Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Leo had just gotten home as the sun dipped below the horizon. Walking into his rented apartment, he saw his roommates lined up, waiting their turn in the bathroom. "Hey, Leo! Where've you been? We were gonna invite you out for dinner this afternoon, but you were

MIA."

Leo replied, "University's out for the break, so I spent the day taking my girlfriend home."

Everyone knew about Leo's girlfriend. Some had even met her and commented on how the guy in the master bedroom had an exceptionally beautiful girlfriend. One roommate, an intern at a film production company, exclaimed, "She's way prettier than most of the people I've seen at work. She's got that unique look-naturally stunning without makeup, and even with makeup, she doesn't just blend into the crowd."

Leo smiled, soaking in their compliments with a gracious nod.

He added himself to a group chat on Messenger that included all his roommates. Some of them even scrolled through his profile pictures to get a glimpse of his girlfriend.

Back in his room, Leo enjoyed the privacy of his own en-suite bathroom. It was small but served its purpose.

Staring at his reflection, he couldn't quite pinpoint why he felt so lonely and melancholic. Maybe it was knowing there'd be no one waiting at the company entrance with his breakfast, or someone to meet him after work and walk back to the apartment together. Being in a relationship for a long time can become addictive; being alone felt a bit desolate.

After quickly finishing his nightly routine, his phone rang with a video call, "Chad, are you back home?"

Hearing the voice made Leo smile.

Being away from home, every time he heard "Chad," his heart felt lighter. Even through a digital connection, the feeling was the same.

...

The night was serene, with the moon hanging high in the sky.

At the Cedillo household, Mia was taking a bath, while the father and son, fresh from their baths, were having a moment of "deep father-son bonding." Henry was sitting directly on Andre's neck, drooling and enthusiastically nibbling on Andre's face, making it impossible for Andre to dodge.

Mia walked in after her bath and saw the scene on the bed. "Son, with your weight, be careful not to suffocate your dad."

Henry continued excitedly calling out 'Daddy' while nibbling on him.

need a ride to my mom's place tomorrow when

"You got

major, just give me a

we leave our son at home then, let my

it wouldn't be right to trouble

handling her son so roughly, thinking how delicate

Mia realized her handling was

next morning, Hansen saw his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson getting ready to leave.

applying sunscreen on her son and putting on his sun hat. "We'll

his family wasn't leaving for long, Hansen was

his grandson made Aaron nearly miss a morning

to the office early

week; make sure you go out

nodded, "Don't worry, Mom, I've

asked, "What time did

up until midnight watching a historical drama

knew you had work today and still stayed up so late. Chad too, he doesn't

on her desk,

mornings analyzing data and printing reports for her mother to review, then heading out to inspect

might have picked up from her childhood days spent accompanying her mother, Coleen, who would dress

and so did Molly. As her mother became busier, Chad took over the role. Gradually, Molly became a

Whether it was online shopping, pre-ordering from fashion shows, or magazine

cousin from the Cedillo family had the most extensive clothing

headed to a large shopping mall to inspect a

maturely and intelligently, her true age and emotional maturity were hard to

leave immediately; instead, she wandered around,

continued her inspections, driving to