Fonder

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Whatever it is, you become fonder of it if you work on it yourself.

They grew fonder of each other as time went by.

She became fonder and fonder of mankind, and longed more and more to be able to live among them.

My dad never managed to adapt to the city, he's always been fonder of living in the countryside.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.