Cassandra Jenner told Vanity Fair recently that she was never close with her father, Bruce Jenner, while she was growing up. Now that Bruce has officially transitioned to Caitlyn, however, the two are reportedly bonding, and Cassandra says she’s so happy about it.

Cassandra and her siblings–the oldest Jenners–sat down with the magazine for an in-depth interview in the newest issue, which features Caitlyn on the ground-breaking cover. Cassandra confessed that Bruce was a “distant” father in the past.

“I would happily have traded a distant father for a loving, involved mom,” Cassandra said.

Now, she says, she feels Caitlyn is in a better place, which allows her to be happier in all aspects of her life. The two have had fun bonding over “girly” things like makeup and clothes, but Cassandra says she’s excited to get to know Caitlyn as a person in addition to what her style is like.

“My relationship with Caitlyn is much better than with Bruce, but we still have a lot of work to do. We didn’t talk for years, and now we see each other every couple of weeks and talk on the phone, which I am grateful for. She’s happier and more appreciative of her family. She is trying harder and there is a softness to Caitlyn that is new to me. I think part of that is that when someone is happier, they are just nicer….There is so much more to being a woman than our external appearance. I am really looking forward to exploring that more with her,” Cassandra told People.

Since revealing her new look earlier this week, Caitlyn has garnered comparisons to Jessica Lange, who was flattered even though she hadn’t yet seen the Vanity Fair cover.