Returning home, Molly felt like the afternoon had dragged on forever.
By the time she reached the Byrne house, Coleen had already been picked up by her husband. "Molly, where did you disappear to around noon? You just took off in the car! If your dad hadn’t come to get me, I would've had to grab a cab."
Molly shot back, "Dad wanted to pick you up, I was just giving him an excuse! And mom, could you please be a bit nicer when you talk to me? Just say what you need to say without getting me all riled up!"
Coleen countered, "You're my daughter; can't I say a few words? I was even thinking about giving you a good spanking."
Molly stepped closer with a smirk, "Go ahead, try it, and in ten months, I'll be spanking your grandchild, whether it's a boy or a girl. Let's see who's more upset then."
Suddenly, the room fell silent.
Chad, standing behind Molly, couldn't hide his happiness, his face flushed with joy. Mr. and Mrs. Byrne stared in shock at their daughter holding Chad's hand. Kendrick, who was about to take a sip of his freshly brewed tea, froze mid-motion as though he were stuck.
Molly worried that the news might just be too much for her parents.
But Chad, with a calming smile, gave everyone a moment to breathe. "Mom, Molly had a little mishap with your car today. It's in the shop."
Coleen blinked, confused, "Whose car?"
Molly pointed at her, "Your car, mom. And for the record, you're not the one who's pregnant, so why's your hearing acting up?"
Molly intentionally dropped the word "pregnant" again, trying to clue her parents in.
Seeing her daughter's cheeky demeanor, Coleen, ever the mom, asked, "Molly Byrne, you didn't wreck my car and then pretend to be pregnant just to dodge my wrath, did you?"
Kendrick set his teacup down slowly, thinking this sounded exactly like something Molly would do.
Feeling misunderstood, Molly was ready to prove her point. "Chad, show them the paperwork!"
Her parents turned to Chad, trusting their son more than their daughter, who had a reputation for joking around. Chad nodded, grinning, "Just three weeks along."
With that, Molly reclaimed her position as the queen of the household.
Meanwhile, on vacation at Mount Artis, Hansen got a call from Molly, "Hey, dad, I've got something to tell you. Brace yourself."
"Did you get into trouble again and need me to bail you out of the police station? I've told you, I'm not doing it."
Molly retorted, "I don't need you! Chad has already 'bailed' me out. Listen, the main point is—"
"What? You really ended up at the police station again? I better call Andre right away and let him know."
Always jumping to conclusions, Hansen missed the actual news but latched onto something new.
Molly tried again, "Dad, I'm pregna... Hello? Hello! Hansen!?"
The call ended abruptly.
Annoyed, Molly muttered, "Hmph, hanging up on me. Fine, I won't tell him then."
After hanging up, she blinked, puzzled, "Did I forget something again?"
Her memory had been playing tricks on her lately.
Over at Maplewood Estates, a cozy family dinner was underway. Andre occasionally passed a morsel to his wife while offering his son some vegetables to eat with his hands.
Henry made a mess of himself, but his eyes lit up whenever his dad's chopsticks headed his way.
Andre's phone rang, breaking the moment. It was his dad.
Mia straightened up, "Who's calling, honey?"
"My dad, probably wants to talk."
Mia relaxed, returning to her meal, occasionally feeding their little one.
"Hey, dad."
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