Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 761

When they finally left, it felt like ages had passed.

Leo held Anya's hand as they walked away, glancing at the identical dolls. "Why do I feel like they're twins?" he mused.

Anya just smiled, saying nothing.

Leo parked the car by the side of the road and took Anya for a stroll. "Stop sulking with those dolls. There's a toy shop ahead. Let's get some partners for these 'twins." Anya's eyes lit up. "Chad, you're really going to get them partners?"

In the past, a typical boyfriend would never join her in such a childish endeavor. But today, something was different-Chad seemed to have had a revelation.

At the toy shop, Anya wandered around, her love for fluffy toys evident since childhood. It didn't take long for her to pick out two favorites.

When she turned to replace Leo, he was holding a big, smoke-grey teddy bear.

At the checkout, Leo added the big grey bear to their purchases. Anya asked, "Chad, why are you buying that?"

Leo grinned. "It's for my partner."

After paying with his phone, Leo stuffed the big grey bear into Anya's arms. "Here you go, partner. Hold it tight." Being called "partner" made Anya's face bloom with a sweet smile.

"Chad, how did you know I like big bears?"

Leo tried to play it cool. "That's a secret."

"Chad- Come on, tell me."

Leo chuckled. "If you listen to me, I'll tell you."

Anya eagerly nodded.

Leo began, "When I picked you up from your dorm, I noticed the big white bear in your closet. It's just like you."

"Like me how?" Anya prompted.

"Cute and soft."

Anya beamed and hugged Leo's arm. "Chad, you actually remember that?"

Leo recalled some advice from his friend Molly. "Men, don't just play tough. If you love someone, say it. Keeping it to yourself won't give the girl a sense of security. And forget those toxic sayings in your bros' group about showing too much love making her leave. Anya won't leave you."

Under the twilight sky, amidst the bustling streets, Leo continued, "I remember more than just that. Your water bottle has a bear cover; your pen has a bear cap; your winter pajamas have bear ears on the hood; even your phone case has a big white bear on it. Whenever you visit a jewelry store, you always touch the bear charms, even if you don't buy them; your keychain is a bear too.

I remember when you accidentally peeled off a hangnail in winter and it bled. You were in pain, so you wrapped it with a band-aid and drew a bear on it... With so many signs, how could I not know you love bears? I could tell with my eyes closed." Anya, moved to tears for the first time, hugged Leo tightly. "Chad, how do you know all this?"

Hearing the change in her voice, Leo turned and saw Anya's teary eyes. "Hey, don't cry! No crying allowed." He silently cursed that Molly hadn't warned him expressing his feelings might make Anya cry. If he had known, he'd have kept it to himself. Anya pouted, "I can't help it."

Leo, improvising, used the dolls from a claw machine to dab at Anya's tears. "I don't have tissues, so these will have to do."

Chad was always attentive to her, yet Anya couldn't understand why he was sometimes so blunt.

Later, Anya realized that for some boys, their first love is a learning experience. They need their girlfriend to guide them. Chad and she were just two people growing together. Anya didn't want a boyfriend who had been "pre-trained" by someone else. It was her first time being a girlfriend too. As long as they found their own way to be comfortable together, that was enough.

Over time, Anya discovered that some people might love deeply, willing to sacrifice much, but they just don't know how to show it. Even for something as simple as kissing, they might be overly cautious, fearing bad breath and needing to drink water first.

Chad would think about how to be good to her, but he didn't always know how. Though he might tease her for fun, he was content just being by her side, doing nothing but being together.

He noticed every little detail but rarely spoke about it. When asked, he could accurately recall her preferences. His stereotypical insensitivity, in her eyes, represented responsibility and reliability.

Back in Leo's car, Anya moved to the back seat, arranging the "twins" dolls and their new partners on the rear windshield.

Leo glanced back. "Anya, why are you putting them in my car? Weren't they for you?"

Anya smiled. "I have the big grey bear now. These four in the back will show everyone you have a girlfriend."

Leo turned back, a playful smirk on his face. "You really want everyone to know Chad has a girlfriend, huh? Why not hang a big bouquet on the front of my car so people think I'm married?" Anya giggled. "That wouldn't work; you can't hang it every day. These four are more reliable."

She moved back to the front seat, hugging her big grey bear with delight. "Chad, let's check if Aunt and Uncle have boarded their flight yet."

Leo called Mia, but the automated message replied, "The number you are trying to reach is switched off..."

Leo hung up. "They must be on the plane."

Anya looked at the darkening sky. "I wonder if the baby will cry on his first flight."

Not just Anya, but everyone at the Cedillo family's dinner table shared the same worry. Bruce said, "I wonder how Henry will handle his first flight." Hansen added, "He'll definitely be cute, but crying is inevitable."

As anticipated, little Henry didn't disappoint. He cried.

On the plane, as it took off, Henry, sitting in his mother's lap, felt the unfamiliar thrust and started to squirm and cry.

Mia, expecting this, tried to soothe him with a pacifier. "Shh, baby, don't cry. Mommy and Daddy are here. If you cry, you'll disturb the other passengers."

Henry, not understanding a word, threw the pacifier and cried harder.

Mia held him close, gently patting his back. "No more tears, don't be scared. Someday you'll fly with Daddy, and when you grow up, he'll teach you to fly too, okay?" Finally, Andre took Henry from Mia, cradling him tenderly and wrapping him tightly for security, continuously patting his bottom. "Daddy's here too."