As soon as the words left his mouth, Edwards noticed a subtle shift in Annabelle's demeanor. Her smile faltered, and for a brief moment, something unreadable flashed across her eyes,something that looked like pain, or perhaps regret. Her heart skipped a beat at the unexpected question. She hadn't anticipated this, hadn't prepared herself to revisit that chapter of her life tonight. Especially when it involved him.
But Annabelle was nothing if not composed. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before meeting Edwards' gaze once more. There was no point in hiding the truth, not if they were going to have an honest conversation.
"Well," she began, her voice steady but with a trace of melancholy, "Karen's father and I are no longer together. We've been separated since before Karen was born, so… he's dead to me." She ended the statement with a small, resigned smile, as if to say that this was a part of her life she had long accepted.