Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Andre nodded, not the least bit surprised. "Yep. He's always known everything- every last lead about Maja. Cooper spilled it all to me when he was drunk."

Mars, chewing his food, raised an eyebrow. "How does Cooper even know them?" "He wanted to get back at me."

The table fell silent for a second before everyone burst out laughing. Mars pointed his fork at Andre. "Seriously, how does your family always end up with all the good kids?"

Conner chimed in, "Exactly! Even Anya, the sweetest kid, somehow ended up in your clan."

Teddy, ever the calm one, just shrugged. "Yeah, they've got all the good kids. But let's not forget—they're also magnets for troublemakers."

Suddenly, no one was jealous of Andre anymore. Mars grinned, "Just our godson alone is a handful—he's like three kids rolled into one, right?"

Conner shook his head. "You're being modest. He's easily five kids in one." Oakridge Gardens.

Mia was trying to eat dinner with one hand, the other wrangling a squirmy Henry. At the table, Anya mentioned she'd be graduating soon and couldn't decide whether to intern or go for another qualification.

Mia stared at her, wide-eyed.

little Henry turned around, curious, standing on tiptoe to see

arm draped over Anya's shoulder, looked at the two women and grinned. "Yep. This year she's a senior.

said. "I could've sworn Anya

"Yeah, that's what I thought

at your own kids-how old are they now? You really think time stands still? When I moved out, Anya was a sophomore. Then we moved here, she was a junior. This fall, she's

had gone by, and everyone had changed. Molly still joked about wanting to be a slacker, but she was now helping make big decisions at work. Mia, who could wrestle her son at home, was the picture of poise as Mrs. Cedillo in public. Leo had grown up too-gone was the clueless, awkward guy. Now he was calm, even reliable. Only Anya hadn't changed a bit-still soft-spoken, sweet, and thoughtful, just like when they met

like Anya was frozen in time-their forever

a carefree laugh, totally

Anya-always cheerful, never seems to

and Wayne to play, and the

Gardens until after nine, before Mia

it feels like time moves so slowly," Mia sighed as her friend drove her to Crescent Park to meet her husband. "But tonight, it just hit me-years have