Children love their parents unconditionally. Both of them. No matter what happened between the children and their parents, no matter what the relationship was between the parents, they are made up of 50% Mum and 50% Dad. When the father is not present or is unknown, or “just” a donor, or abandoned them, or committed suicide, is abusive or not emotionally available because of his own entanglements, it helps when the mother can say to her children :“it is OK to love your Dad”.