[ The little bit of coldness that had crept up into his expression fades away at that completely, and he flinches. In any other context, that sentence alone would have labeled him a bad man. ]

I was. [ Old(new) nervous habit: he thumbs over his bare ring finger. ] I can't remember her face or the sound of her voice, but I know I taught her how to count to ten in French. She's like a dream -- I just -- I don't know her bloody birthday anymore, but I know that she was my little girl and I wanted to teach her how to fly, and I remember how we ended up, but I don't know how we got there and --

[ He hadn't noticed that he had slowly crept up in volume until his voice dies away a second time. He runs his fingers through his hair, swallowing down the tightness in his throat. ]

That isn't fair.