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 probably hot out of the oven—the melted cheese was oozing and emitting a tempting aroma. Even Larissa, who was not particularly keen on pizza, couldn't resist her mouth from watering. Of course, Kevan picked up on this detail, as well as her fixed gaze on the pizza. He handed her the first slice.

She was taken aback by his action, so she looked up and found him calmly placing the second slice on Aster's plate.

"Come on, dig in," he encouraged Aster. "You can protect your mom only when you get t