Dani was seething as she got herself ready for work. The terrible conversation with Alyssa had been replaying in her brain all day. How could she have been so callous and awful?

She heard a noise outside her door and ducked out just in time to see her landlord Eric had hung up a notice to evict on her door. She pulled it out off the door and gave him her most pitiful look, feeling awful about it.

"I'm sorry, Dani." Eric's face was grim, and she could tell he felt bad. "I can't continue to allow you to fall behind on your rent."

"Please, Eric, just give me some more time," Dani begged.

"I can't. I've let you slide far too much as it is."

"Just a week. Can you give me a week?"

"One week," he relented as his frown deepened. "That's it, no more chances."

"Thank you so much. I swear I'm going to get the money."

He looked doubtful as he turned to leave, and she didn't blame him. Dani let herself back inside, wadding the eviction notice and tossing it. She had no other choice. There was no one else to call, except...

"You have to call Katherine." Dani blanched at the thought, she'd rather call Alyssa back and beg.

"Damn it." Tears started to brim in her eyes as she forced herself to dial her birth giver, pacing  her small living room.

"Dani?" Katherine sounded surprised when she picked up. 

"Hi, Katherine, I uh..."

"What kind of trouble are you in?" Katherine questioned in a harsh tone.

Dani felt annoyed instantly. How could she be so judgmental all the time? What right did she have?

Not now, she told herself as she sat down on the couch.

"I just... I need a little help, work's been slow, and I had to help Kev. I need a little money for rent." Dani said quickly like she was ripping off a bandage.

"Then what? Will work pick up? Do you have a better job lined up?"

Worse, definitely worse than Alyssa, Dani decided as she cringed.

"Well, I hope so..." Dani stammered. "I mean, I'm sure it will pick up, or maybe I can get a second job."

"You can move in here with me. We'll find you a career, or better yet, we'll get you enrolled in school. You're still young enough for that," Katherine dictated.

"No, I don't want to live with you," Dani said as she bit her lip to refrain from screaming. "Please, can you just send me some money?"

"So, you can stay there and go nowhere?" Katherine questioned. "Are you at least seeing someone?"

"No," Dani scoffed irritably. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's just more proof. You have no future there," she said crisply. "It's time we changed that. I'll buy you a ticket."

"Forget it, no way. I won't live with you." Dani stood and began to pace.

"That's the contingency. I won't lend you money that's going to get wasted."

"I'll figure something else out." Dani hung up and sank to the couch in defeat, letting the tears run down her face.

For the first time in a long time she didn't know what she was going to do. Even if she did make enough money over the next week to cover the rent, she'd have next month's rent due in two weeks and be right back in the same spot. 

"I think I'm screwed."

**

Alyssa was awoken early Thursday morning with a tugging on her arm.

"Mommy, Mommy, wake up."

"Oh, Gavi, it's so early," she groaned and opened one eye. "What?"

"I got my big boy pants wet." He said, a sour expression on his face.

"Oh, for the love of..." Alyssa groaned and threw the blankets off her to begrudgingly climb out of bed. She took his hand and walked him into the bathroom as he held the back of his pants.

"Oh yuck," she gagged. "You didn't pee! You pooped your pants!"

She shuddered and turned the bathtub water on, gagging as she cleaned him up.

"This is disgusting, Gavin!" She scolded him. "You're a big boy now. Big boys don't poop their pants!"

"I didn't mean to," he whimpered.

"You are old enough to know better," Alyssa snapped. "You were a bad boy pooping the bed, Gavi. This is bad."

"I'm sorry, Mommy," he said quietly.

"Don't ever do it again, you understand?"

"Yes," he sniffled.

Once she had him dressed, she threw away his pajamas and groaned when she walked into his room, finding his bed all wet and gross, too. He was at her heel, sniffling as he watched her. She shook her head angrily at him, then turned to get the cleaning stuff, and he followed her back out to the hallway.

"Will you stop following me?" she hissed irritably.

He whirled around and ran back into his room. She grabbed the cleaning stuff and fresh sheets from the hall closet and returned to his room. He was sitting on his bed in the middle of the nasty mess when she returned.

"Get off the dirty bed!" she screamed. "I'm about five seconds from losing it!"

He jumped off the bed in a hurry. His eyes welled up with fresh tears, and he started wailing almost as loud as she'd screamed. He turned and raced out of the room, yelling for Daddy.

"Great, just great," she muttered under her breath. "Gavin, come back here! Mommy didn't mean to yell so loud!"

Her phone rang, and she frowned, seeing it was Eddy. What was she supposed to tell him?

"Eddy, listen..."

"Tell me you are packed for New York."

"I want Daddy!" Gavin cried out over his sobs.

"No nanny yet?" Edward questioned.

"I have everything under control."

He laughed loudly, "it doesn't sound like it."

"I'll be ready by tomorrow, and we'll leave together." She shut the bedroom door to drown out Gavin's wails.

"You better be."

An idea was quickly working itself out in her mind. Damn, the consequences. Since when did she let anyone, much less her stupid, faithful lap-dog husband, tell her what to do?

"I got this, darling," she promised.

"Don't let me down, Ali-baby."

She hung up, thumbed through her recent calls, and dialed a number as a smirk formed on her face.

"Alyssa?"

"Danielle, I have a question." Alyssa walked into her room, and her eyes fell on Gavin, who was curled on the bed crying on his dad's pillow. At least he'd quieted down some, Alyssa walked over and patted his back.

"It's Dani," she snapped back.

"Oh, sweetie, we are not on a nickname vibe," Alyssa laughed. 

"Did you want something?" 

"Did you not hear me say I have a question?" 

"What, Alyssa?" 

"How are you with kids?"