Summer just looked around briefly and then sat down on the bed while Rosie took off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, and sat beside her.
Summer had always thought Rosie was adorable from the beginning. Not to mention now that she knew Rosie was her daughter, who looked even more endearingly adorable.
Summer patted her on the head and came down to kiss her on the cheek. Rosie looked up, wide-eyed, then reached up to return a kiss on Summer’s face. She then chortled, probably because she thought it was amusing.
When Summer kissed her again, Rosie climbed onto her body, and they both rolled on the bed. Rosie cackled hysterically when Summer tickled her.
When Rosie was exhausted, Summer held her hand and lay beside her.
Sensing that someone was looking at her, Summer propped herself up and saw Leonardo already standing by the door.
Sitting up on the bed, Summer held Rosie up and gently said, “Daddy is here.”
“Daddy!”
Rosie called out excitedly, then swiftly climbed down the bed and ran up to hug Leonardo’s legs.
Rosie was so tiny that she looked like a little doll leaning on Leonardo’s legs. It was a strange yet heart-warming scene.
When Leonardo looked down and saw Rosie looked up at him, he bent down to lift her in his arms.
She curled her arms around his neck and sniffed his body.
“What are you sniffing?” Leonardo cocked an eyebrow.
“You don’t stink.” Rosie looked puzzled.
He carried her and sat down, asking patiently, “Don’t stink of what?”
Summer knew what Rosie was going to say and wanted to stop her.
“Jealousy.”
“Rosie!”
Summer was still a little too late.
Rosie continued, “Aunt Jarrett said you were going to get jealous.”
Summer facepalmed in her mind. Leonardo gave her a meaningful look but revealed none of his emotions.
Summer sorted her clothes, cautiously sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes looking everywhere but him.
The next moment, she heard Leonardo’s low voice. “It’s not Aunt. It’s Mommy.”
“Mommy?”
Rosie pouted and pulled at his tie as she rebutted, “Aunt isn’t Mommy.”
Her words startled Leonardo and Summer. She may have been a three-year-old, but they should not have treated her as if she knew nothing; she had a mind of her own now. She needed time and a proper way to accept Summer’s new identity. It could not be too hasty.
Summer was depressed for a while, but she quickly collected herself. If she died three years ago, she would not have seen Rosie now, let alone hear Rosie call her Mommy. Besides, it did not help that Rosie had grown up with Leonardo and Amber in the last three years. Expecting Rosie to change how she addressed her when they had only known each other fairly recently was just too greedy.
Summer got up and walked over. “What would you like for dinner, Rosie? I’ll make it for you.”
It was nearing dinnertime after a busy afternoon.
When Leonardo carried Rosie sitting on the couch, Summer went over, then squatted down beside the couch so her eyes were level with Rosie.
Rosie leaned cozily on the chest of Leonardo and said to Summer, “Meat.”
Summer touched Rosie’s face. “All right.”
She could not stop herself from giving Rosie a kiss on the cheek. After that, she looked up and her eyes met Leonardo’s. An emotion surged in his black eyes as if they were about to pull her into them.
It transfixed Summer, and they were looking at each other so intensely that she noticed he was getting closer and closer until she felt his breath blowing against her face.
“Are you two kissing?” Rosie’s voice jolted them out of their thoughts all of a sudden.
Summer jerked backward as if she had just woken up from a dream. She hurriedly got up. “I’ll go downstairs and see what I can make for Rosie.” Then off she went.
Rosie rubbed her fingers; she had no idea what was going on between the two adults, just turning to look at Leonardo, who was at the same time staring at her, face looking not too happy. Rosie shrank back before she sat upright. “Daddy.” Her voice sounded ingratiating.
Leonardo responded with an “Mhm.”
Her head tilted left, then right as if she was reading his facial expression. Only after Rosie had made sure he was not angry that she narrowed her eyes. “Daddy kissed Aunt Jarrett just now…”
“No, I didn’t.” He glanced at her.
“Yes, you did.” Rosie cupped her mouth with one hand and pointed at him with the other.
“We didn’t manage to kiss, didn’t you see?” He seemed to have lost his patience as he took her by the collar and put her down on the floor.
“Oh.” She followed him from behind and forgot about it in no time.
Leonardo did not wait for her—he did it on purpose. Rosie tried to catch up to him, but the stairs were high. Feeling afraid, she held on to the handrail and cautiously sat down and bottom shuffled down the stairs, one step at a time.
Seeing that Leonardo had walked into the living room, she crossed her arms and scrunched up her face. “Leonardo, carry!”
He glanced back at her. “Walk your own path.”
How the heck would Rosie know what that meant. All she knew was that he was asking her to walk. She pouted as she alternated between bottom shuffling and climbing. Halfway through, a maid came over to carry her down, but she shook her head. “No carry. I will walk.”
…
At that time, Leonardo had gone into the kitchen.
He decided to buy the mansion two years ago because he did not like the old residence, finding it uncomfortable to stay there. He had moved in and become Stanley’s neighbor earlier, mainly because he was curious about Summer. With only him and Rosie, the mansion seemed too large and empty. But now, it came in handy.
He did not enter the kitchen, just standing at the doorway. Summer was inside, her back facing him as she seriously looked at two packs of meat in her hands, seemingly trying to make out what types of meat they were. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head, and her sleeves were rolled up her slender arms.
She put down one of the packs and stood on her tiptoes to reach the overhead cabinet, looking for something. With her hands raised above her, her clothes were pulled tightly against her body, revealing her alluring and curvy body line.
Leonardo stared quietly at her from behind, his hand pressing against his left chest.
Right then, Rosie’s voice could be heard. “Daddy!”
He looked back as Rosie excitedly ran toward him from behind.
“Daddy! I came down the stairs on my own!”
Summer looked back, her eyes landing on Rosie with a smile on her face.