The funny thing is,
Darcy does what she can do to protect him, but it's hard to protect a person from what isn't there. She tries to fill the gaps in his life, she really tries. She is his too-often partner in crime, his sometimes adversary, his always best friend. But despite all the drinks she buys him, or the hugs he hesitantly accepts from her, she knows it isn't enough. It couldn't be.
All the hugs in the world don't mean a thing when your father doesn't want you.