Regretting the Wife He Threw Away novel Chapter 315

Little Mario scrunched his nose and shook his head. "No," he declared, with a look of determination that could have rivaled someone pledging allegiance.

Stewart studied his small face for a moment, then looked away and continued eating.

Garry glanced at Stewart, but seeing his indifference, let it go and turned his attention back to his own plate.

"What does 'physiological aversion' mean?" Little Nina asked, swallowing a bite of potatoes, her eyes wide with curiosity.

James smiled and explained, "Well, it just means that while we think potatoes taste good, when Little Mario eats them, they probably taste completely different to him."

"Huh?" Little Nina blinked at him. "So what do they taste like to Little Mario?"

James considered this. "Maybe sour? Bitter? Or like... a wet mop? Maybe like something from a sewer?"

Stewart, who had been eating with perfect composure, paused mid-chew.

Little Mario pointed at the potatoes and declared, "Gross."

Stewart's movements stilled, his eyes unreadable.

"Potatoes are so tasty! How come you think they're gross?" Little Nina shook her head with genuine sympathy. "Poor Little Mario!"

"It's just how he's wired. But really, Little Mario isn't picky about much else," Carol said, ruffling his hair affectionately.

Briony grabbed a few green beans, snipped them into bite-sized pieces, and placed them in Little Mario's bowl. "If you don't like the potatoes, that's fine. Green veggies are full of vitamins—eat up."

"Th-thank you!" Little Mario's eyes sparkled as he looked up at her.

Briony was quietly pleased to see how much more comfortable he was talking to people now.

She'd been observing him for a while, and honestly, she wasn't convinced he was autistic. It seemed more likely that he'd been born a bit frail, and with only adults around, he'd been so carefully looked after that he never really felt the need to express himself. Over time, that had just slowed his speech development.

With that in mind, Briony turned to Garry. "Yesterday, when you took Little Mario to see Dr. Ellsworth, what did he say?"

Garry replied, "Dr. Ellsworth said Little Mario's weak constitution is congenital. He suggested we help him with a better diet and some gentle massage therapy suited for kids."

"Dr. Ellsworth is really good at that," Briony said.

Garry raised an eyebrow. "Is he, now?"

Briony could tell he was skeptical. She continued, "When Little Nina was a baby, her immune system was awful. She hardly put on any weight and was always sick. She's allergic to a lot of things—feeding her was a nightmare."

Garry glanced at Little Nina. "Really? You'd never guess now."

These days, Little Nina was a ball of energy.

Briony laughed, "That's all thanks to Dr. Ellsworth. Someone told me about him, so I went to see him in the next town over. After his treatment, Little Nina gradually got better. Now that her digestion's improved, she absorbs everything, and her resistance is way up."

"Absolutely," Gwendolyn White chimed in, smiling. "Just look at her now—she eats with such gusto and looks so healthy."

Garry looked at Little Nina again.

Stewart also stopped eating, glancing unconsciously at his daughter.

The little girl was thoroughly focused on her meal—one bite of food, then another, completely absorbed.

Carney chuckled, "Our Little Nina is a chatterbox. The only time she stops talking is when she's eating or sleeping."