Maci had never known her father without her mother at his side. The version of Hades who existed when Seph was home in the fall was Maci’s hero; though always stiff in nature, and usually slightly bowled over by Maci’s overwhelming energy, he held a soft spot for his little daughter next to the spot reserved for his wife. Hades had also, of course, never been responsible for taking care of Maci without Seph there with him. It was easy to bounce Maci’s high-maintenance hyperactivity against Persephone, who was mellow and cool, and usually unshakeable. The disposition of Hades - easily irritable and short-tempered himself - was less equipped to handle Maci’s whims and moods, and in the immediate aftermath of Seph’s first absence from them both, he did not have any interest in learning how.

During the first spring that she spent home at the age of 10, Maci was first confused and dismayed to discover that the springtime version of her father was shut down completely, and he had not chosen to invite her in. Instead of bonding together to cope with the absence of Persephone from the Underworld, Hades instead chose to ice Maci out completely, and retracted himself from her both physically and emotionally.