Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Leo didn't even hesitate before saying, "Yep."

"Then I won't hold you."

Leo grinned, "Then I'll have to give you a little smack."

Anya rolled her eyes, "..."

Just as Naomi was about to call Anya, the missing person finally strolled in through the door.

Naomi let out a sigh of relief, "Anya, where have you been?"

"I went to find Chad."

Anya spotted her aunt lounging on the couch, not lifting a finger to help, and squatted beside her. "Auntie, can I borrow your little one for a bit?"

"Sure." Her mom handed over the freshly bathed Henry without a second thought.

Anya scooped up the little chubster and dashed outside.

At the car door, she handed him over, "Chad, here, you deal with him."

Henry was utterly bewildered, wondering why Anya had whisked him away to someone vaguely familiar.

Leo, cradling the adorable Henry, shared a look with him before giving his bottom a couple of playful taps. Even if it didn't hurt, Henry puckered up, ready to wail.

"Henry, how are you cuter than me?"

Anya chimed in, "Chad, he's just adorable."

"Just because he's all chubby, he's adorable?"

Leo cuddled his brother, planting several kisses on Henry's plump cheeks, delighting in the softness. Henry, his little feet resting on his brother's legs, grabbed Leo's hair and retaliated with a playful nibble. "Ah ah ah pfft."

Ten minutes later, Henry was back in his mom's arms.

Leo, driving, wiped his face with a tissue, "You little rascal, slobbering all over me like that."

On the way, they ran into a man heading home late.

Andre, a bit tipsy, was getting a lift from Noah.

"Boss, that's Leo's car up ahead. Should we say hi?"

Andre, leaning back and looking a bit worn, replied coolly, "Just keep driving."

"Got it."

Leo naturally slowed down, but the car opposite didn't acknowledge him, breezing past.

Leo swallowed his disappointment, turning it into determination, and stepped on the gas, leaving the Cedillo family behind.

Henry was back in his mom's arms, with Mia using a wet wipe to clean his cheeks.

Anya squatted nearby, "Auntie, could you not tell Chad every time I smooch the baby?"

Mia shook her head, "Sorry, I'm all about honesty, even if it means spilling the beans."

"If you don't cover for me, I'll spill to Uncle about your teenage celebrity crush and how you spent twelve hundred bucks to see him live." Anya had picked up a few tricks of her own. Mia raised an eyebrow, "You don't have any proof."

Anya grinned, "I don't need it. Uncle adores you. All I have to do is mention it, and he'll dig into it, no matter what."

If Auntie had done it, Uncle would surely get to the bottom of it.

Mia took a sharp breath, wondering when her niece had become so savvy...

"What am I supposed to be investigating?" Andre, slightly buzzed, walked in, catching the tail end of 'evidence' and 'investigation.'

Mia's heart skipped a beat her husband was home!

Anya glanced at Mia, ready to spill the beans.

Mia hadn't expected her teenage secrets to be a bargaining chip for this young duo.

Andre approached his wife, smiling at their son, who was eagerly reaching out for a hug.

He chuckled, scooping up the little bundle and settling beside Mia, wrapping an arm around her. "Little Mia, what mischief have you been up to behind my back?" Feigning innocence, she cooed, "Nothing, darling, just being a diligent student every day."

Andre shot a skeptical glance at his niece, clearly not buying it.

Mia, with her back to Anya, subtly waved her off, and Anya took the hint, scurrying away.

"Sweetheart, you're home. Play with our son while I hit the books."

Mia gave her husband a quick peck and dashed off, leaving Henry looking a bit puzzled.

Once his mom left, the little tiger opened his mouth, showing his tiny teeth, and started gnawing on his dad.

Dad smelled of alcohol, and after a few bites, Henry frowned, not a fan of the taste.

Upstairs, Mia first swung by Anya's room, "I'll cover for you, but if Leo catches on, it's not on me."

"Thanks, Auntie."

Mia hadn't noticed her husband watching her from behind. Andre, seeing Mia leave Anya's room and return to theirs, let out a quiet scoff, not easily fooled. Watching his wife leave Anya's room and come back to their bedroom, Andre held their son, "Henry, your mom must have done something sneaky again." But the little one's eyes were glued to his toy corner. "Ah, daddy."

Andre, despite his busy schedule,

always made time to hang out with

Henry, establishing a routine of

playtime in the toy area,

strengthening their bond through games like "pull the radish" and helping him practice his first steps.

After a while, Henry yawned, and Andre carried him upstairs.

Mia, freshly showered, was sitting at her desk, flustered as she stared at a quiz. "I can't be, even guessing should get some right. How did I get them all wrong?"

She quickly rechecked her answers.

Andre, holding their sleepy son, stood behind her, glanced at the quiz, and said calmly, "The answers are correct; it's you who got them wrong."

Mia, embarrassed, instinctively covered the quiz with her hands, "Honey, why are you so sneaky today? And you, Henry, aren't you the loudest? Why so quiet?" Henry, now implicated, blinked sleepily in his dad's arms, signaling that he was ready for dreamland.

Andre, supporting their son with one hand, moved Mia's hands aside to look at her quiz, pointing out her mistakes.

Mia's cheeks flushed as she stood up, cradling her sleepy son, gently patting his back to lull him to sleep.

Andre, in his sharp suit, picked up a red pen and stood at her vanity, marking the right answers in her study materials.

"Honey, I feel like maybe grad school

isn't for me. Everyone else in the

course is a student, quick on the uptake, absorbing lectures and answering questions effortlessly. Me, heed extra time during breaks to slowly figure things out," Mia admitted, feeling a bit defeated.

Andre quickly highlighted all the answers for her. "Mia, remember, you're a student too."

It's just that her student life was intertwined with being a wife, a mom, and running a household.