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Daniel

I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. I stood by the mirror, brushing my teeth after just taking a shower. You guys heard her last night, right? She said- till the end!

Does this mean that she's staying with me? She's not leaving me after one year, am I right? God, things are finally looking up for me.

I finally got my two most important girls back in my life. Don't say that to my sisters, though. They'll kill me.

One thing is for sure, though. I'm fighting for Zoey, and I'm going to do whatever I can to ensure Layla never leaves my side again. Layla turns off the shower, slowly reaches out for her towel, and gets out. I smile, finish up with my teeth, and kiss her lips.

"Good morning, beautiful. I'll go check on Zoey while you finish up in here." I wink, making her blush as she wraps the towel around her body. "Thanks, Danny. I'll be out soon. Hey, by the way," she says, making me turn. "I was hoping to go in late today. I want to take Zoey in for a check-up. Make sure she's in proper health and weight. Do you mind?" I thought it was a great idea. I wanted to make sure as well, I thought for a second. Maybe it'll be a good idea for us to take the day and spend it with Zoey.

"You know, it sounds like a great idea. How about we both take the day? We can take her in for a check-up, shop for some things for her new room, and... Call the Social worker. Let her know Zo will be staying after all." Layla's face lit up. She launched at me, kissing me with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

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Layla

I was so nervous. I mean, I have been on the other end, checking on kids and giving them their vaccines, but it was my first time bringing someone of my own. Did I just say that? Because it feels right. Calling Zoey mine. She has been fussy all morning, but it's normal for a baby like her. It also worried me that she wasn't yet potty trained, and her weight was deficient.

Thank goodness there weren't many patients, and all the other parents were busy with their own kids to care that Zoey was being loud. Danny kept struggling to keep her still. She wanted to explore, which was a good thing.

"Zoey Keller!" the nurse called for her, Danny picked her up, and we walked in with her. For a down syndrome baby, all her vitals were lower, it worried Danny, but I told him it was ok. It was normal for her vitals to come out lower.

After they checked her vitals, height, and weight, the doctor came in. She was a very nice lady, but it bothered me that she was more concerned about checking out Danny than focusing on Zoey.

"I noticed in Zoey's chart that she's allergic to papaya; I was wondering if you could prescribe an EpiPen so I can keep it handy in case of an emergency," I asked, becoming irritated as she continued to glance at Danny, who was utterly clueless. He played with Zoey, making raspberry noises and making her giggle.

"He's such a great dad, isn't he?" I rolled my eyes, sighing irritatingly. "Yes, the best. Now about those EpiPens." I asked, making her blush and look toward me. "Right. I'll write it up for you and have it on the front desk ready for you. Now, Zoey is a little low on weight. Is she giving you trouble? How are her eating habits? Have you noticed her eating anything unusual?" she asked, making me groan inwardly.

I had already explained to her that Zoey was dropped off last night, which was why we came to see the doctor. "Mrs... Carlin, is it?" I asked as I read her badge. She looks at me through her glasses as she writes on her clipboard. "Yes, that's me," she says, pointing to her name badge.

"I already explained to you that Zoey was dropped off last night by her social worker. Now, I am unaware of her eating habits, and I am aware her weight is rather low, which is the reason why I brought her to this morning. If you don't mind me asking, stop drooling over my husband and answer my questions; that would be grand. Otherwise, I would love to get out of here and take her to a different pediatric." her face turned red. She cleared and turned her chair to look at the growth chart on the computer screen.

Zoey was so small, and given her weight plus vital signs, it concerned me a lot. The possibility of her having anemia was high, and the more information I had, the sooner I could ensure she was returned to normality.

"Her weight is relatively low, but your explanation of the loss of her father could be a reason why she has been having difficulty eating. But, I don't see any signs of her being anemic. Her blood sample came back normal, so I would suggest giving her pediatric shakes to supplement the loss of nutrients in her diet. Twice a day, for six weeks. I want to schedule a second visit as a follow-up. Zoey looks in perfect condition, and I know you're worried about her retracted behavior, but give her time." she says, giving me a sad smile.

"She needs lots of love, understanding, and most of all, patients. Most parents with a Down syndrome baby have a rather difficult time because they develop much slower, but it doesn't mean they love and feel less. On the contrary. They can be very emotional and temperamental." She says, stating the obvious. I had already seen this side of Zoey this morning. But I get her. She misses her dad, and having gone through fosters that mistreated her makes her stand on eggshells.

I knew I was annoying the doctor as I bombarded her with one question after another, but I needed to learn as much as possible. After the consultation, I scheduled her following appointment and made Danny pay for the EpiPens at the pharmacy.

When we were done, we took her shopping, which she absolutely loved. She helped pick her own shirt and dress. I picked up pull-ups for her. I was determined to teach her to potty in her own toilet.

The days after that went by just the same. Zoey struggled to adapt, but I wasn't going to give up on her. Her tantrums worsened, but little by little, she became fond of us. She started playing with us, and her weight slowly increased. My frustration was getting the best of me, but it wasn't because of Zoey. It was mainly from clashing with Sasha, who wasted no time or opportunity to try and flirt with Danny.

My days were busy with work, coming up with the best designs I could for next season and having them ready for presentation in a few more weeks. By night, Danny and I tried to make it our best to teach Zoey to potty train and make sure she was well fed and healthy.

But by the end of the second week, Danny was ready to get her her own room because she was sharing the bed with us. And the man was becoming grumpy from our lack of intimacy at night.

I began shopping for her furniture; when I realized she loved teddy bears, I kept that in mind as her theme for her room. We sat her crib in the middle of the room because she was still not ready for a big girl bed. She rolled too much in bed, and Danny feared she'd fall. Her room was covered in teddy bears and white furniture, making it look elegant. We set up pictures of her with her dad so she'd never forget him, along with new images of her and us.

I was more than happy with the outcome of her room, and what made me more comfortable was that she was now starting to really warm up to us. And just in time, because we were finally a day before Cassidy's birthday, and the runway was happening soon after.

It was nighttime. Danny's sister, Riley, was helping us babysit Zoey. Soon as we got home, she said goodbye to us, leaving us with a blueberry-covered face Zoey.

She giggled, raising her hands when she saw Danny walk into the kitchen. "Look at you! My princess. Come here, gorgeous." He says as he brings her out of her chair and smothers her with kisses. He didn't care he was getting covered in blueberry juice. He giggled, placing the bags of food we had just picked up for dinner.

"Hi, baby!" I said, leaning in to kiss her. "Mah. mah." She says as she reaches for my cheeks, giving me a wet kiss on my cheek. I giggled, kissing her nose and grabbing a wipe to clean her face. "You're all messy, Zo! My girl needs a nice bath, huh? The good thing is... It's daddy's turn to bathe you." I said, looking at a concerned Danny and giggling. She giggled, hugging Danny tightly, wiggling her feet.

He always gets nervous bathing her, but she loves it. "Get going, daddy! I'll get dinner started." I said as I began taking things out of our bags and began to get dinner ready. "You do know I have an expensive shirt on, right? She's going to get it all wet!" he says, making it giggle.

"Really? A little water scares you, now? You do realize you're covered in blueberry juice, right?" I say making him grunt. I knew he was just trying to get out of bathing duty, but I wasn't going to fall for it.

He whines, stomping away as he makes his way to clean Zoey up. I know what you're thinking. I'm falling for him and Zoey.

And you're right. I'm completely head over heels in love with him just as I'm falling in love with that little girl. And there is nothing anyone can do or say to make me separate from them. This is where I belong... with my family.

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