We were in the middle of the meal when a thick, awkward silence fell over us. No one dared to speak. It was an uncomfortable and heavy silence. Then, out of nowhere, my aunt broke the stillness by bringing up my dead mother. Her voice was calm. "I remember your mother," she began. "She was the one who taught me how to cook this dish," referring to the dish we are eating. I just smiled, it wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the sentiment. It was just... What else could I offer in that moment? Grief? Gratitude? None seemed right, so I just settled for a smile. "Your mother was kind, and as soon as we got closer, she asked me to be a ninang saimong kuya. I didn’t even have a choice, you know. Bawal man daw balibaran." She chuckled lightly. "I wasn’t married to your tito then, still just a woman navigating my own path," my aunt continued. I never truly knew my mother, my aunt’s memories feel like pieces of a puzzle I don’t have all the pieces for. That's why I could only nod, smiling as if I could bridge the gap between what my auntie felt and what I didn’t know how to express. Maybe that is where my smile comes from, a longing to connect, paired with the reality of my mother I only know through others' stories.