Ella felt remorse at bringing up the subject of his dad. She touched his arm. "Oh, that's awful."
After a couple of minutes of silence, she squeezed his arm. "And thanks. For the apology thing. I don't mean to be annoying. I'll work on it. And I'll be getting some change, immediately," she said with a smile. "It's nice to know I might have a friend, or at least someone to talk to on board this ship."
"I guess I didn't think about how lonely it might be to grow up moving around all the time. But from the outside looking in, it sounds like an amazing life. To see different cultures, to meet different people. I've always wanted to travel. Or really to just get out of the South. It can be oppressive sometimes."