He's not the only one to insist that it won't be a burden before hearing it, but it's not a promise he's truly in a position to make. He can't know how bad it is until he knows everything, and by then, it will be too late.

But it's too late no matter which way you slice it. 'Oh, never mind, let's just eat this apple crumble and pretend everything's fine' isn't an option. She has to tell him something.

"There are people here who... who know my story," she says quietly. "Not all of it, not every moment, but... enough. It--it ends badly, for me." She takes in an unsteady breath, shoulders hitching in a shrug. "I suppose that's the shortest way to explain it."