Stella felt a wave of hurt and confusion crashing over her.

Was she really such a failure?

Had she truly done something wrong?

In her arms, little Aster had cried himself hoarse-now, even as he drifted off, his

mouth was still searching for his mother's comforting touch.

Seeing her chance, Stella gently popped the pacifier into his mouth.

The exhausted, hungry little guy latched on and started sucking with determined gusto.

Stella blinked in disbelief, then broke into a smile.

It worked!

For the first time, Aster was actually willing to take the formula.

He must have been truly drained. Two hundred milliliters of formula disappeared

in a single go, and when he finished, he let out a satisfied burp, smacked his lips, and soon fell into a deep, contented sleep.

Stella could breathe

along the edge to keep him from

his rosy cheeks and tiny hands with a warm washcloth, then changed

cherub-his chubby face soft and pink, nothing like the little terror who'd just threatened to

at him, her heart melting. She bent down and pressed gentle kisses to

lie down beside him. Watching his innocent face, she finally closed her eyes and let out

was a whirlwind of emotion-relief, exhaustion, and

as Cedric Clarke spoke quietly into the phone, Scarlett's voice faintly audible from

everything's fine. Star brought some

drinking out

besides, Aster's nearly a year old it's about time to wean bim anyway. The longer you wait, the harder it gets... I know you're worried about him, but honestly,

taking

baby."

for her-she's my

his nose. "She's

back, "Are you

stay here. There's

to drag him out." He paused, then added, "Mom, you and Dad have helped us so much these past years, looking after Aster. Why don't you take a few days and go

always busy at the hospital, and I don't feel comfortable leaving Star

love nothing more than to come stay for

long silence on the

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