Howard K. Stern, the lawyer for Anna Nicole Smith, said Tuesday that he's the "proud father" of her baby girl, who was born just days before her 20-year-old son Daniel Smith died in the Bahamas.


Howard K. Stern, who was with the family in the hospital the night Daniel Smith died, told CNN's Larry King that the newborn has been Anna Nicole's "one ray of hope" following the tragedy.


The child, he said, is "the one thing that is really keeping her going. And through it all, even with all the pain, she has been a great mom, a very attentive mom."


Daniel Smith, 20, died in his mother's hospital room Sept. 10 while visiting her three days after she gave birth to the baby girl. Authorities are still awaiting toxicology test results to determine the cause of death.


As for his relationship with Anna Nicole Smith, Howard K. Stern said:

We love each other and it's been going on for a very long time and because of my relationship as her lawyer, we felt it was best to keep everything hidden. And we've done a pretty good job of that.

When King asked Stern if he planned to marry Smith, he replied:

I've loved her for quite some time and hopefully the feeling's mutual. At some point, we will. Right now we have to somehow get through what we're going through.