"I love them, Steve, they look terrific."

"Hey, only my usual best for you, man. A baby daughter, huh?"

I had told Steve the whole story while he had inked my new tattoos. About how I had reached the decision to place her footprints on my chest so a piece of Dani was always with me.

"Yeah. She's so beautiful, man. I can't believe it. I can't believe she's mine."

"How come it hasn't been in the papers?"

"It will be. I'm going national with it. Everybody will know pretty soon."

"Everyone will know you're a first class fuck up, is what you mean."

I stared at him, humbled a bit by the attitude I sensed from him. "I guess so."

"I know why you want to go public, but man, you're going out there and telling people, fans and non fans, that you fucked Lord knows how many chicks and knocked up at least one of them. Not to mention you can't even remember what she looks like. How do you think that will affect album sales? Think parents will buy your CD for their kids after they see you on TV confessing that shit? Instead, think of the educating you could do. Kids would listen to you. See your mistakes and learn from them."

"What are you saying?"

"Go on a respectable show, not some kiddie crap music program. Don't act all proud about fathering this kid..."

"But..." I started to protest.

"I know you're proud of her, I know. But you gotta act humble, beaten, announce that you realized your mistakes, that you're clean, that you'll talk to schools, kids, whatever, you know? Tell them that you realize your mistakes, have learned from them and want others to learn from them too."

"You think so?" I studied him quizzically as thoughts and ideas formed in my head. Steve had something here.

"I know so."

"Alright, man." I shook Steve's hand. "You've given me some great ideas. I'll see what I can do."

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

When I returned home, Mom had her grand daughter laying in her arms, Dani was draining a bottle and struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Hey baby." I cooed from where I stood in the doorway.

Dani let the bottle slip from her lips and gave me a huge smile. I took her from mom and wrapped her in my arms.

"How's she been, Momma?"

"She's a darling, honey. She's slept, ate, played and never cried once. She's just been perfect." Mom praised.

"She's such a good girl." I whispered into Dani's ear. "Such a good baby." I winced when one of her knees bumped my still tender chest.

"What's wrong, Nick?"

"Oh I got another tattoo, it's still a bit tender."

"Nick." Mom looked disapproving at me.

"Here, I'll show you. I think you might like this one."

I handed Dani back to Mom and pulled my shirt off, revealing the footprints.

"Are they...?"

"Yes, right from her prints in her medical records. We changed them up a bit though."

"Oh Nick." Mom looked like she was going to cry.

"I wanted to have a piece of her with me all the time. To always remember and to show my love."

I was right. Mom had tears falling down her face now. "I'm so proud of you Nick."

"They're just tattoos." I grinned. "They generally don't make you proud of me."

"No, everything. The way you've taken responsibility for your daughter, the love you're showing her, your devotion to her."

"Then you'll be really pleased when you hear what else I did today." I pulled out my copy of the provisional will. "I made out a will."

Mom's mouth dropped open in shock. "Your father and I have been trying to get you to write a will for years."

"I know. I talked with Doctor Haywood today. He finally made me realize how important it is."

"Nick, that's wonderful. I really am so proud of you."

"And..."

"And?"

"I'm going on TV to tell about Dani. At first it was just to stop the rumours, but I was talking to Steve..."

"Steve?"

"Tattoo guy. He thinks I should talk to kids or schools about drugs and sex and stuff. What do you think?"

"I think that's wonderful, honey. So responsible and grown up of you."

"Don't say it again, Momma."

"Nickolas, I can't help it. I'm so proud of you right now. You're such a caring, loving...man. You're all grown up now."

I pulled Mom and Dani into a hug and squeezed them both for all I was worth. "Thank you, Momma. I'm a lucky man, that's what I am."

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

Mom decided to stay for a late lunch. Dani finally finished the bottle she'd been drinking when I came home and Mom encouraged me to feed her a few bites of my banana.

"I can't, she doesn't have teeth!"

"It's alright, just a small piece, mush it up for her."

"No, you do it." I was afraid she would choke or something.

"Nope, this will be her first real food and I'm not going to deprive you of that privilege. Parents miss enough firsts in their children's lives these days."

I broke a piece off the tip of the fruit and squished it between my fingers. I held them out to Dani, encouraging her to try it. Her little tongue snuck out and tasted, then her nose wrinkled in disgust. I laughed and touched her lips. Her mouth opened and I pushed a tiny piece in. I could see her tongue working, trying to push the offending fruit out and then, she swallowed! Her first food! She'd eaten her first real food! After the first taste, Dani eagerly finished what was left on my fingers and opened her mouth like a little bird, waiting for more to drop in.

"That's my girl!" I laughed and broke off another piece for her.

"That's enough, sweetcakes." Momma wiped Dani's face with her washcloth. "Too much and you'll get sick."

"It's just fruit though?"

"But she's not used to it, let her system adjust to new things and gradually give her more."

After we cleaned Dani up, I filled out her baby book. I'd complained about buying it at the time, but I was so grateful that Mom had insisted. The book was woefully empty at the beginning, I'd filled in what little I knew. I was going to make sure the rest of the memories were well preserved. I turned to the proper page and wrote "Squished Banana!!!!!!!" under first food and drew a bunch of bananas beside it.

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

Before Mom left, I asked her about bathing Dani and taking her in the pool. She told me that both were totally fine and advised me of the precautions I needed to know for the pool. I wanted to take her swimming right away, and almost did, before I remembered my new tattoos.

Dani and I walked Mom to the front steps and thanked her for babysitting. Mom gave Dani kisses and hugs goodbye.

"Bye Love, you be good for Daddy now."

We waited and waved on the steps until we couldn't see Mom's car anymore. I turned Dani to face me and tickled her tummy.

"Well, what do you think? Wanna go have a bath with Daddy?"

We walked to the back into the house, I picked up Dani's bouncer chair on the way up the stairs. Once we were upstairs, I got the water running in the tub before I settled Dani in her chair. I checked the water temperature, gathered towels and turned on the stereo.

"I think we're all set, Dani, ready for the water?"

I unfastened my jeans and boxers, letting them fall to the floor and then stepped out of them. I picked Dani up and stepped into the tub. Dani curled her legs and feet up close to her tummy as I lowered myself into the water. Once I sat down, I held her up, letting her get comfortable and to decide for herself when to lower her legs. She let her legs fall after just a few minutes and the tips of her toes grazed the water. Dani giggled and cooed as she tried to swish the water with her legs. I lowered her in, resting her on my lap. I gently poured water over her back and shoulders from my cupped hand. Dani was having a ball, kicking her feet and splashing her hands. She didn't even mind getting water on her face. I couldn't stop laughing and smiling at her antics. I held her on her back and on her tummy in the water, making her float. She loved it. I leaned back in the tub and lifted Dani up and then lowered her into the water, again and again. Gradually, I noticed that the water had become cool, I had no idea how long we'd been playing. I held Dani against my chest as I added more warm water so that we could finally bathe. As she snuggled into my neck, all I could think of was how happy that little gesture made me feel, how perfect this was. I was having the time of my life and it felt so right. I couldn't imagine being without my daughter ever again.