Good gods, this girl was a diva! She'd fit right in in this dramatic family.
"Shh, shh, Paloma," he says quickly. "Have you ever heard of a father?" He watches her shake her head miserably. "It's like a mother. Very similar. Only different. Fathers are for taking care of you, but also for rough-and-tumbling with, and protecting you. I can't be your mother, but I can be your father."
He smiles nervously, wondering what he's getting himself into.