HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 1026

Eli smiled. "College is pretty busy, GrandDad."

"Really?" Nathan raised an eyebrow, pretending to be dissatisfied. "I'd rather you say that you missed me."

Eli immediately laughed. "I missed you, GrandDad."

"That's better."

Riana laughed as well while touching Eli's hand. "Let her eat first. You always tease her."

Eli simply smiled. She looked at each person sitting around the dining table. Grace, who occasionally teased her, Josh, who had been watching her with a relaxed expression, Althea, who was still making sure all the food was available, Daven, who welcomed her like his own daughter, and Nathan and Riana, who always made her feel accepted.

No one made her feel like an outsider. No one reminded her that she was merely a girl who had once come into this family under unusual circumstances.

In this house, she was simply Eli. The girl they waited to come home.

A warm feeling filled Eli's chest. She lowered her face for a moment, trying to hide her widening smile. She really was lucky.

And for a while, she simply wanted to enjoy that morning with her family.

Josh watched her for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You look thinner."

"Really?" Eli looked down at herself in disbelief.

"Yes." Josh seemed serious as he looked Eli over. "Right, Mom?"

Althea, who had just set down a cup of coffee for Daven, turned her attention to Eli. "That's right." She looked at Eli with a displeased expression. "Haven't you been eating properly at the dorm, Eli?"

"No, Mrs. Althea," Eli quickly protested. "I eat regularly. I also keep snacks in my room."

Grace rubbed the tip of her chin and said, "I think it's because Eli is too busy studying."

Eli laughed softly. "I'm not so busy that I'd forget to eat."

Eli could only smile. Surrounded by that family, she once again felt something she had known for a long time.

Not everyone had a family that would wait for them to come home just to make sure they ate properly. Not everyone had a place that always felt like home even after they had lived far away for some time.

After breakfast was over, Eli and Josh sat in the family room. They opened some notes and began discussing their respective programs of study. Josh asked several times about Eli's assignments, while Eli also asked about the progress of the program Josh was working on.

"Have you finished this part?" Josh asked, pointing to one of the notes.

"Not yet. I'm still thinking about how to put it together."

"Then don't make it too complicated. Your advisor might end up getting confused by your explanation."

Eli pouted in displeasure. "There's no such thing, Josh."

Josh ended up laughing. "By the way, would you mind coming with me to practice this afternoon?"