*Third Person POV*
The conversation had shifted to family, and Kelvin found himself talking about his childhood in a way he rarely did with anyone outside of Helen.
"My mother died when I was born," Kelvin said quietly, his hand wrapped around his wine glass. "I never knew her. It was always just me and my dad."
Elizabeth's expression changed instantly. The guarded politeness softened into genuine sympathy, her eyes reflecting a pain that seemed deeper than simple compassion for a stranger's loss. But there was something else there too-something Kelvin couldn't quite identify. A flicker of something that made her face go still, made her eyes take on a distant, almost haunted quality.
"I'm so sorry," Elizabeth said, and her voice carried a weight that made Kelvin look up. "That must hav
