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.

ride to my mom's place tomorrow

got something

nothing major, just give me

suggested, "Should we leave our son at home then, let my dad take care

overburden him. The housekeeper isn't exactly his favorite playmate, and Naomi has her own things to do. I'm on holiday, so it wouldn't be right to trouble someone else with the childcare.

Henry was born, she was terrified seeing the doctors handling her son

realized her handling was nothing compared to

grandson getting ready to leave. "What's the

on her son and putting on his sun hat. "We'll be back in the afternoon,

wasn't leaving for long, Hansen was relieved and

of his grandson made Aaron nearly miss a morning meeting. Madison chuckled, "Your dad was just talking about missing you last night, and here

early in

week; make sure you go out and inspect the

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

"What time did you

up until midnight watching a historical drama series with grandma,

and still stayed up so late. Chad too, he doesn't

plants on her

her mornings analyzing data and printing reports for her mother to

had an affinity for shopping, a habit she might have picked up from her childhood days spent accompanying her mother, Coleen, who would dress both

so did Molly. As her mother became busier, Chad took

with clothes, ranging from trendy outfits, casual 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

the Cedillo family had

to a large

and intelligently, her true age and emotional

store, Molly didn't leave immediately; instead, she wandered around, browsing through the

she continued her inspections, driving to another large shopping