Bella:

A thick silence hung in the air, making me regret speaking.

"I'm sorry, and I..."

"No, Bella, it's fine," she said, turning to face me. "I would have been curious too if I were in your shoes. I assumed your mother told you the story from her point of view, but I was wrong," she said, placing the last batch of plates in the sink.

"She never tells me anything," I replied, watching her wash her hands before turning around.

She took a deep breath.

"It's ...