"You didn't come inside," Anya continued innocently, licking a small line of melted ice cream from the corner of her spoon. "Because I was busy with Kai and having the best time. You didn't want to disturb us."
Kai turned slowly toward Alina, his brows knitting together in confusion. "You came to the hospital?"
Alina shrugged casually, scooping another bite of ice cream as if the question held no gravity at all. "I might have."
Kai's eyes shifted back to Anya. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't know you knew her," Anya replied honestly before Alina could say anything, her wide eyes moving between them as if she were watching a tennis match.
Kai looked back at Alina, disbelief slowly replacing confusion. "You met her and didn't tell me?"
Anya tilted her head curiously, clearly enjoying the unfolding drama. Kai opened his mouth to say something sharper, but the words stalled. He closed it again, jaw tightening slightly.
Alina's lips curved into a small, knowing smirk. "Someone isn't the only one hiding secrets."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "You came there?"
She nodded lightly this time, the playful tone softening into something more sincere. "Maya's friend had an accident. He was admitted there. Maya was staying with him, so I went to see her. That's when I saw Anya." She paused for a second, her gaze drifting briefly toward the little girl. "And then I saw you."
Kai's expression shifted, the teasing edge fading.
"I was standing outside the room," Alina continued, her voice quieter now. "You didn't see me. The door was slightly open, and you were sitting beside her bed. You were making ridiculous faces and pretending the IV stand was a microphone." A faint smile touched her lips at the memory. "She was laughing like she forgot she was in a hospital."
Kai's breathing slowed. "And?" he asked, softer.
"And I didn't want to disturb that," she finished gently. "It felt… important. She wasn't a patient in that moment. She was just a kid laughing with someone she admired. So I left."
He went silent, processing every word. The usual defence in his posture dissolved slightly, replaced by something thoughtful, almost vulnerable.
Anya suddenly gasped dramatically, looking between them with exaggerated suspicion. "Are you both fighting?"
"No," they said at the same time.
Anya grinned mischievously. "Good. Because I like both of you."
Kai reached over and flicked her forehead lightly. "You are trouble."
She rubbed her forehead with a fake offended expression. "I learned from you."
"Oh wow," Alina said immediately, raising her brows. "Savage."
Anya giggled, the sound bright and contagious, and for the next hour, they sat together as if the world outside did not exist. Ice cream melted faster than they could eat it, and more than once Kai tried to steal a bite from Anya's bowl, only for her to slap his hand away with dramatic outrage. At one point, he scooped up a spoonful and moved it toward her mouth while making exaggerated airplane noises.
"I'm not five," she protested, rolling her eyes in theatrical irritation.
He leaned back in mock offence. "Excuse me. You will always be five to me. Until I personally announce that you have grown up, till then you are still a kid."
She crossed her arms defiantly. "Then you are twelve."
Alina burst into uncontrollable laughter, nearly dropping her spoon. Kai pointed accusingly at her. "You are enjoying this too much."
"Very much," she replied sweetly, clearly making no effort to hide it.
But beneath the teasing and playful arguments, something softer lingered in Kai's expression whenever he looked at Anya. There was protectiveness there, a quiet awareness of how deeply he mattered to her.
When they finally stepped out into the night air, the world felt calmer. Kai drove carefully, one hand steady on the wheel. Anya hummed softly in the back seat, occasionally leaning forward to comment on random streetlights as if they were secret signals from the universe. Alina sat in the passenger seat, watching him from the corner of her eye. His face looked different tonight — not guarded, not burdened. Just peaceful.
When they reached Anya's house, the gates opened smoothly, and the car rolled to a gentle stop. They all stepped out together. Anya took a few steps toward the entrance before suddenly gasping.
"My banner!"
Alina reached into the back seat and pulled it out with a small smile. "Here."
But instead of taking it and running inside, Anya turned and walked back to Kai. She held the banner out toward him with both hands, this time carefully facing forward. "I made this for you," she said softly.
He took it gently and examined it again under the porch light. The big star in the center, painted white and slightly uneven, stood proudly, while the two smaller stars leaned toward it from the left side as if seeking comfort and direction. The paint wasn't flawless, the edges weren't precise, but the intention behind it was pure.
He brushed his fingers lightly over the stars, his touch reverent. "Why a star?" he asked quietly.
Anya looked up at him, her eyes shining brighter than the porch light. "Because there's a light in you that shines as brightly as the strongest star in the sky," she said carefully. "When everything was dark for me… when I thought I couldn't fight anymore… You came. You were like light. You made me see that I can win."
His throat tightened visibly.
"You're the light to the dark of my life," she continued, placing her small hand over her chest. "Without you, I wouldn't know the way. When I was scared in the hospital, I used to think that Kai would be waiting at the amusement park, and I had to get better. I had to go. So I fought."
Alina's eyes filled instantly. "You became my reason to live," Anya said simply. "Especially when you smile like that. It makes my heart feel brave."
Kai's composure cracked. He bent down slowly until they were eye level, his voice low and steady despite the emotion swimming in his eyes. "You never needed me to live," he said gently. "You are strong on your own. You fought because you are a warrior."
She shook her head stubbornly. "Maybe. But you helped me believe it."
He pulled her into a long, steady hug — not playful this time, not dramatic. Just deep and protective. His hand rested at the back of her head, holding her as if anchoring both of them.
Alina turned slightly, wiping her tears discreetly, overwhelmed by the purity of it. The respect in her heart for him grew in ways she could not even measure.
When they finally pulled apart, he cupped Anya's cheek gently. "Every Sunday," he reminded her softly.
"Every Sunday," she nodded firmly.
She walked toward the house, then turned back one last time to wave. Kai stood there holding the star banner carefully against his chest as if it were something sacred.
Alina stepped beside him quietly. "You are someone's reason to fight," she said in a voice full of meaning. He didn't respond immediately. He looked down at the imperfect, beautiful stars in his hands and smiled — not for cameras, not for applause, but for the little warrior who saw light in him even when he struggled to see it himself. And this time, that smile stayed.