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.

ended up

up a cicada and snuck up

"Hey!" he yelled.

froze in her tracks. "Mars, you

her about it since they were kids. He used to sneak cicadas into her clothes,

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

pranks never really worked

dated, Milka: "We're breaking

month: "We're

hundred days in, she'd just

the girl he liked was his

On those blazing summer

under the thick

plane trees, they'd ride their bikes, chasing

later, Milka still couldn't

up the one he'd caught. "We should let our son try

him a look. "...This is your idea of

grinned, "Hey, I raise him

Henry was strapped in the

"Goddad, where are we