Secrets

"And the type of thing my dad would have done for my mum."

Silence lingered between us, and I bit my lip, embarrassed by the tremble in my voice toward the end.

I took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't apologize, Ellie," Aiden said, squeezing my hand. I turned to him, meeting his gaze, though his image blurred as tears swam in my eyes.

"I know it's hard," he continued, his voice careful. "But I want to know… is it hard every day? The loss of your parents? Every single day?"

I blinked back the tears, unsure if they were from the pain or his sincerity. "Not every day," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "Some days are better than others. But it's like this… weight. It's always there, even when I'm not thinking about it. It just… it never really goes away."

Aiden nodded slowly and tugged my hand. "C'mere, you."