And the idea of Adalind just doing everything she can to please her mother and make her proud just hurts.

This line:

“A bit of it [the white powder] smudged against her skin, but she refused to wipe it off, enjoying the gritty feel of it; it helped her keep Catherine’s touch in her memory longer.”

KILLS ME. Because now I’m picturing this sweet, innocent little girl who just wants her mother to be proud of her, who’s positively starved for affection and attention, doing everything she can to get any semblance of either from Catherine.

It would certainly explain a lot to me about how adamant Adalind is about being there for her children.