The silence grew heavy. For the first time, Patricia lost her composure. Her lips trembled slightly.
“We didn’t know…” someone whispered in the room.
“No, they didn’t know,” Elena replied calmly. “Because I never felt the need to wear my pain like a badge of honor. Widowhood isn’t a title. It’s a wound you learn to live with.”
Patricia cleared her throat.
— Well… that doesn’t change the fact that…