Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 708

"Shh, Dad, let's see how long he can sit," whispered Andre, keeping a close eye on his son from a distance.

Andre couldn't just leave his beloved son unattended. He knew Henry had a flair for the dramatic. Whenever his parents or elders were around, he'd cry, fuss, and demand attention. But when left alone on the couch, Henry would sit there quietly, occasionally glancing around, not making a peep.

Andre positioned himself just behind Henry, staying out of sight but ready to step in if needed.

Hansen stepped out quickly, and soon enough, everyone abandoned their cherry jam and wine to gather in the living room. There was Henry, still sitting solidly on the sofa, his little face scanning the room for familiar faces. He looked adorable and perfectly steady!

Naomi hurried to capture the moment on video. Even Jade, who was soaking in a bubble bath and binge-watching her favorite series, got the news. She grabbed her phone, wrapped herself in a towel, and pulled Chad out of bed. "Chad, look, Henry can sit now! He looks so helpless and pitiful sitting there all alone."

Chad's eyes, however, lingered on Jade, swallowing hard at the sight of her wrapped in a towel.

Mia and her husband Cedillo whispered, "How long has he been sitting?"

"A while now. I wanted to see how long he could last without crying, and he's still doing fine," Andre said, surprised by his little crybaby's resilience.

Mia, ever the nurturing mother, suggested, "He's still young; let's not make him sit too long."

Just then, the family members who had been spying on Henry quietly came out, revealing themselves.

"Henry-"

Upon seeing the familiar faces, Henry beamed, "Ah yay yay!"

Mia knelt down, scooped Henry up, and kissed him. "My little boy can sit now. Time to fulfill your dad's promise."

Andre lifted Henry high, filled with pride, and instructed the household staff, "Tell the kitchen to prepare some rice cereal for my son tonight."

Anya, remembering her jam, dashed off quickly.

Bruce insisted on holding his nephew, even tussling with Andre for a turn. "Andre, let me hold him. It's been nearly twenty years since I last held a baby." Andre rolled his eyes but relented.

Henry, enjoying his uncle's embrace, began to babble, "Wah woo wow."

Bruce, amused, mimicked Henry's gibberish, creating a seemingly fluent conversation between them.

Mia laughed from a distance, "Who knew Henry learning to sit would get the whole family this excited, like he just topped the exams!"

Naomi chimed in, "When Henry does top the exams someday, we'll throw a huge celebration. Andre's friends from all over the world will come to congratulate."

While helping Anya pit cherries for jam, Mia shared her concerns, "He's just fussy now. I hope he inherits his father's brains and not mine."

"Don't worry, Leo was a handful at his age, but Andre got him in line," Naomi reassured. "After Leo turned six, Andre took over his schooling entirely."

Anya added, "Chad's not afraid to rebel; he just doesn't want to upset you all."

Mia and Naomi exchanged knowing glances and laughed.

Women, especially those with children, often talked about their kids. "Every time I see you three with your girls, I regret not having another daughter. Mia, you and Andre should try again in a couple of years. Henry will be older, and you'll still be at a good age. Not having a daughter at my age is truly regrettable."

Mia smiled, "It's not like I can just decide to have a daughter and, poof, there she is. What if we get another boy?"

Handing the pitted cherries to Anya, Naomi reminisced, "I felt the same way when Leo was two or three. Your brother and I were too scared to try for another."

Anya, the unmarried young woman, didn't join in on the married women's conversation. She sat, lost in thought, holding the cherry pits.

A moment later, she ran back to the living room with the pits. "Grandpa, let's plant a cherry tree! Then we can eat cherries from our own tree."

Hansen, silent for a few seconds, then slapped his hand down, "Done!"

From his bedroom window, Leo saw Anya digging outside. He got up and went out. "What are you doing now?"

"Planting a tree."

"Where's the tree?" Leo asked.

Anya pointed to a spot where cherry pits were wrapped in paper.

Leo sighed, shaking his head.

Henry, carried outside by his uncle to join the commotion, loved being in the thick of things.

By evening, the day's tasks were done. Anya's jam was ready, Leo had stored the wine in a cool spot, and the roasted nuts were quickly devoured.

Just as the family finished praising Anya, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived-Henry's first taste of rice cereal.

The butler gathered around, and even Molly, from her bed, wanted to see the video.

Henry, sitting on his mother's lap, watched as Andre cooled a spoonful of rice cereal and brought it to his mouth.

Before the spoon even reached him, Henry's mouth opened wide, "Ah ah ya."

Andre fed him the spoonful, and the whole family watched for his reaction.

Henry chewed thoughtfully, his brow furrowing. Andre tried another spoonful, but Henry turned his head away in disgust.

Andre then offered the spoon to his wife, and Henry, seeing this, opened his mouth for his mom, allowing Andre to try feeding him again.

Still, the taste didn't sit well, and Henry's displeasure grew.

Molly laughed quietly, careful not to be too loud. Chad, wrapping his arms around her from behind, asked in a low voice, "What are you watching?"

Molly quickly ended the video call, not wanting Chad's undressed form to be seen by the family on the other end. "Henry tried rice cereal today. He's so cute, rejecting it but still wanting to try. He'd grab it, then spit it out again."

Chad's arms tightened around her waist, their skin touching, as he teased, "Men prefer meat."

Molly blinked, "Should I go grab some pork from the kitchen for you?"

...

Mia and her husband didn't want to show Henry's face online, but they still wanted to share the moment. They captured a photo of Henry's chubby little hand clutching the bowl, with Andre's large hand holding it from the other side. The image spoke volumes. "Congrats to Henry, his first taste of rice cereal was fed by Daddy," read the caption, showing father and son's hands, big and small, vying for the bowl.