A plate dropped a bomb on me. Texted me and says her day was absolutely awful, I ask why, she says her dad had visited her at the University we attend and reviled her has prostate cancer. I respond by saying “thats awful I’m sorry to hear that, I hope everything gets better”.

I have never been put in a weird situation like this. What would have been a better response (in a future, if something like this happens again) and how to continue with the conversation that I don’t want to have.