[That's a bad age to lose a parent. Not that there's any good age for something like that to happen, but he remembers the kids at school - from both when he was attending and when he came back to help teach there. Only a small handful of them had two living parents.]

It's harder when you're younger. I can't speak from experience, but I know how that works. I'm sorry you had to grow up without her.

[But this isn't a pity party. His tone doesn't change; he's not chastising her. Her behavior can be very telling, but he doesn't know her like he knows his friends; like he knows Chouji or Ino or Naruto.]

That was a long time ago, though, wasn't it?