Chapter 1349

It was evident the little boy liked Anastasia very much. He climbed onto her, sliding down as if she were a slide.

"Hey, you little troublemaker!" Lily intervened, pulling Galen away from his ascent.

"Let me go!" Two small hands flailed in the air, his displeasure apparent. "Mommy! Mommy! Let me down!"

"You can't climb on Anastasia like that! She'll get tired!" Lily held him, nuzzling his nose. She frowned, glancing at Anastasia as if to assess her.

Anastasia smiled and stood. "It's okay, I'm fine!"

"Lily, he can call me Aunt Tasia. It'll be strange if he calls me by my name while I call you by yours!" Lily smiled.

"He's still so young. He should call you sis!"

"No, no. Aunt Tasia is fine!" Anastasia said, shyly covering her face.

Lily laughed. Hugging her son, she walked to the sofa. After settling Galen on her lap, she squeezed his small hands and asked Anastasia, "Do you like what I prepared for you today?"

"Of course!" Anastasia nodded repeatedly, eager to offer praise. "Today's sautéed beef was delicious. The wrapped scones with chili dip were amazing, and that scrambled egg—I don't think I've had anything so delicious since I was a child!" She closed her eyes, seemingly savoring the memory.

The expression on her face made Lily laugh harder. "Nonsense! How can you never have had anything more delicious?"

"To be honest, I had all sorts of yummy food. The chef at home cooked whatever I wanted. My father didn't care, as long as I ate well. But later, the longer he was away, the lonelier I felt. I started eating to pass the time."

The sparkle in Anastasia's eyes dimmed as she continued. "I was just eating without appreciating it. All I wanted to do was eat; that was all. I didn't care about the taste. I couldn't taste anything."

Lily understood. Many with bulimia experienced this; eating became mechanical, a mindless stuffing of food, regardless of taste or enjoyment. Afterward, regret would lead to purging, or emotional breakdowns and further binging—a relentless cycle. When Lily first met Anastasia, her father's strict diet had left her on the brink of collapse; Anastasia's willpower couldn't withstand such severe restriction.

"Are we having beef burritos tonight?" Anastasia asked enthusiastically, her eyes full of anticipation.