[There's no one to blame but himself - he's the one that brought it up, after all. So as much as his instinct is to try and hide it, why bother? Might as well be as honest with the kid as he can be.]

Yeah, pretty much. I never said anything to the girl I liked, and then she died.

[He chuckles - one of those low ones that means anything but humor.]

It was a pretty crappy way to learn a lot of lessons at once.