I had decided Dani would be going with me, but she would be staying the green room with Mom. I wasn't going to risk taking her on air. Aside from the fact that Dani's mother would more than likely see her, after I told my story, every fruitcake fan I had would be confessing they were her mother. I was going to avoid as much hassle as I could by just keeping her off air. Bec had agreed to come with me as well and help if necessary. I was feeling good about the whole thing. Actually looking forward to it, for a change.

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

Later that night, Mom and Dad were over visiting with Aaron, who was playing with Dani on the floor of the living room.

"Look Nick! She's trying to roll over!"

I glanced over. Dani was just laying there, smiling at Aaron, who was laying beside her, and stretching her arms out to him.

"She's a bit young yet for that, Air."

"How do you know?" He shot back.

"I've been reading." I pointed to the pile of books on the coffee table. "I needed to educate myself about babies."

"You've been reading?" Aaron rolled over and picked a couple up from the table. "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Aaron raised his eyebrows and snorted. "You're big enough to be expecting but you sure don't have the equipment for it!"

He ducked under the table before I could swat at him. Little brothers could be the most annoying pains in the universe sometimes.

"I'm glad to see you're reading and learning." Mom smiled. "There's lots of useful information in those books. You might try some websites too."

"I've been looking." I admitted. "I found with a monthly calendar and stuff. It tells me what Dani should be doing at her age."

"Very good." Mom scooped Dani up from the floor, where she was now starting to fuss. "Have you thought anymore about a sitter for her? Aaron will be touring very soon."

"I have..some..I just..."

"What, Nick?" Dad encouraged me to continue.

"I'm afraid I'll get groupies, fans, that just want to meet me and don't care about looking after Dani properly. Or some wacko that will take her and demand ransom."

"So don't use your name in the advertising. Have Bec take the calls and do the interviews with you. You should be able to tell from the interviews if people are sincere or not. Make sure they have proof of qualifications with them. No interview without one."

"And lots of references." Mom added. "Make sure you check them."

"All of them." Dad insisted.

"Sounds good." I mused. "I'll talk to Bec about it. Maybe we'll be able to get an ad together after the show tomorrow."

"Excellent!" Mom gave Dani a kiss and handed her to Dad. "We should be going, dear. It's close to her bedtime. She's got to get up early tomorrow."

We all exchanged hugs and kisses and goodbyes and my family left for the night. Dani slowly rubbed her eyes as we waved from the porch.

"You're tired aren't you baby? We've got such a big day tomorrow too."

I locked up the house and took Dani upstairs to get her ready for bed.

"Let's set your clothes out for the morning." I laid Dani on her change table and kneeled down to open the drawers.

"Okay, tights, damn these will be fun to get on your wiggling feet, extra diapers, travel powder, travel wipes, diaper bag, sleeper in case of accident..." I pulled the items out and placed them in the bag or on the floor. "Now for your new dress from Auntie Bec..."

I stood up and turned to the closet. Before I had time to even open it, I heard Dani laugh and then the most sickening thing I've heard in my life. Looking back, everything is in slow motion. I heard a rustle, then a thud. Just a dull thud and then total silence.

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

As I turned around, the first thought that entered my head was, "Damn! Aaron was right, she can roll.". Then, just to get to her. To help my daughter. Her mouth was wide open, but no sound was coming out. Not a single sound. Tears were falling down her face. Her little face that was as red as a beet. I knelt down and felt her all over. As soon as my hand touched the back of her head, her screams became audible.

"Oh shit! Oh Dani! God!"

I could feel a huge bump forming and my first thought was to pick her up. The colour was just awful, it almost made me sick to my stomach. I cradled her as gently as I could and ran down the stairs and right out to the car. My keys, thank God, were on the table and I grabbed them as I went by. I knew putting her in the car seat would put pressure on her head, but I didn't know what else to do. I decided to hold her but I couldn't get the car started. My hands were shaking so badly.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! God, help me out here!"

I threw the keys down and scooped my cell phone from the seat of the car.

"Mom! I need you, quickly!"

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

I paced the waiting room anxiously. Dani had been in the examining room for about 45 minutes and they insisted I stay out. I was slowing going crazy as I waited for news. Mom was trying to calm me down and assure me everything would be fine.

"Nick, you didn't know. Things like this happen."

"Did it happen to you, Momma? With any of us?"

"Well no, but kids hurt themselves. Look at you and Aaron, all your scars..."

"We were older."

"Nickolas, this is not your fault."

"It is." I insisted. "I'm her father. I should have known she was moving. That she could roll."

"Mr. Carter?"

A white suited doctor entered the waiting room and was studying me intently.

"That's me." I stopped pacing, afraid to say anything else.

"Would you like to see your daughter?"

"Is she...?"

"She's going to be fine, come with me."

I let out all the air I had been holding in my lungs and hugged Mom tightly. She was alright.

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

I rushed over to the cot that Dani was laying in. She was awake, but her eyes were droopy. She whimpered when she saw me.

"Can I pick her up?"

"Of course."

The bump was still huge and still that awful bluish/purple colour. I kissed the side of Dani's head and whispered into her ear. "I'm so sorry baby. Daddy is so sorry."

"She's alright? It looks terrible."

"She's fine. The bump will go down in time. It looks that way because the blood rushed to the injured area, to protect her head. There's possibly some broken blood vessels, nothing major. She threw up a small amount, but that's normal in these cases."

I gulped. Nothing major, not to him anyway. Normal. Sure. Not.

"Did you give her anything? Should I do anything? How can she sleep?"

"We didn't need to give her any medication. Not necessary. I want you to keep her awake for another hour or so, just to make sure there isn't a concussion. After that, just put her to sleep on her stomach."

I nodded slowly.

"You can take her to see your own doctor in a few days as well. Just to confirm everything is healing well."

"Okay...I....there's nothing else wrong?" Dani was sagging limply in my arms, most likely extremely tired by now.

"Not a thing, no fractures or cuts. Just a bump on the noggin. She's a tough girl."

I kissed her forehead gently, apologizing again to her.

"Thank you Doctor. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

"It's alright, Mr. Carter. Happens all the time."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

"I swear." The doctor raised his right hand. "Almost every day. Total accidents."

I breathed another sigh of relief. I still felt like a rotten father, but this information made me feel a small bit better.

"Thank you again, Doctor."

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

I carried Dani out to Mom in the waiting room. I was afraid that if I walked to fast I would hurt her again.

"She's fine Momma." My voice cracked with emotion. " Just a little bump on the head." I looked down at Dani and burst into tears. Mom hugged me and rubbed my back.

"She will be fine sweetie. Let's get you two home."

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

I put Dani to bed while Mom called Dad to check in and let him know she would be staying over. The she called Bec to ask her to reschedule the interview. She let her know what had happened and that everyone was fine.

"I'll sleep in the spare room, dear, I'll be here if you need anything."

I hugged Mom around the neck and thanked her, before I sat back down in the rocking chair beside Dani's crib. I stuck my hand through the rungs and Dani weakly grasped my finger.

I vaguely heard Mom say goodnight and shut the door softly.

In the morning, that's how she found us still. Dani's hand in my hand, and my head resting on the crib, both of us fast asleep.