Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Leo gave the pot a quick stir with a spoon and said, "You two just hang tight for some good news this year. Mom, here's your favorite little doughnut, and Dad, I've thrown in some spinach for you." With that, Leo tossed the food into the pot.noveldrama

The tiny droplets of condensation on the window painted a picture of a cozy, happy family of three. Henry's been on cloud nine lately. After his bath, he plopped down on his dad's pillow, completely absorbed in watching "Boonie Bears" on his mom's phone. Whenever something funny popped up, he'd burst into laughter.

Andre noticed his little guy was getting a bit too hooked on screen time, so he decided to lead by example and picked up a book to read.

Curious as ever, Henry crawled over, and before they knew it, there was a loud "rip." Father and son locked eyes.

Mia sat up, startled, staring at the torn page in her son's tiny hands. "Sweetheart, we've got two choices. One, we can remind ourselves he's our precious son, and hold back, because only a loving dad raises a respectful kid. Or two, he won't remember this anyway, so if not now, when? Don't stress yourself out, just do it."

Without missing a beat, Andre gave Henry a gentle swat on the behind. "Option two it is."

Henry stood there, tears streaming, convinced his dad didn't love him anymore.

Later, Andre realized both his son and his wife were getting a bit too attached to their phones, so they started a new family rule: phone-free time.

Mia, with no other option, picked up a book she thought she'd never see again.

Andre, cuddling Henry, continued to "read" the unfinished "The Wealth of Nations with him. Henry, bottle in hand, couldn't make heads or tails of it, but that didn't stop him from helping turn the pages.

Molly would swing by her parents' place now and then. As soon as she arrived, she unloaded a basketful of gripes. "Mia; can you believe how strange Chad is? He leaves for work in the morning, and heaven forbid I get a few extra winks, he wakes me up. If I don't budge, he starts poking my ribs, counting them to 'tickle' me awake. Says it's to get me smiling for the day. Ugh.

And at night, when I'm wide awake, he plays some philosophical drivel that's harder to grasp than hieroglyphics to knock me out. I'm almost through it now."

Mia, having seen it all, stayed calm. "Did you hear what Andre's been making Henry watch?" Molly shook her head, "What, could it be worse?"

"The Wealth of Nations. They're already up to the fourth part, 'The System of Political Economy.""

Molly: "...Alright, forget what I just said. Chad's not so bad after all." At least he was trying to put her to sleep, not actually making her read it.

In the evening, Chad swung by the Cedillo family to pick up his wife, his smile lighting up the room.

Lately, Leo's been getting pestered by a flashy guy, which rubbed him the wrong way. "Tony's got decent connections, but don't waste your time on me. I'm not jumping into the entertainment biz."

"Leo, you've got assets you're not

even using. What's the point of studying if not to land a job, and what's a job for if not to make money? With your face on screen, I promise you'll be raking it in within two years, making more than you could ever dream of. Trust me, I've launched a few top stars in my time."