"Of course that hurt," Joey acknowledged. "And I doubt she means it. She wishes this situation wasn't happening, of course. And lashing out-" Joey chewed his lip for a moment and then he pulled the tea towards him so he could stare at something. "Lashing out at you is a way of testing boundaries. People who are adopted often do it. They step over the line to see if their caregivers are safe. To see where the line even is. You're her father, but she doesn't know you all that well. She probably doesn't even realise she's doing it."