Bitter end

Ever since my mom died, it seemed as if my dad always talked in open-ended sentences like that - especially when she was the subject. "You know what your mom would've said..." or "Your mom would've thought your behavior right now..." or "If only your mom were here..." He always looked so sad and meek when he said it.
It was the Big Mystery of my life. My mom. My Dad. What happened between them and why we didn't talk about it. Sometimes it seemed as if I was the only one in the house who even cared.