Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

The big ones were impossible to carry, and the small ones were just plain useless.

The housekeeper hovered nearby, wringing her hands. "Ma'am, maybe I should just go out and fetch you a Tony or something?"

Any time Mr. Carter tried to enjoy some peace and quiet, it was guaranteed Mia and little Henry would somehow turn the house upside down.

Suddenly, a spark lit in Mia's eyes. "I've got it!"

She marched straight into her husband's gym, wrapped her arms around his weight set, and with a heroic amount of effort, lugged it outside.

The staff, well-accustomed to her wild ideas, tried to stop her.

"Move, move!" Mia insisted, determined as ever. She made her way into the backyard, and with a mighty swing, hurled the weight onto the frozen lake. It hit the ice with a satisfying thud, echoing across the water.

Henry watched in awe, mouth open, absolutely enchanted by his mom's boldness.

"Uh oh... did I just crack the ice?" Mia muttered, a little bummed. The ice hadn't shattered, but a long jagged line split the surface, dashing her dreams of skating.

The housekeeper's anxiety skyrocketed. "Mrs. Carter, what are we going to tell Mr. Carter when he gets home tonight?"

Mia squeezed Henry's little hand. “Relax, we'll just fish it out later..."

On cue, the ice let out a loud CRACK and splintered right down the middle. Henry stared up at his mom, wide-eyed, speechless.

That evening, Andre came home from work.noveldrama

Right at the door, he found his wife and son locked in a snowball fight, both looking adorable-and both clearly up to no good.

Andre walked over, pinched Mia's cheek with one hand, and gently tugged Henry's ear with the other. He scooped up his two little partners-in-crime and ushered them inside, ready to get to the bottom of their latest adventure.

Mia puffed her cheeks. "Honey, what's wrong-?”

Henry, already an old pro at his dad's mock-scolding, tiptoed along, head tilted, as Andre led them into the living room.

They stopped by the gym. Andre pointed at the mess. "Let me show you what happened here."

Mia put her hands behind her back, trying to look innocent. "Babe, I'm sorry! Let me make it up to you, okay?"

Henry followed her lead, hands behind his back, lips pursed, bracing himself.

Andre led his favorite troublemakers to the window overlooking the lake, pointing at the gaping hole in the ice. "If there hadn't been a crack, you two would have gone ice skating, right?"

Mia shook her head quickly. "No way! There was a crack-we wouldn't dare!"

"So, if there wasn't a crack, you would've gone?" Andre groaned, already exhausted and it was just his first day back.

Henry, guilty by association, got dragged into it simply for following his mom.

Andre narrowed his eyes. “Henry, did you use my wine bottles from the basement as bowling balls again?"

Oops. Henry nodded honestly, his cute little face open and earnest.

Andre sat on the sofa, eyeing his two troublemakers as they stood in the corner for time-out. He couldn't resist standing up and pacing as he launched into another round of lectures.

For some reason, the staff finally looked relieved now that Mr. Carter was home.

Andre stood behind his wife and son, scolding in bursts for eight whole minutes. Henry, bored, scratched at his ear and stayed put, hands clasped behind his back.

Mia glanced down at her son, who was clearly a time-out veteran-not a single complaint. She finally broke her silence. "Honey, my heels are killing me~"

Andre sighed. “Did you learn your lesson?"

Mia nodded eagerly. "I did! I'm sorry~"

His voice softened. "Alright, you're free."

Henry stared in disbelief at his mom, then looked up at his dad.

Andre fixed his gaze on Henry. "Now that your mom's had her turn, let's talk about you."

Behind his back, Mia whispered, "Cry. Big tears!" She even gave a dramatic demonstration, coaching her little partner-in-mischief.