Mal knew the two of them had a long way to go before things would be healed between them. She knew it would take work and time. A big part of her worried that with Maria in the picture now, she would again have to take a backseat in her father's life. She wanted so desperately to be a part of it as a child and even as a teenager there was a part of her that always longed for her father's approval, for his support. She just worried that being sent here could have messed up the bridge the had started to build between them.
"I'm glad you are here too, dad. It gives us a chance to work on things between us," Mal replied. "I know how difficult mom was-is-to be around. I know you are trying to be a better father now and it means a lot to me." Mal just didn't want to lose him again because someone else had stepped in the way again. She didn't want to be the afterthought. She wanted to be his first thought.