Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Molly slouched into her family's suburban home, her head hanging low. As soon as she stepped through the door, she locked eyes with her dad, Hansen. Father and daughter stared at each other, a heavy silence between them.

It was that damned fate - you always run into the person you least want to see.

"Dad, there's no such thing as a grudge that can't be mended between father and daughter, right?" Molly ventured.

"There is," Hansen replied curtly.

Jade was at a loss for words; why wasn't her dad following the script?

"Should I... go kneel in front of mom's portrait for a while?" Molly asked tentatively.

"Do that."

Jade: ""

She realized then, the whole 'like father, like daughter' thing was in full swing in the Cedillo household.

Defeated, Molly trudged upstairs and knelt before her late mother's photo.

So engrossed was she in her act of penance that her sisters didn't even notice she was home.

It wasn't until dinner when an extra plate appeared on the table that one of her sisters remarked, "Huh, when did you get back?" She had spent the whole afternoon in her room, video-calling her kids and Anya, oblivious to her best friend's return. Molly felt drained, too scared to speak up.

Andre had returned as well and was holding his mischievous son during dinner.

At the table, Molly didn't dare lift her head to meet her family's gaze.

However, the family didn't scold her again, and everyone dispersed after the meal.

Hansen had calmed down and had started to accept the situation.

Bruce, nagged by his wife, had also come around.

And Andre... had been forced to let it go.

Molly was uneasy. "Mia, do you think Dad and my brothers are just holding their breath, waiting to drop some big bombshell?"

brother has Naomi to keep him in check, and Andre just got over a spat with me and doesn't dare stir things up again. So, everyone's just

Molly had been back for a while, only to

ready, and it was

"Molly, we used

with this custom ring, buying into their slogan about loving me for a lifetime. How

I still don't understand why Andre spent a fortune

now-awake son and preparing to hand him over for feeding, paused to

next day at a major shopping mall, Andre appeared, cuddling a

jewelry counter. The crowd huddled around the display, but when he appeared, everyone held their breath,

shock. Was that Andre holding a child? Andre, of all

in the rings, ignoring the stunned onlookers as he held his son close and examined

son, dressed festively by his mother and then taken out by his father, was a sight to

the

are you looking at rings for?"

my wife," Andre

glanced at the little tyke in Andre's arms, a bit incredulous.

succinctly,

But it

had seen plenty of men come to buy engagement rings, usually with their wives at their side. This was the first time seeing someone pick out a ring for his wife while holding his son-and that someone was Andre! Indeed,

you guys really only sell one ring per man

that's our

relieved he was in the right place. He pointed to a ring, silently conveying his

it for a moment, then lifted his son up to get his opinion. "Would this look good on

little one

father and son both settled on a 70-point round

Ah-ah!" the little one exclaimed

light. "We'll take this

chance, the little one cooed in agreement

choice, Andre pulled out his ID and bank card.

to sign his wife's information with one hand.

little guy ended up sprawling in his father's arms; after all, as someone's baby, he

the