HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 800

The day of the camping trip finally arrived.

Since early morning, the atmosphere at the Miller family mansion had been far livelier than usual. Servants moved back and forth carrying the last items that needed to be loaded into the vehicles. Meanwhile, the front yard of the mansion was filled with suitcases, gear bags, and various camping necessities that had been prepared over the past few days.

Grace was the most excited of all.

The little girl ran around everywhere wearing her new camping hat, which she proudly showed off to anyone she met.

“Mom! Did you pack my bunny pillow?”

“Yes.”

“My sleeping bag?”

“Yes.”

“My coloring book?”

Althea let out a quiet breath. “Yes, sweetheart.”

Grace nodded in satisfaction before running back toward the car. “What if—”

“Grace,” Althea cut in quickly.

The little girl immediately stopped and looked at her mother. “Yes, Mom?”

“All your things are already packed.”

Grace grinned widely. “Okay!”

Then she ran off again without the slightest sign of fatigue. On the other side, Josh was busy carrying various items that he considered absolutely essential for camping.

“Why are you bringing a basketball?” Daven asked, raising an eyebrow.

Josh looked confused. “Because I want to play basketball.”

“We’re going camping.”

“I know.” Josh still seemed confused by what his father was asking.

“We’re going to the mountainside, Josh.”

“I know that too.”

Daven pointed at the basketball. “Then what is that for?”

Josh shrugged. “What if there’s a court?”

Daven rubbed his temple, but apparently his suffering was not over yet. A few minutes later, Josh reappeared carrying two additional bags.

“What is it now?”

“Fishing gear.” Josh lifted both bags cheerfully.

“You don’t even know whether there’s a lake there or not.”

“What if there is?” Josh shot back.

Daven fell silent.

“I also brought a drone.”

“Good grief.” Daven slapped a hand to his forehead.

“And a speaker.”

“Josh.”

“And—”

“That’s enough.”

Not long afterward, the group finally set off.

Throughout the drive to the campsite, the atmosphere was filled with casual conversation and jokes. Chris deliberately cracked jokes several times to keep things from becoming too stiff inside the car, even though most of his jokes were admittedly terrible.

“I have an important question.”

Everyone immediately turned toward him, and Chris cleared his throat lightly. “If a fish swims north and then turns east, is it exercising or is it lost?”

Silence followed, and several seconds passed without anyone answering Chris’s question.

Then Josh let out a long sigh. “Why do I feel like I regret hearing that?”

Chris looked wounded. “My humor is not appreciated.”

“Because it wasn’t funny, Uncle Chris,” Eli replied without looking up from her phone. “You’d be better off helping me solve this puzzle.”

“No thanks,” Chris answered immediately. “Your games aren’t for me.”

Josh burst out laughing. Even Grace laughed, though she clearly did not understand the joke. Naomi, sitting near the window, could not hold back a small smile.

For the first time since becoming part of this family, she was seeing how the Miller family interacted when they were not dealing with any problems at all.

They joked around. Teased one another and laughed together. And somehow, the atmosphere felt warm. Very warm. Without realizing it, Naomi began to enjoy the trip. The scenery of ever-changing trees outside the window felt far more pleasant than she had imagined it would.

It was then that Lydia, who was sitting beside her, glanced at her quietly. Seeing the faint smile that had appeared on the girl's face, Lydia felt relieved. At the very least, this trip had not been pointless for Naomi.

“Are you enjoying this trip?”

Naomi was slightly surprised by the question. She turned and found Lydia looking at her with a gentle smile.

For a moment, Naomi did not answer right away. Her gaze shifted toward the front. Toward Josh, who was arguing with Chris. Toward Grace, who was busy talking about her grand plans for the camping trip. Toward Nathan and Riana, who seemed to be enjoying all the commotion with complete happiness. And toward Daven and Althea, who were busy with their little baby.

Then, slowly, the corners of Naomi's lips lifted again. “I think,” she said softly. “Yes. I like it.”

Lydia's smile grew warmer. “I'm glad to hear that.” She gently stroked the top of Naomi's head. “Enjoy this trip. You're part of our family. Don't feel shy.”