Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Leo's place was a converted garage-still half-finished, but the rent was rock- bottom and the space was massive. The owner used to lease it out as a warehouse. Downside? It was a pain to live in: freezing in the winter, boiling in the summer. Still, when you weighed the pros and cons, this was the spot.

"If you don't tough it out when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old," Chunky muttered, trying to pep himself up.

Leo laughed. "Where I'm from, everyone says you've got to grind when you're young so you can kick back later. But abroad? Kids get pampered, everyone lives in the moment. Guess it depends on how you grow up."

"So which do you think is better?" Chunky asked.

Leo shrugged, grinning. "Honestly? I'm old-school—a straight-up traditionalist. I still think your youth is for hustling. Otherwise, how does anything get better?"

They both cracked up.

Just then, the two women walked in, each with a toddler tucked under an arm. Henry and Wayne, the little guys, gawked at the noise and sparks from the construction inside. A welder in a big mask sent sparks everywhere—those two were mesmerized.

The second Henry spotted Leo, he hollered, "Bro!”

Wayne piped up right behind him, "Hey!"

Leo paused mid-conversation and turned around. "Well, well, look who showed up

all four little rascals!" He broke into a smile, genuinely happy.

kid in one arm and the "tiger" in

wandered off to check

women's style and blurted

juggled the two squirmy kids. "Why

blinked. "So, whose are

Henry piped up, "Daddy's!"

dummy, who's

Henry got confused. "Where?"

again, "Point to where your mom

out, pointing at Mia, who was poking around nearby. He shouted, "Over

on, let me look

managed to

pretty ones always get snatched up by

me. But why do you call yourself their

at Mia. "That's my

at Molly. "That's

"All family."

from Mia

and suddenly remembered the stories

wife and his well