.
Then asked if she'd like to finish the dishes together.
Nia smiled faintly.
"Okay."
They stood side by side at the sink.
For several minutes, they talked about school.
And Marcus realized that trust was returning through moments so ordinary nobody outside their home would ever notice them.
Caleb and Ava struggled in their own ways.
They loved their mother.
They also loved Nia and Marcus.
The separation created questions neither child was old enough to resolve alone.