Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

In Eldoria, Molly was always the busiest bee, buzzing about with more tasks than a library had books. Sometimes, the chaos got to her, and she'd dream about just throwing in the towel and taking it easy. One day, she darted off to find her mom, Coleen. "Mom, let me get a job, will you? I'll work for free for a month. You handle the worrying; let me handle my own wedding, okay?" Coleen rolled her eyes and said, "Get outta here. Take your complaints to Chad, not me."

So, every evening, Officer Chad would get an earful for a solid hour.

Chad was used to it. As Molly ranted, he'd peel apples, segment oranges, and pit cherries, all without missing a beat, popping them into the mouth of the non-stop chatterbox.

Even the Byrne family matriarch admired her granddaughter's gift of gab, "That girl can talk. She could narrate an entire TV episode without breaking a sweat."

***

After the holidays, Chad's work was smooth sailing, no major cases on the horizon. He teamed up with the PR department to kick off an anti-scam campaign.

Chad revisited the neighborhoods he'd educated before, ending up in a community with a senior majority, where he struck up a conversation with the local community leader.

A bunch of enthusiastic elders tugged at Chad and boasted about their vigilance, "Whenever my phone flashes 'scam,' I don't even pick up."

"Officer Chad, I hear you got promoted! Married yet? Got a sweetheart? Listen, my granddaughter..."

Chad shared with a smile, "Mrs. Lee, I'm getting hitched this March, and we've already got the license. Don't you worry about me. After the wedding, I'll bring you all some wedding candy."

Some had met Molly the year before, impressed by the striking young woman. Another elder nudged her companion, "Lee, you're getting muddled. We met Officer Chad's girlfriend last year, a real beauty."

Mrs. Lee leaned on her cane and asked Chad, "Is it that same girl from last year?"

Chad beamed with joy, "Who else could it be but her?"

Afterward, he sent out his young, single colleagues to sweet-talk the seniors. Who knows, if they played their cards right, they might just find their happily-ever-after.

to chat privately with

year. Last year she's your girlfriend, this year you're walking down the aisle. What's next year? Daddy Chad?" Chad couldn't hide his happiness, "No joke this time. I'm really

leader was taken

clarified with a smile,

...

overdrive, accompanying her aunt on shopping sprees

the lunchtime rush, no one

would join for a campus lunch. As soon as she stepped out of class, Anya's message would ping on her phone, "Auntie, I've snagged our spot at b12. What do you want to eat? The lines are short now; I'll go grab

did you skip the last period

I sprinted from class. Nobody could catch me!" She

bit more like the idol you're supposed to be?" Anya swallowed her bite and took a swig

"Leo's the campus heartthrob. Are you okay with another

blurted out, "Auntie, do you have

nearly choked on her

handed her a drink to help

next day, as Leo drove Anya to school, she emerged with a light

"What's that

"Eyeshadow."

tilted her chin, inspecting her cheeks, "And

bag, now filled with compact powders and lipsticks, a portable beauty

are you

I

pulled her into the bathroom. "Clean your face. You look like you're about to cast

by, admiring Anya's look, "I think Anya looks lovely. It's nice for girls to