Chapter 109 Their relationship was doomed to be fraught with challenges.

Nova gave Ivy a soft nod, her eyes brimming with warmth. Whenever she looked at Ivy, she couldn't help but remember the child she'd lost, perhaps because they would've been around the same age. Pulling herself out of her thoughts with a wry smile, Nova reflected inwardly that dwelling on the past wouldn't bring the child back. However, Ivy's presence allowed her to somewhat experience the joys of motherhood, and that was comforting in its own way. "My stories are kind of plain, you know," Ivy mused, her head drooping slightly as she thought harder, looking a bit gloomy. "It's just waking up, eating, playing. That's about it. I feel like I've spent my life waiting around. Edith even spends more time with me than my mom does." Nova, not quite adept at comforting kids, shifted the conversation towards herself, "Actually, Ivy, you're luckier than me in many ways." "Why is that?" "When I was just a little girl, I lost my mom. My dad got remarried, and after his new wife had another d