Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Mia took the pajamas and called out, "Go find your dad and get dressed."noveldrama

Andre came out of the bedroom, holding Henry's pajamas. "Henry, come here, let's get you changed."

Father and son sat together on the couch, Andre gently guiding his little boy's arms into the sleeves. "Mia, I'm taking Henry to see Asher tomorrow."

"Asher's around here?" Mia leaned over, curiosity in her eyes.

Andre helped Henry into his pajama pants. "He's not far. We'll go in the morning and be back by evening."

Part of the reason they'd picked this island was because Andre's good friend lived close by.

"Alright, just keep a close eye on our kid. Don't let him wander off-he's like a little Houdini," Mia said, lounging on the balcony with a bag of chips. "Hey, sweetheart, Mommy's out of snacks. Can you grab me another bag?"

Henry, all dressed for bed, dutifully trotted off to fetch more snacks for his mom.

That night, the house was buzzing as everyone gathered for dinner, laughter bouncing off the walls.

After his morning "mountain climbing," Henry was hungry. He stood on a stool, reaching for his food. Mia cut off a small piece of steak, pressed it into his tiny hand, and said, "Go ahead and play, honey. When you finish, come back for more."

Henry went off to play and found his twin baby brothers in their strollers. He tried to give them some steak.

Cooper quickly stepped in. "Sweetie, your brothers can't eat that yet."

Instead, Cooper gave Henry a bite of salad with a fork. The twins couldn't eat the steak, but they clung to Henry's hand, mouths open, little tongues out, desperate for a taste of that meaty flavor.

Worried the babies might bite Henry, Cooper crouched down and stayed with the three kids, keeping an eye on the chaos.

At the table, Andre mentioned he'd be out the next day but didn't say where. No one pried. In this family, as long as his wife knew, that was enough.

Life on the island was slow and easy. By evening, Coleen sighed, "You know, after a while, these lazy days start to feel kind of dull."

Jade, committed to being a proud couch potato, replied, "Give me boring over busy any day."

Mia chimed in, "It doesn't matter what kind of life you live-do it long enough, and it gets old. That's why my husband, my parents, even my brother, don't want me rushing into the real world just yet. They'd rather I keep studying, maybe find something really interesting-something that isn't just business or law."

Everyone knew Mia would wilt if she had to follow too many rules. She was too lively, too full of sunshine for that. They wanted her in a field where she could be bold and free-a real-life heroine.

Molly shot her friend a wistful glance. "Mia, what if I quit my job, stayed home with the kids, and went to grad school too? Maybe I'll study law, and we can be work buddies."

Mia pretended to think it over. "Molly, what if we both become lawyers? You're the prosecutor, I'm the defense. We both make our case, and then settle it with a game of rock-paper-scissors right in front of the judge."

Molly grinned, leaning in. "Future Ms. Irwin, let me ask you would settling a case with rock-paper-scissors in front of a judge get us in trouble?"

Mia leaned in too, her eyes sparkling. "Well, Ms. Dreamer, there's no rule against

it yet, but I'm pretty sure it's not exactly professional."

Jade piped up, "So what's the backup plan?"