Page 57 of The Boss and the Adoption Mess

"Where am I?" she asks sleepily, yawning.

"At my place. You’ll be staying here all week." As soon as Gabriel says this, Rosie’s eyes light up. He quietly closes the front door and carries her toward the stairs.

"Is that a really long time?" she asks, a little more awake than before.

"Oh yes. You’ll get to sleep here at least five times before your mom picks you up. And you know what? Guess who’s here."

That’s my cue. I lower my phone, stop recording, and set it on the sideboard by the door. Then I walk toward Rosie slowly. When she spots me, her eyes go wide with excitement, she beams and calls out: "Kim!"

"Hey, Rosie. Well? This is quite a surprise..."

Now she’s wide awake. I stretch out my arms, give her a quick hug, and then Gabriel takes her back.

"Are you here visiting?" she asks excitedly. "Can I show you my room?"

"I’m sort of visiting, yeah. And I’d love to see your room."

Gabriel sets her down. She’s in pink pajamas and socks, probably already asleep when her mom decided to drop her off. Gabriel and I exchange a knowing glance before I take Rosie’s hand, which she offers to me.

"I have a big bed and lots of books. And stuffed animals. Even a huge unicorn with wings. It smells like strawberries," she tells me excitedly.

"It smells like strawberries? Really?" I marvel in amazement.

"I’ll take care of dinner," Gabriel whispers to me. I nod and take the first few steps upstairs with Rosie.

"I definitely need to see that," I say to her, and she immediately dashes up the stairs. I can barely keep up. Kids just have endless energy. Unbelievable.

Over the next half hour, Rosie shows me everything that stands, lies, or hides in her white-pink-fuchsia bedroom. She’s got endless art supplies, children’s books, stuffed animals, princess dresses, and board games. A healthy mix of toys that kids adore—and practical ones the parents love. Motor skills and creativity, all encouraged through play. Rosie proudly shows me her drawings, dolls, and crafts with no trace of tiredness. She yawnshere and there, but she’s too excited to have someone to play with and talk to, so she fights to stay awake.

By the end of the hour, though, she can barely stand. She yawns again and rubs her eyes.

"It’s gotten late. You should’ve been in bed ages ago," I say gently. Rosie nods, yawning once more.

"May I have something to drink?" she asks shyly.

"Of course. Want to go to the kitchen together, or should I bring you something?"

"I want to tell Gabriel... I would like... I would like to say goodnight to Gabriel too."

How sweet, that little correction.

"That’s a lovely idea. Let’s go down together. Want me to carry you?" She nods, yawning again as I lift her up. Rosie nestles against me as I carry her downstairs. She’s such a sweetheart. An absolute cutie pie.

When we reach the kitchen, Gabriel’s unpacking the food.

"That smells delicious," Rosie says, her eyes fixed on the beautifully packaged platters.

"Are you hungry?" Gabriel asks, and she nods hesitantly. "What did you have for dinner today?"

"Mommy didn’t want to cook anything."

"And for lunch?"

"She was still sleeping then, but I ate some cookies."

I shoot Gabriel a serious look, but his expression is far sterner than mine.

"You only ate a few cookies today?"