Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Molly hadn't really planned that far ahead, but her mom, Coleen, was already laying out the future.

"Thinking about having kids? That's way down the line for me."

Coleen chuckled, "Don't be so sure. Once you're married, if you're not careful, babies come along quicker than you'd think. You might not even realize it until it's too late."

Molly reclined in the passenger seat, absorbing her mom's mystical advice. It reminded her of her friend Mia, who had also found herself unexpectedly pregnant shortly after tying the knot.

Resting a hand on her stomach, Molly remembered how confidently she once believed she wouldn't be caught off guard. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"Mom, is the morning-after pill still effective if you take it more than 24 hours later?"

Coleen just sighed.

Their conversation meandered to lighter topics after that, the kind of easy, pleasant chat that felt like basking in the simple joys of life.

When the topic of how many kids she might want came up, Molly found herself surprisingly open to the idea.

It was as if Mia's words had unlocked something in her. "Once you've crossed that bridge, everything else just falls into place naturally."

as if it was all too intimate. But now, with everything out in

are adorable in small doses. You think they're the cutest thing ever until you're the one dealing with their tantrums every day. My nephew's a prime example. Mia sometimes

else's concern. After their chat, Coleen drove Molly around, taking in the local sights and enjoying a bit of a photo

responsible for keeping her mom's spirits up; whatever drama was unfolding with anyone else, she couldn't be

the dynamic duo, now shopping at the market, and

house, the aftermath of an earlier commotion was evident by the clutter left in the

police and community officers gone, and Juliana's family whereabouts unknown, Grandma Aubree and Grandpa Elmer looked

Molly, less helpful in the kitchen, was sent to assist her grandmother with the bedding. Seeing her grandmother's spirits low, Molly struggled to find the

bought you, why don't we go to town and get

it, dear. I'll

always refused because you didn't want to impose, but we've been getting along so well. Plus, it'll be easier for us to take care of

seemed unconvinced, lost in

down beside her. "Sometimes, out of sight, out of mind is a good thing. I know this incident has upset you, but

eyes. Molly hugged her, offering a mix of consolation and pragmatism. "Look at it this way, at least she didn't steal from someone else and end up in jail. It's just a local scandal, nothing more. Things will blow over." Despite her grandmother's skepticism, Molly kept up her reassurances. "And hey, maybe this scare will set her

wasn't convinced, but Molly didn't give up. "What if she comes back, causing more trouble? That's why moving to the city

while sweeping outside, and Kendrick, about to enter the

lifetime of memories behind, but Molly was determined to make her grandparents see the benefits of starting anew in

began to dip below the horizon, Coleen had dinner ready, and the family of six gathered in the backyard to enjoy the meal. During dinner, Coleen suggested they should consider moving back home soon, to tidy up and secure the house. After all, it was Juliana who had caused a scare this time, but next time, they might not be so