Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Anya got up to run a quick errand, and soon came back, handing something to each of the three women holding babies.

Mia tucked the blanket around her son's feet, then shot Molly a look. "Your baby's got his toes sticking out."

Molly rushed to fix it, but Mia corrected her. "Wrap it the long way."

Aimee, meanwhile, was so busy tucking in her own son that she nearly woke him up. Even the moms who'd done this before still managed to fumble, while the ones without kids stood awkwardly on the sidelines.

Finally, Mia couldn't take it anymore. She stood up, baby in her arms, crouched down, and wrapped both the other babies up nice and snug.

"Mrs. Cedillo, you are mom goals," someone said with a laugh.

Mia grinned. "I've been carrying my son since he was this small. I never trusted him with the nanny-he wouldn't even let her near. I washed his little clothes by hand, scrubbed his chubby thighs, did it all myself."

She looked down at her sleeping little marshmallow and smiled. "Honestly, your kids are angels compared to mine. Mine was a total handful. He cried at the drop of a hat-like, eight hundred times a day. His dad would be away on business trips, but still had to listen to him wailing over the phone.

Our whole family started a running bet: 'How many times will Henry cry today?' If his tears could fill a lake, I swear West Lake would be dry by now." She shook her head and kept going, "And none of your babies are as chunky as mine was. When he was a few months old, he was so fat he had a double chin you could measure. Couldn't even find his neck at bath time-I'd have to get my husband to hold his head while I went searching for it.noveldrama

Carrying him around gave me tendonitis in my wrist, so my husband started taking him to the office. That's when the real chaos started-he caused so much trouble at work that we ran out of fingers trying to count the disasters."

Molly nodded in agreement. “That's no joke. Mia and her husband really did raise Henry and Andre, one careful armful at a time. My nephew's knack for causing mischief? Legendary. The mayhem he can cause is off the charts."

Aimee laughed. "Still sounds like he's plenty spoiled!"

The conversation turned easy and warm, the kind that only happens late at night when friends are sprawled around, swapping stories about their kids and lives. Some stories were complaints, some frustrations, but there was always laughter and noise mixed in.

When Annie noticed all the babies had finally drifted off, she worried the bright

lights might wake them. She got up, went over to the switch, and dimmed the

room until the light was soft and gentle.

She eyed the empty wine bottles, grabbed a few beers for the others, and stuck to her own soda.

Mia kept going. "My husband's

family is a whole saga. Molly and Leo were born just a few months apart. My parents waited for years for a daughter. When Molly finally showed up, they were over the moon-my dad poured all his energy into her. He didn't even get excited about being a grandpa at first.

When Henry was born, it was during a streak of happy family events. That's when my dad finally got the real grandpa bug-he doted on. Henry spoiled him rotten. If he couldn't see him, he missed him; if he saw him, he'd run off and hide."

The room was bathed in soft light, everyone a little sleepy. Anya propped her chin

on her hand. "Poor Chad-he's missing out."

"But Leo's always had his uncle's love," Mia said.

Anya tilted her head. "Chad's uncle loves him?"

Mia smiled. "My husband's a quiet one. When Molly and Leo were born, everyone crowded around Molly. Only my husband went over to Naomi's bed and asked, super seriously, if he could hold his nephew."