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.

my mom's place

asked, "You got something to

major, just give me a

our son at home then,

so it wouldn't be right to trouble someone else with the childcare. I'll just

seeing the doctors handling her son

realized her handling was nothing compared to

and grandson getting ready to leave. "What's the occasion, heading back

knees on the floor, applying sunscreen on her son and putting on his sun hat. "We'll be

family wasn't leaving for long,

Aaron, who was about to leave for work. The visit of his grandson made Aaron nearly miss a morning meeting. Madison chuckled, "Your

drove her mother to the office early in

office this week;

"Don't worry, Mom, I've got it," following

did you go to

"I stayed up until midnight watching a historical drama series with grandma,

you had work today and still stayed up

plants on her desk, clocked in, and started her day's

accustomed to her busy schedule, spending her mornings analyzing data and printing reports for her mother to review, then heading

her childhood days spent accompanying her mother, Coleen, who would dress both herself

busier, Chad took over the role. Gradually, Molly became a fashion

sportswear, to exquisite gowns and everyday attire. Whether it was online shopping, pre-ordering from fashion shows, or magazine covers, if she liked something, she would buy it, filling her walk-in closet

the Cedillo family had

day, Molly took a file and headed to a large shopping mall

heels and styled maturely and intelligently, her true

one store, Molly didn't leave immediately; instead, she wandered around,

inspections, driving