Teagan looked down at her brownie and coffee for a moment, trying to think of something to say that wasn't just another apology. As much as she meant the words, they seemed meaningless. They seemed just... empty. Penelope had faced a lot in her life from what she could surmise, and if she knew anything about people, she didn't even know everything. Maybe Penelope was having a moment of brutal honesty, but it was almost never all of it. It was almost never the complete story that you give to someone.
"God, I don't even know what to say," she finally said softly. "I feel so useless and stupid. Here I was, thinking of my own problems and life before I saw you and now it just seems so silly." She shook her head at herself. "I'm sorry you lost your mother. Sixteen is such a tender and important age for a girl and it had to be horrible to lose her then. Or ever. I can't even imagine losing a parent now, let alone back then. I'm sorry. I really am."
The words still felt empty and useless, but she had no idea what else to say to convey how bad she felt for her, how she felt for her and even understood she could never truly sympathize or understand what the other woman had been through.