Page 21 of Triplet Babies for my Ex's Best Friend

Oliver hasn’t said a word since she sat down.

That, more than anything, is the problem.

He sits on the far side of the room, watching with quiet, intense attention. He usually engages by now. Asks questions. Tests boundaries in subtle ways. Tries to understand people in the only way children can. Instinctively.

With her, he hasn’t bothered.

That tells me everything I need to know.

“Thank you,” I say, closing the folder in front of me. “We’ll be in touch.”

Her smile falters slightly, just enough to confirm she already understands the outcome.

“Yes, of course,” she replies, gathering her things.

I stand, offering a polite handshake.

The moment the door closes behind her, the room shifts.

The performance ends.

I exhale slowly, pressing my fingers briefly against the bridge of my nose before looking over at Oliver. “Well?”

He shrugs. “She talked too much.”

I nod once.

“And she didn’t listen,” he adds after a second.

That part matters more. “Anything else?”

He thinks about it. “I didn’t like her.”

I push back slightly from the desk, leaning into the chair. “That makes two of us.”

He perks up at that, just a little, appreciating being included in the decision. “Are we done?”

“Not yet. Sorry, bud. We still have a few more to see.”

I message my assistant to send in the next.

Sue responds almost immediately.

Next candidate ready.

Oliver shifts slightly in his chair, his attention already drifting. “Is this the last one?”

“Not quite.”

He exhales with the quiet resignation of someone who’s already decided this process is a disappointment.

I can’t fault him for that.

The next two interviews proceed much the same as the others, following a pattern that has become increasingly predictable over the past few days. Each candidate arrives with strong qualifications, well-prepared answers, and the kind of professional polish that suggests competence, but none of it translates into what actually matters. One's too rigid,approaching childcare as though it were a system to be controlled rather than a relationship to be built. The other is warm but unfocused, lacking the structure necessary to provide any real stability.

Both of them attempt, in their own ways, to engage Oliver.

Neither succeeds.