After lunch, before Andre got back, the rest of the gang had cleared out within half an hour, leaving the place quieter than a ghost town on a Sunday.
As soon as Andre walked in, the first thing he noticed was the cozy scene in the living room. There sat his young wife, Mia, on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her. In her arms was a tiny bundle of joy, their son, looking like a little burrito with his chubby back turned towards the door.
The mother-son duo was having a moment, with Mia showering the little one with kisses one second and playfully teasing him the next. The baby, for his part, was giggling away, his laughter ringing through the room like the sweetest melody.
"Is it just you? Where did the other three musketeers run off to?" Andre asked as he kicked off his shoes and stepped inside.
The baby, hearing a familiar voice, paused his laughter and looked around curiously, murmuring something that sounded like babble.
Andre couldn't help but smile endearingly as he scooped his son from Mia's arms, cradling him close.
Mia chuckled, "Molly’s scared of you, Leo’s scared of you, Anya’s scared of you."
Andre raised an eyebrow, "...Even my son's braver than them."
His son, indeed, wasn't the least bit afraid of him, even daring to squabble and pinch him at times.
Meanwhile, Chad had a similar homecoming, finding his wife, Molly, lounging on the sofa waiting for him, his tie loosened, revealing a tell-tale hickey at his neck.
Molly noticed right away that Chad was wearing a different shirt from the morning. Teasingly, she said, "Chad, you changed shirts. And tied a tie today? Look at you all fancy. But what’s that on your neck?"
Chad shot Molly a look that could curdle milk, "You better pray for a peaceful night."
"I'm always praying," Molly replied, her voice dripping with mock innocence, not showing a hint of fear.
Dinner that night saw Jade applying concealer on Chad’s neck, trying to cover up the mark, "Hold still, it’s not blended yet."
Officer Chad, sitting in front of Molly’s vanity, watched curiously as she dabbed a sponge on his neck. "What’s this thing?"
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