Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

"...Oh, sure."

Roberto said, "Why don't you two head out for a bit? I'll catch up with your Uncle Luke."

Mars and Milka traded a look and stepped outside.

The second they were out the door, Mars was back to his usual self. "Still not convinced your stomach is fine? Want me to check for you?"

Milka smacked his hand away. "Hands off. What do you think our dads are talking about?"

Mars shrugged, casual as ever. "What else? Probably scheming to get us back together."

Milka rolled her eyes at him. The two of them wandered under the leafy shade, the cicadas' buzzing now almost deafening in the thick summer heat.

Meanwhile, back in the living room, their dads were deep in conversation-news, politics, and, as always, their kids.

Roberto sighed, "Don't think I don't know you. You want Milka to stay close." Jupiter replied, "I'm not keeping her here."

Roberto just smirked. “Come on, drop the act. You want her nearby, but you worry about your wife being alone overseas, so you're sending Milka over to keep her company. If you ask me, she should just come home. No matter how great it is abroad, it's not home. She can't stay away forever."

Jupiter said, “I don't meddle in their business. Even if I did, they wouldn't listen."

"That's because you're going about it all wrong," Roberto pointed out.

of them ended up talking the afternoon

cicada and snuck

"Hey!" he yelled.

froze in her tracks.

terrified of cicadas, and Mars had been teasing her about it since they were kids. He used

"She's my girlfriend. I get to scare her. If any of you make her cry, you'll

Mars's pranks never really

week they dated,

a month:

a hundred days in, she'd just shout,

and teasing the girl he liked was his

On those blazing summer

under the

they'd ride their bikes, chasing and dodging each

later, Milka still couldn't

"We should let our son try this. Bet he's never played

a look. "...This is your

grinned, "Hey, I raise him

in the back seat behind Mars, eyeing the

know. "Goddad, where