When Ali was born, her mother died in childbirth, meaning she never once saw her mother's face. She had never known a mother's love, and though her brother doted on her endlessly, it could never fill the void in her heart.
It wasn't until she met Ophelia that she truly felt a kinship beyond her brother. When she fell ill, Ophelia would stay up all night to nurse her, going to great lengths to find a cure. When Ali complained that the ginger tea was bitter, Ophelia even made brown sugar from sugarcane just to sweeten it for her. To Ali, Ophelia was a friend, a sister, and a mother all at once. Although she called her "Sister," in her heart, she had long ago accepted Ophelia as her mother. She loved and respected her, and would not allow anyone to bully her—not even her own biological daughter.
"I’m sorry, I was just too anxious and misspoke," Loki said, seeing that everyone was siding with Ophelia and not caring at all whether Amy lived or died. He was rattled; fearing that Ophelia might truly abandon Amy, he softened his tone to apologize.
Chapter 50