how does opal feel about her father? why?

In the novel's opening, we see a little girl who loves her father from a distance, she describes him as something of a turtle, "hiding all the time inside his shell" (p. 67). By the end of the novel, the two have forged a closer relationship, as Opal's father opens up about his wife's death, and thus, opens himself to the love he feels for his daughter.