Astrid's head snapped up.
"What...What do you mean?"
Nadia sank down onto a nearby rock, settling Aster in her lap. The fox immediately curled up, pressing its head against her stomach.
"You weren't the only one who was lonely, Astrid."
Nadia stroked its fur with slow, absent motions, her crimson eyes distant.
"You weren't the only one who had a hole in your heart. When you pulled away from me and stopped being my daughter—" She took a shaky breath. "It broke something inside me. Something I couldn't fix."
"Mom..." Guilt clawed at Astrid's chest.
"Do you remember how we used to be?" Nadia looked up at her. "Inseparable. We did everything together. You would hold my hand when we walked through the city. You would curl up in my lap and tell me about your day. Even when you couldn't understand what I was feeling—"
A sad smile.
