Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

After finishing up a dish, Anya lifted it excitedly. "Chad's gonna love this!" she beamed.

When the three friends met up, they strolled along, munching on ice cream cones from a roadside stand. Mia carried her little one, who was clutching his own cone. After a couple licks, he grimaced, spat it out, and handed it back to his mom with a frown. "I used to regret that Leo was a boy," Mia mused. "It was just us girls traveling together, and I felt bad for leaving Leo out. But now that Anya's here, it's like we've got another sister."

Mia's friend chimed in, "Hold on, Anya's our niece, remember?"

"Well, Leo hasn't tied the knot with Anya yet. If she ends up with someone else, she'll still be in our generation," her friend joked.

Behind them, Leo was itching to stop his aunt's chatter, while Chad reassured him, "Hang in there, Leo. I'll apologize on your aunt's behalf."

As they walked, Mia suddenly glanced over her shoulder.

The crowd was bustling, and she looked back at her son with a puzzled expression.

"Mia, what's up?" her best friend asked.

Mia replied, "I just have this feeling we're being followed."

"Daddy!" her little one chimed in immediately.

After Henry's alert, the three women paused and scanned their surroundings. "Could it be that Andre is actually here?" one of them wondered.

Mia shook her head, "I'm not sure." Then she turned to her son, "Henry, where's your dad?"

Henry started babbling, trying to communicate with his mom.

Mia just sighed.

"Maybe you're just overthinking it?" Molly suggested.

Mia shrugged, "Could be."

Meanwhile, Andre, hiding in an alley, muttered, "Mia's onto us."

Chad gave Andre a thumbs up, acknowledging their quick wit.

After indulging in some fun, buying trinkets that made them happy, the trio headed back to their car, each holding an ice cream cone. Anya juggled a handful of snacks.

Back at the hotel, Mia took her son for a much-needed bath. He was a mess from eating corn and spitting out ice cream, leaving his face and neck sticky. His little hands had managed to snag some tofu burgers on the way, smearing sauce all over his face.

All in all, Henry was quite the sight.

From the bathroom came cries of protest, but soon Mia emerged with her teary-eyed son in tow.

"Molly, something just feels off," Mia confided. "By now, your husband and mine should've realized we're missing. Leo sees Anya every day, and after two days, he'd definitely know something's up. Our flight info is out there, and I used my card for the car rental. Even if they

cked

e'

us, they should've caught up by now. Plus, our husbands aren't your average guys; who knows how many resources they have? Doesn't it seem too quiet these past few days?"

Molly, munching on a chicken drumstick, replied, "You think they'd have found us if they wanted to?"

Mia looked at her son, "He's been

calling for his dad all day. When his dad's on business trips, he usually just calls out a couple of times over video, not like this."

Clean and freshly bathed, Henry sat obediently on the bed. His earlier antics had earned him a scolding from his mom.novelbin

Looking at him, Molly put down her half-eaten drumstick, "Henry, where's your dad?"

"Ba-ba woo!" he babbled.

Mia set her son down gently, "Go find your dad, sweetie. He's missing you."