Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Noah scooped Henry up and took him to the break room, handing him a soda and some chips. The crying stopped instantly.

When Mia came back, she found Henry happily gnawing on a snack wrapper.

"Henry?" she called out.

He glanced at his mom but stayed focused on his snack, nestled comfortably in Noah's arms, with an unopened soda peeking out from his little pocket.

Noah was finally getting a taste of what holding a kid felt like - soft and heartwarming. If he had a kid like Henry, he'd probably never want to go back to work.

When Andre came to fetch his wife and son, Noah couldn't contain his excitement about holding Henry. It was more thrilling than landing billion-dollar deals. "The little guy wouldn't even budge when his mom called; he just wanted to stay with me." Andre chuckled, "Did you bribe my son with snacks?"

Noah grinned sheepishly, "Well, you're spot on, boss!"

Back at the office, Henry was dressed and standing by the sofa, with Mia beside him.

"Did you find out what caused the fire, honey?" Mia asked.

Andre, holding Henry with one arm, replied, "Not yet. And let's keep Henry away from Molly for a bit; she's got her hands full."

Mia nodded, understanding.

As the family of three stepped into the elevator, Andre handed Mia the car keys. "Molly's driving now; maybe you should give it a shot too."

"I'm not ready with the kid still in the car," Mia hesitated.

Andre gave a gentle smile, "My cautious sweetheart."

The three of them headed home.

Later that evening, Chad swung by his neighbor Easton's place. "Was it arson or just an accident?" he asked.

Easton replied, "With a factory your size, a natural fire seems unlikely."

Chad frowned, pondering this.

With his wife and mom at the company and having skipped dinner, Chad made his way over. He first went to his wife's desk, which was a jumble of nail polish, a comb, bubble gum, and documents. He couldn't tell if she was working or just hanging out. Not finding her at her desk, Chad moved on to his mom's office. He was surprised to see his dad there too.

The fire had alarmed the higher-ups, and when they realized it was related to Kendrick's wife's company, Kendrick was called directly. He rushed over after work, relieved to see everyone safe.

Coleen watched the father and son, feeling both grateful and bemused at their concern.

Molly, busy with a takeout meal, saw Chad and stayed seated as he joined her.

Once seated, Chad said, "Stand up."

Molly, still holding her chopsticks, stood.

"Turn around," Chad instructed.

Molly did so, even giving a small hop for good measure. They had this routine to check she was okay.

"Did you get too close to the fire today?" Chad asked.

Molly shook her head.

Coleen added, "Andre kept her behind the yellow line. Otherwise, she'd have jumped through a window to get in."

"Mom, why do you always have to snitch?" Molly protested.

Molly offered Chad a bite of her meal, "Don't mind her; she just loves to stir the pot."

Chad took a bite, "Do we really need stirring? You've had me sleeping in the guest room forever."

Molly glanced at her parents, thinking: Separate rooms or not, we still do what couples do. But she bit her tongue.

She fed Chad another big bite, "What brings you here, Chad?"

Coleen looked at Chad, "Did your friend mention anything about the fire's cause?"

Chad shot back, "Has the company ticked anyone off lately?"

Molly turned to Chad at this, looking concerned.

Coleen shook her head, "No."

Molly fed Chad another bite, "Do you think it was arson?"

Chad nodded as he chewed, "It's a possibility, but nothing's confirmed yet."

Coleen frowned, trying to guess who might be behind it if it was arson.

Molly stopped eating and concentrated on feeding Chad. "I figured, our machines don't just catch fire, and our safety measures are solid. How'd it blaze up like that?" Chad ate a few more bites but then turned away. Molly adjusted her position to keep feeding him.

Chad shook his head, gently pushing her hand away, "You eat."

Molly placed the takeout box and chopsticks in his hands, "I'm full, you finish it off."

She rubbed her belly, acting stuffed. "I couldn't eat another bite. If I get hungry, I'll grab something later.”

Chad took the box without further hesitation.

After finishing up, Chad shared some thoughts with his mom so she could investigate further.

As he left, Molly walked him out.

"Are you coming home tonight, Chad?"

Figuring he'd made time to visit, she guessed he was planning to stay at work. Otherwise, they'd just talk at home.

As she expected, "I can't make it home tonight; things are hectic at the station."

On their way to the elevator, passing by Molly's office floor, Chad asked, "Not enough nail polish at home? Why leave it on your desk? Isn't the smell strong?"

Molly replied, "I got the odorless kind. You never have time for a manicure with me; Mia's busy with her kid, and Anya's not back yet. So, I just play around with nail polish myself." After seeing Chad off, Molly returned to her mom's office, complaining about her hunger and ordering takeout.

Coleen asked, "Didn't you say you were full?"

"If I hadn't said that, would Chad have eaten my food?"

Since it was the dinner rush, takeout was backed up, taking a while to arrive. Chad's visit likely cut into his dinner time.

Molly knew Chad well, so she let him have the takeout first and ordered more for herself. If it didn't arrive, she could always cook something at home.

Coleen understood her daughter's gesture, smiling warmly. "You two have always been so close," she noted.

Kendrick nodded in agreement.

The hungrier Molly got, the sharper her thoughts became. "Mom, do you think the fire mostly burned through fabric?"