Last night, Andre dumped his kid on me and expected me to babysit. Little Henry wailed like a banshee till the wee hours. I woke up all groggy and out of it. Whatever I said doesn't count! Hansen was fuming at the memory.
Was Henry behind this matchmaking scheme?
The entire family turned their gaze to the little bundle in Mia's arms.
The baby, nestled in his mother's embrace, craned his neck to look around the bustling living room, absorbing the scene. Then, at just the right moment, he let out a strategic "Ah!"
Mia, feeling guilty, quickly covered her son's mouth, trying to make him less noticeable and avoid drawing any more attention.
Molly glanced at her nephew, paused for a beat, and then quickly deflected, "Don't look at me." Pointing at her little nephew, she said, "I asked you this morning if you were coherent, and you grunted 'hmph.' If anyone's keeping score, take it up with your darling grandson. Who else kept you up all night and left you so befuddled this morning?"
The little guy tried to chime in, but his protests were muffled by his mother's hand, much to his chagrin.
Hansen, knowing he was partly to blame, pointed at Andre: "You're in this too!"
Andre just stood there, speechless.
Hansen then turned his ire to the little tyke, "And you!"
Mia quietly held her son closer, tucking his face into her chest.
Chad knew this was no time to speak up.
The marriage license was already picked up; it was a done deal, and everyone knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Moreover, Andre was the toughest hurdle. Earlier on the phone, he'd been threatening Chad, but after returning and finding out that he and his son had inadvertently played a part in the couple getting hitched, Andre didn't have the heart to object anymore.
Later on, Hansen, still furious, sent his daughter scurrying back to the Byrne residence, while his son and his little family headed back to Maplewood Estates. Mia pleaded with Hansen at the old house, begging him not to send her away. "Dad, if you must, send my husband and my son away, but let me stay and take care of you."
She knew what awaited her back home.
Her son's nursery was ready to be used.
Hansen replied, "I plan on living a bit longer. You, your husband, and that little one, head back to your place."
In the afternoon, Mia, holding her son and carrying a diaper bag and some clothes, got into the car to head home.
The little one was curious in the car, gazing out the window, blissfully unaware of what awaited him at home.
Chad also left with Molly. Before getting into the car, he said, "On our wedding day, when I came to pick you up, was a $10,000 check in the red envelope too small of a gift for Henry?"
It was the appreciative uncle's way of thanking his little nephew for his "help."
The living room cleared out, and Leo stretched and yawned, taking Anya back to bed to catch up on some sleep.
Chad had been gone for a week and returned with a marriage certificate, causing a stir at the precinct.
"Officer Chad is a real piece of work, hogging Molly all to himself."
"Big bad wolf Officer Chad, no wonder he kept such a close eye on Molly. Poor Jones got punched so many times for nothing."
"And to think, they were 'siblings' for years, then suddenly not, and next thing you know, she's his wife. You couldn't make this up for a TV show."
Bob, filling his cup at the water cooler, listened to the chatter and finally spoke up, "You all talk about how our captain hogged Molly, but you never mention how possessive she was over Chad. I remember when Chad first came to the station, Molly would hang around the entrance, waiting for him to finish his shift. One time, some girl brought Chad lunch, and Molly almost lost it. It took some smooth talking from our captain to calm her down."
Donnie appeared, "No way. When Molly was still Jade Byrne, my mentor wouldn't have considered her; he always saw her as a sister."
The room grew curious, "How do you know?"
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