Mrs. Yu exhaled softly, breaking the silence again. "It's been a long time. A lot has happened. But we're glad you're here today."
Still, Ella remained silent.
Mrs. Yu's voice lowered, kind but firm. "Let's… leave the past where it belongs. In the past."
That was when the words slipped out of Ella's mouth, quiet, almost childlike.
"All these years… have you ever thought of me?" Tears pricked the back of her eyes when she uttered the question that had lingered in her heart for two lifetimes now.
The glass in Mrs. Yu's hand trembled. Mr. Yu looked away, jaw tight. But no one answered.
Ella didn't press. She simply gave a faint nod and turned toward the table, the ache tucked back where it had lived for years. She did not know what kind of a response she was looking for.
