Eli Grant and Lani Price Are Moving Back to Salem on Days of Our Lives! Here’s a Refresher Course on How Much They Matter

ELI GRANT AND LANI PRICE ARE BACK AND THEY BROUGHT THE BABIES

TL;DR: Eli Grant and Lani Price are officially moving back to Salem on Days of Our Lives with their twins Jules and Carver, and if you are new to the show and wondering why Julie Williams is weeping with joy and Abe Carver is beaming like a man who just won the lottery, here is everything you need to know about this family.

So Who Is Eli?

Eli Grant is one of those characters whose family tree reads like a Salem history lesson. He is played by Lamon Archey, who first appeared on Days of Our Lives in 2017. Eli is the son of Valerie Grant and David Banning, which makes him the biological grandson of Julie Williams. That is the detail that matters most. Eli is a Horton. Not by marriage, not by proximity, but by blood. Julie’s son David fell in love with Valerie in what became one of daytime television’s first interracial romances, and Eli is the living proof that love story happened.

Eli grew up not knowing any of this. His mother Valerie raised him away from Salem and kept his paternity a secret for years. When he finally arrived in town as an FBI agent, it was Julie who opened her arms and pulled him into the Horton family. That grandmother and grandson bond has become one of the most touching relationships on the show, and Julie’s reaction to him coming home is going to make even the most hardened soap fan misty.

Think Eli and Lani coming home is going to shake Salem up? Got a theory about what their return means for the Carver family? Send it to [email protected] and we just might publish it!

And Who Is Lani Price?

Lani Price is played by Sal Stowers and she is one of the most layered women Salem has produced. Lani arrived as a rookie cop and revealed herself to be the daughter of Tamara Price. But then came the bombshell. Paulina Price, who arrived in Salem claiming to be Lani’s aunt, turned out to be her biological mother. Tamara had raised Lani to protect her from a painful truth, and when it all came out, it shattered Lani’s sense of identity and her relationship with Paulina for a long time.

Lani is also Theo Carver‘s adoptive half sister. They share the same father – because Abe Carver officially adopted her – and that bond has always been one of the warmest corners of the show. Between Theo, Abe, Paulina, and the twins, the Carver household is about to have the kind of energy it hasn’t had in years.

Except for the part where Lexie Carver is coming back from the dead to completely ruin everything.

But we digress.

How Eli and Lani Became ELani

These two did not have a smooth road to happiness. Eli Grant was originally dating Gabi Hernandez, and Lani was with JJ Deveraux. A one night stand changed everything. Lani became pregnant, and the pregnancy ended in a devastating stillbirth that broke both of them. They tried to stay apart. They could not.

They got engaged, but Gabi blackmailed Lani into leaving Eli at the altar. Vivian Alamain even crashed their eventual wedding with a gun. They couple finally married in 2020. On Christmas Day that year, Lani gave birth to twins, a girl named Jules Grant and a boy named Carver Grant. The twins were kidnapped almost immediately by Vivian Alamain’s henchman, because Salem does not let anyone enjoy a good thing for five minutes. Eli and Lani tracked their babies down and brought them home.

Why They Left and Why They Are Back

The family left Salem in 2022 after Lani confessed to killing TR Coates, her biological father, who was a very bad man. She turned herself in at Paulina and Abe’s wedding and was arrested. Eli packed up the twins and moved near the prison so they could stay close.

They have popped in and out of Salem since then. Until now. Eli Grant announced to a very emotional Julie that the FBI was impressed by his recent team up with Rafe Hernandez in Alamainia and they are keeping the partnership going. That means Eli, Lani, Jules, and Carver are coming home.

For Julie, this means her grandson and her great grandchildren walking back through the door. For Abe, this is his daughter and grandbabies returning to a Salem. And for Paulina, who is sitting on secrets that could blow her life apart? Hsaving Lani back in town is either the greatest comfort or the worst timing imaginable.

Are you thrilled that Eli and Lani are finally home for good? Who are you most excited to see them reunite with? Drop your answer in the comments because Salem is about to get a whole lot more interesting!

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@soapoperamag Rachel is learning a hard lesson I don't think it will be enough to change her ways with all that DiMera blood coursing through her veins. But, hey, at least she's finding out why scheming, lying, and playing dangerous games means winning terrible prizes. #DAYS #DOOL #DaysofOurLives ♬ original sound – Soap Opera Magazine