However, Larissa couldn't shake off the lingering discomfort in her heart, so she felt a subtle unease. It wasn't that she couldn't see how much Aster yearned for a father figure or grasp how much a father's presence would contribute to Aster's growth. But she couldn't move past what happened before and was paralyzed by the fear of taking that challenging first step.

…

The restaurant was packed with people, which caused delays in serving food to the table. The pizza was the first to come. It was