Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

He burst into tears the second he landed in his dad's lap, instantly becoming the center of attention.

Everyone tried their best to calm the little prince, but nothing worked-until his mom quietly slipped a lamb skewer into his mouth. The second the food touched his lips, the crying stopped like magic.

The night breeze drifted in, gentle and cool. Henry, freshly woken from his nap, was now happily sharing a skewer with his dad, both of them in their own little world.

Soon enough, he was perched on his mom's knee, surrounded by a whole circle of adults, each one eager to offer him a bite of something tasty. There was someone in charge of snacks, someone else making sure he had a drink, even someone on photo duty, snapping away. The kid was living the dream.

Grown-ups at dinner always meant endless conversation. Two hours slipped by in the blink of an eye, and by the time everyone put down their chopsticks, the moon was already hanging high above.

People lingered at the table with another round of drinks, soaking up the laid-back evening.

Andre had his arm slung casually across the back of his wife's chair. Mia and Molly were shoulder to shoulder, scrolling through all the photos they'd snapped earlier, laughing and bickering over which ones to keep.

Anya was off playing with the kids again, while Leo couldn't take his eyes off his little girl for even a second.

Cooper glanced at the couple across the table and made a face. "Leo, don't you think being in love is kind of a pain?”

Leo just grinned. "A pain? Are you kidding? I wish I could be glued to Anya every day." He looked totally smitten.

Cooper just gave him a look, half amused, half exasperated.

Leo watched Anya and added, "My girl? She's obsessed with babies and stuffed bears. I'm lucky if I come in third after them." Most adults struggled to connect with the kids, but Anya had a way with them. The little ones adored her.

Two toddlers, still too young to walk, had crawled into her arms, and all three kids were clustered around her, laughing at the silly faces she was making.

Now and then, laughter would bubble up from the adults, then fade into the night as the evening wore on.

Mia was busy chattering away, but Andre kept an eye on her, picking up grilled meat from the table and feeding her bite after bite.

Mia never said no-she'd take a bite while still looking at her phone. "Molly, try this filter. The lighting was off earlier. Wait, let me pull up the settings-we can fix it," she said, tapping away.

They were still chatting when Andre leaned in with another skewer. Mia laughed, "Babe, I'm seriously full, no more!"noveldrama

"Just one last bite," Andre said, holding it up to her lips.

She gave in and took another mouthful, then went right back to editing photos with Molly.

She'd barely swallowed when Andre handed her a freshly peeled piece of conch meat. "Final one, I promise."

Mia laughed and ate it anyway. "Molly, look at this one-isn't it cute?"

A minute later, Andre was at it again. "Have some hot food, keep warm."

Mia just opened her mouth and let him feed her.

Aaron and Madison watched their daughter and son-in-law's easy routine, full of quiet little gestures, and their hearts were full.

Andre kept up the conversation with the others, but his hands and eyes never left Mia. He was always making sure she was fed, always right there.

When Mia had been studying for her exams, she'd lost nearly ten pounds. By the time the new year rolled around, she'd put on twelve.

Andre had worried so much at first, watching her slim down. Her plump cheeks were gone, her face had

gotten thin, and it broke her

Even though they'd hired a

nutritionist to plan every meat, she'd stifflost weight.

Now, seeing those soft, round cheeks again, Andre felt a weird kind of pride like he'd accomplished something even bigger than landing a massive business deal. His worries had vanished.

Of course, when it came to her weight, husband and wife didn't quite agree.

As Mia munched away, Molly scrolled through their selfies and teased her, "Mia, how much do you weigh these days, anyway?"