MasukThe Miller family dining room was bustling with activity as the staff prepared dinner.When Eli came down from the second floor, a strange awkwardness settled in her chest—an uneasy question she couldn’t quite silence: Was she still welcome here or not?Doubt weighed on every step she took, but Eli
Eli quickly wiped her face before answering. “Come in.”Gia entered, carrying a thermos of warm water. The moment she saw Eli’s face, she knew the girl had been crying again. Still, Gia didn’t look surprised.“How are you feeling?” she asked gently. Setting the thermos down on the table, she added i
“Ugh!”Eli slowly stirred awake as the soft glow of late afternoon light slipped through the curtains. Her head felt heavy, as if she had just come out of a long, exhausting dream.For a few seconds she remained still, lying there without moving, trying to understand where she was. The room was dim
“Eli.”Daven looked slightly surprised.“She said Josh and Grace are very lucky to have parents like us.”A small smile appeared on Daven’s face. “She’s right,” he said softly. “Especially you—as their mother.”Althea raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think that’s a bit exaggerated?”“No.” Daven leaned
Daven laughed softly. “I was persuading you.”“Very stubborn persuasion.”“Do you regret coming?”Althea turned her gaze toward the window, then smiled.“Not at all.”A brief silence settled between them.“The restaurant isn’t far from the office,” Daven continued. “I think you’ll like it.”His tone
Althea stood in front of her wardrobe longer than she had intended. Rows of dresses hung neatly inside, most of them the kind she usually wore to formal events or important meetings.But today felt different.She didn’t want to look too formal—or too casual either. She simply… wanted to look nice fo







