Jeffrey Williamson and Corddarryl Rose, better known online as @TheRoseDaddies, are redefining what fatherhood looks like—one bedtime story at a time.
Together since 2015 and married in 2022, the couple lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where they’re raising their 1-year-old daughter, Ava, whom they adopted after years of dreaming about becoming parents. “We have always wanted to become fathers and had always talked about it,” Jeffrey says. “We got serious after our wedding and began the process with our agency.”
For the couple, parenthood offered healing as well as joy. “Our families had been through a lot of loss, and we felt a huge void had formed,” Jeffrey shares. “This felt natural to us.”
Their path to fatherhood has been full of everyday magic—the kind they now want to share with others. “Waking up and seeing our baby girl smile at us every day,” says Jeffrey, is the best part of being a parent. “The joy we see in her when we pick her up from daycare or when we come home from work. The family sing-alongs in the kitchen while cooking dinner.”
That daily joy is the heart of their debut children’s book, We Love You ForAva!, which was released on June 1, 2025. Based on their own life as a Black queer family formed through open adoption, the book offers an affirming, vibrant reflection of the love they live every day.
We Love You ForAva! follows the simple, sweet rhythms of Ava’s world—snuggly naps, giggles on the playground, and loving visits with her birth mom. Told with tenderness and care, the story provides rare representation of two Black gay dads raising a child in a loving, open adoption. “It is a heartwarming, beautifully illustrated children’s book that celebrates the everyday joys of family, love, and belonging,” says Jeffrey.
Writing and publishing the book was a natural extension of how the couple already lives and parents—with intention. “We make sure we are represented in what we watch, what we listen to, and what we participate in,” Jeffrey says. “We attend events such as Pride parades, as well as her daycare being very inclusive.”
While they acknowledge that challenges exist, particularly in today’s political climate, they say they’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by love and acceptance. “We have done a great job in creating barriers and filtering negativity,” Jeffrey says. “Our families have been super accepting, as well as our neighbors.”
When asked what advice they’d give to other LGBTQ+ people dreaming of parenthood, Jeffrey says, “Go for it! The journey isn’t an easy one, but it is so worth it. The long nights, the sick days, the tantrums… it is ALL worth it! Having our baby is THE GREATEST joy of our lives.”
We Love You ForAva! is available for purchase at www.therosedaddies.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.com.
