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.

went to chat privately with

Molly was Chad's sister, the leader joked, "Officer Chad, that's quite the gag you're pulling with your sister this year. Last year she's your girlfriend, this year you're walking down the aisle. What's

the leader was taken

with a smile, radiating

...

at Havenbrook University, Anya was like a robot on overdrive, accompanying her aunt on shopping sprees and snagging seats for her

it came to the lunchtime rush, no one was more on their game than

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 it." Mia began to suspect Anya had invisible wings, darting to the cafeteria right after

skip the last period

sprinted from class. Nobody

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

trump card, "Leo's the campus heartthrob. Are you okay with

then blurted out, "Auntie, do you have makeup

nearly choked on her

a drink

as Leo drove Anya to school, she emerged with a light touch of makeup, her

her face, asking, "What's

"Eyeshadow."

her cheeks, "And what about those

blend it well?" Anya rummaged through her bag, now filled with compact powders and lipsticks, a

are you dolling up for

Anya said, "Chad, I want to be the campus

it." Leo pulled her into the bathroom. "Clean your face. You look like you're about to cast spells. School's

admiring Anya's look, "I think Anya looks lovely. It's nice for girls to dress up and make a good