Brian Haner Jr

Nicole tapped her pen impaitently against her dest. Be there, she willed silently, waiting for her friend to pick up the phone. While she waited, she glanced up at the clock. Her afternoon appointments started in 10 minutes, which ment if Val didn't pick up soon, they wern't going to be able to talk until that evening. Nicole figured she disrupted her paitents' lives enough by canceling without warning if there was a baby to deliver, that the least she could do was be on time when she was in the office.

"Dr. Dibenedtto," a familiar voice said crispily.

Nicole sighed in relief. "It's Nicole and I did a really stupid thing."

Valary Dibenedtto, a pediatrician and close friend for the past three years laughed. "No way your stupid thing can top my stupid thing. I had sex without a condom and got pregnant. Now how are you going to beat that?"

Nicole smiled. "Don't give me that. Your thrilled about the baby."

"Thrilled, but still in shock. Besides, I'm supposed to be a responsible adult. No one is going to believe me if I don't act like one."

"You do, most of the time." She paused and tried to figure out the best way to ask her question. "I need you to tell me if Brian Haner is a good man."

"That's your stupid thing?"

"Sort of. Did you know about his baby?"

"Sure," Val said. "Matt told me. Brian was involved with some woman over the summer. The relationship didn't work out but she ended up pregnant. She was due any time now, wasn't she?"

"She had the baby today," Nicole waid.

"I didn't know that. Well, as I understand it, both she and Brian had agreed to give up the child for adoption. Is there a problem?"

"That depends on whether or not Brian is a decent guy. He changed his mind. Hes keeping his daughter."

This time Val was the one who got quiet. Nicole pictured her green eyes widening with shock as her mouth dropped open.

"Brian's keeping the baby?"

"Thats the plan. As far as I know Lily will still be giving her up, so Brian's going to have sole custody. Do you think he can manage?" Nicole rubbed her temple. "I feel a little responsible. I'm the one who dragged him to the nursery so he could hold her. You know what its like to cradle a newborn."

"Pretty amazing," Val agreed. "I'm stunned by the news. Fortunately, Brian seems to be a great guy. Hes wonderful with Matt's son, but being an uncle to your best friend's child is very different then being a father."

"Thats what I think," Nicole agreed. "I know that there are alot of single parents, but most of them have some kind of warning. Brian made his decision today and the baby goes home tomorrow. Not much time to prepare."

"You're right," Val said. "He can't even take a couple weeks off because of the new album. He's been working too many hours as it is, just to get things caught up. What was he thinking?"

"So you think I was wrong to encourage him?"

"Not for a minute," Val told her. "All this stuff is just logistics, Nicole. How can it be wrong for a man to love his child? And don't give me any lines about mothers being more nurturing. I don't believe that and I don't think you do, either."

"No, I don't." How could she? Her mother had died shortly after she'd been born and her father had raised her on his own. In her opinion, he'd done a wonderful job. She couldn't imagine a parent being more supportive or caring.

"So it's just a matter of getting Brian up to speed," Val said. Nicole heart her flipping pages in her date book, then her friend continued. "I'm free tomorrow. I'll check with Matt and see if we can go over and help him. Maybe a couple of lessons with a doll will help him prepare for that first diaper change."

The thought of Brian Haner Jr bent over staring at the contents of a newborn's diaper made Nicole smile. "He's not going to like that part at all."

"Few people do."

Nicole cleared her throat. "Yes, well, I'm going to help out too. I figure it's the least I could do after getting him into this mess."

"You're not the one who had the baby."

Nicole could feel her cheeks getting hot, which was silly. She pressed the back of her free hand against her skin. "I know, but, well, anyways, I'm meeting him tonight. We're going to a baby store and I'm going to help him pick out furnature. I also thought I'd take him one of those books on what happens during the first year."

"Dr. Milenkovich, do you sound flustered?"

"Of course not. I'm just watching the clock. I have paitents in a couple of minutes."

"I think not. I think you are, in fact, interested in Brian."

"You're crazy. I'm helping out a friend."

"Oh. When did you two become friends?"

Nicole glared at the phone. "Fine. I'm helping a fellow human being in need."

"You're hiding the truth, maybe even from yourself. I think you think he's hot."

"I'm concerned about a new father taking care of a child when hes had no preperation or experience. My thoughts are for the baby, not Brian."

Val sighed. "All right. Have t your way, but your missing out. I have to tell you, theres something pretty wonderful about the Avenged Sevenfold members."

Nicole smiled. Val was marrying Matthew Sanders at the end of the month. "I think you've been influenced by your relationship with Matt."

"Maybe, but only in the best way possible. Besides, would it kill you to be interested in a man? You've been living like a nun for the past three years."

"Sure, I always take relationship advice from a woman in the middle of an unplanned pregnancy." Val laughed. "Oh, thanks. Throw that in my face. But think about what I said. It would be very sad for you to ignore this opportunity."

"Say good-bye, Val."

"Bye."

Nicole was still smiling when she hung up the phone. She collected her charts and made her way out of the office, all the while ignoring the little voice in her head that whispered Val might be on to something after all.