When Andre got home, he found his son sniffling—again. The little guy rushed over, ready to tattle. Andre picked him up and asked, “Alright, what happened this time?”
“Mom won’t let me call her by her name,” Henry whined.
“She’s just being stubborn—trying to start a rebellion by calling me ‘kid’ like you do,” Mia yelled from the other room.
Hansen, not wanting to get caught up in the drama, mumbled, “Uh? Oh, right. Well—I’ll be heading out now.”
“Grandpa, come over! Squeeze my cheeks!” Henry tugged at him.
Hansen made a quick escape up the steps, peeking back to watch from a safe distance.
Andre tried to reason with his son. “‘Kid’ is something parents call their children—it’s not for you to call us. You can’t just copy everything.”
Henry pouted, glancing at his mom’s clenched fists. He didn’t like it, but he knew when to quit. “Fine. I won’t say it anymore,” he grumbled.
After dinner, Andre and Mia accepted their fate and took Henry to the park for some fresh air.
The park was lively in the evening. Families strolled along the paths, joggers weaved through the crowd, and laughter echoed everywhere.
The three of them wandered down the path, until Henry zoomed ahead on his scooter.
“Babe, aren’t you curious where I went the other day?” Mia slipped her hand into Andre’s, swaying and teasing him.
“Where’d you go?” Andre asked.
“You’re not even curious why I didn’t tell you?” she pressed.
“If you didn’t mention it, it probably wasn’t trouble,” he replied with a shrug.
“Hm?” Andre nudged, eyebrows up. What was she hiding?
Mia’s eyes darted. “Let me just say—what I listened to was purely for curiosity. It has nothing to do with us.”
“It was a divorce case.”
With that, Mia wriggled out of his arms and took off down the path, laughing. “You said it, not me!”
Andre watched his wife sprint away, hands on his hips, exuding that quiet confidence he always had.
Mia caught up to Henry, who was still tearing along on his scooter. She scooped him off in one smooth motion. “Alright, your turn’s over—Mommy wants a go!” After watching her little speed demon all day, she couldn’t resist anymore.
“You don’t even know how!” Henry protested, sweat trickling under his helmet, now worried about his wild mom.

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