I checked on Dani and smiled as I looked down at her. She was sleeping so peacefully and looked so precious all bundled in her sleeper and blanket. I leaned down and brushed my fingers across her cheek, before leaving her to continue her sleep.

Next I made some coffee and Dani's morning formula as I looked up some phone numbers. Time to put the new management to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No, I don't really care when, but I would like it to be as soon as possible."

I listened and nodded as the person on the other line spoke.

"I'm not hiding her, the story is bounding all over the internet anyway. I want the truth out there."

I listened again, taking a long, slow sip of my coffee and breathing in the aroma.

"No, this one is my call. I'm going on and I want you to arrange it for me. Bec has my recording schedule so work around that."

He kept arguing and damn, my coffee was almost gone.

"I'm doing it. If you don't arrange it for me, I'll do it myself, understand?"

I finally got through to him and we finished up the arrangements and I disconnected, only to dial another number. After a few rings, the phone was picked up by someone with a sleepy voice.

"Hello?"

"Momma? It's Nick."

"Nick? What on earth are you doing up this early?"

"I guess Dani is conditioning me, she's been waking up around this time."

"She's not up?"

"Not yet, I checked her though. She's sleeping good."

"That's wonderful honey, it's pretty impressive that she's already sleeping through the night for you."

"I guess." I shrugged, I had no idea if it was good or bad for her, it was wonderful for me. "Listen Mom, I need you to watch her a bit today, can you do that? I have to get her documents from the doctor and stuff."

"I'd love to Nick, what time?"

We arranged a time and I clicked the phone off again. Then one more quick call and I was finished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dani was wide awake and lively when Mom arrived to take over for me. Dani had had her morning formula and was ready to give Mom her best. I laughed as I left. The sight of Mom crawling around on her hands and knees trying to entertain her grand-daughter was hilarious. I could remember Mom with Aaron and Angel, I guess I just didn't expect to see her acting this way again so soon, and with my child no less. Unbelievable.

My first stop was the doctor's office for Dani's papers. Doctor Haywood greeted me warmly as he ushered me into his office.

"Nickolas, how is Daniella?"

"She's just fine, sir. She's an excellent baby."

"Excellent babies come from excellent parents."

"I don't know about that one."

"I'm sure you're doing fine Nickolas. It takes time. No new parent knows everything right away. Be patient."

He asked me about Dani's sleeping and eating habits, making notations in her chart.

"I've looked over her birth records and the other information you gave me. She had a normal birth, no complications, no major illnesses. I still want to give her a full checkup so you'll need to schedule one before you leave."

I nodded.

"And I'd like you to have one too Nickolas. It's been some time since your last one."

"I hate physicals." I tried to keep the whining tone out of my voice, but it was hard.

"I know." Doctor Haywood laughed. "But you need to be healthy for your little one." He coughed slightly and then gave me one of those serious looks. "Which leads me to another point."

I nodded. I had a feeling of what he was about to say, but I didn't want to hear it.

"Have you got a will, Nickolas?"

There it was.

"No I don't. I'm 22 years old, what do I need a will for? I'm healthy."

"Nickolas, who gets your money if you die, your house, your belongings?"

"I'm not going to die." I kind of snickered.

"How often do you fly Nickolas? How often do you think the people that perished in those terrible crashes in New York said those same words?"

An image entered my head and I pushed it away. It was too horrible. I knew someone in one of those planes. He died and left a pregnant wife with no means of support. And a little girl with no daddy.

"Anything can happen Nickolas, even to a young person like yourself. You need to think of someone else now though. What would happen to Daniella if you were to die?"

"My mom and dad would take her, I guess."

"No they would look for her mother first, Nickolas. If you were to die and leave no direction, she would go back to a person she doesn't even know."

"I don't want that. She's mine now. They can't do that."

"Yes they can. And they will."

I sat silently and chewed on my lip as I thought about all the doctor had said.

"So please Nickolas, when you leave here, visit your lawyer and schedule a physical for yourself."

"I'll think about it." I assured him as I gathered my papers. "I really will."

Doctor Haywood just looked at me and then headed out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I quietly shut the door of the office and headed out to the receptionist.

"Nick! What can I do for you?"

"Well, Dani needs a full checkup before too long, so I need to schedule that."

"Okay." She consulted her appointment book. "Anything else while I look for a time?"

I shook my head no, opened my mouth, shut it again and then spoke up.

"I guess I need a physical too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made my next stop my lawyer's office. Doctor Haywood's words, 'What would happen to Daniella if you were to die?' kept running through my head until I wanted to scream. I didn't want to think about dying. I was a relatively healthy 22 year old that didn't plan on dying any time soon. But I guess that was the point. You don't plan on dying. Anything can happen at anytime. For instance, someone could hit me as I get out of my car. Just smack right into me and leave me bleeding and busted inthe middle of the road. I could die right here on the street. Today.

"Shut up!" I yelled at myself as I parked the car.

Mr. Bramson, my personal lawyer ran me through all the fine points of making a will. I had to stop him several times because I didn't understand half of what he said. My head was starting to ache with all the responsibility.

We set up the basics and then it came down to the hard stuff.

"Who would you like to be your beneficiary?" Mr Bramson asked.

"Who's that?"

"The person that would receive the bulk of your estate, the house or houses, cars, money."

"I want, damn, I have a few people."

"Everyone can be looked after, but you need one person that will receive the majority. We will make sure everything else is divided equally."

"Who's usually a beneficiary?"

"Most people generally pick a spouse, a child..."

"My daughter." I said firmly. "I want her looked after."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an hour or so at the lawyers, I had a will set to my specifications. I made sure Daniella, Aaron, Angel, Leslie and BJ would all be well taken care of. Then I finally made it to my last appointment.

"Nick, my man, long time, no see!"

"Not because I didn't want to be here, I can assure you." I grinned as I settled in the chair.

"What can I do for you today?"

I pulled a paper out of my pocket. "What kind of design can we do based on these?"