Vanguard Security

by S. J. Bishop

  I took a deep breath. This was my last resort. No matter what happened, I would see this through. I’d get back on my feet and that’s that. There’d be no emotions involved - that always gets way too messy. No. Just quick and clean. Go in, get the help I need, and get out. That’s it. I wasn't here to freeload - I was here to start over. So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

  Even if he hates me for it.

  Wait.

  What was I doing? What did I expect to get out of this – especially at two in the morning? My hand fell to my stomach, running along the bump. I was seven months pregnant, and I needed help. I needed his help.

  Keep calm, Lauren. I told myself. Don’t get attached, you’ll only get hurt.

  And, with these thoughts in mind, I finally knocked on the door.

  At first, nothing happened. I was met with a deep and suffocating silence that wrapped around me like a thick blanket. It was making me anxious and a tad bit paranoid. I looked around, but everything seemed normal. On the lawn was a small tricycle and a few toys – mostly pink. The mailbox was lopsided. The paint on the side of the house needed a few touch-ups. I distracted myself with these observations, praying that someone would answer the door.

  Finally, I heard footsteps.

  I gulped down my anxieties and straightened my posture as my fingers tightened around the handle of my suitcase.

  The door swung open. Behind the threshold stood a tired-looking man who barely resembled his profile picture. His eyes were sunken and framed, with dark bags underneath. He wore a tuxedo that was wrinkled and unkempt. I grimaced. This was not what I had expected. When I had done my research, Franklin Farmer had seemed to be a well-to-do man with a steady job and a pretty clean background. Now, standing before him, he just looked like a slob. Maybe I had been wrong to come here.

  “Um… can I help you with something?” He broke the silence that had settled between us, a look of confusion on his face. He glanced at his watch, which only added to his confusion. “Is there something wrong?”

  “May I come in?” I asked.

  “Um… sure.” Franklin stepped back, letting me through the door. “I’m sorry… do I know who you are? I just came back from a wedding, and I might have had a bit too much to drink…” Even as he said this, I didn’t think it was true. He didn’t reek of booze. Yes, there was a lingering scent of it, but it wasn’t at all overwhelming.

  Without a word, I sat down, motioning with a tilt of my head that he should join me. His brows furrowed together, but he did not protest. “Now, I know this is unexpected, especially at such a late hour, but I had nowhere else to go.”

  Franklin looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue.

  “Let me start from the beginning. About seven months ago, I decided that it was time for me to become a mother. I’ve always dreamed of starting a family, but I had no one to start it with and I was tired of waiting. So, I thought that I could do it on my own. After all, I had a successful and well-paying job. But as soon I got pregnant, everything went downhill. The culmination of this bad luck was a scandal between me and one of my clients. They claimed, without evidence, that I had sexually harassed them. My boss, wanting a reason to fire me so he wouldn’t have to pay for pregnancy or maternity leave, dismissed me. Outraged, I stormed out of the firm and tried to find another job. Of course, with a sexual harassment allegation on my record, no one wanted to hire me. It’s since been cleared up, but now I’m showing, and no one hires a pregnant woman. So here I am.”

  Franklin was quiet for a moment. I could tell that he was trying to decipher everything I had just said. A few times, he pressed his lips together or rubbed his hands along his legs, but still, he did not say a word.

  I waited, knowing that sooner or later, he was bound to say something. If not, we would just stare at each other until daybreak. To be honest, that was fine with me. I had been in worse stalemates before.

  He cleared his throat and adjusted his position before finally raising his eyes toward mine. “I’m sorry… I don’t think I fully understand. Why are you telling me this? Why are you here? What do I have to do with any of this?”

  “Of course, where are my manners?” I forced a smile as I held out my hand. “My name is Lauren Mills, and I’m the mother of your child.”

  At my words, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. His gaze dropped to my stomach as a wave of realization washed over his features. It was finally sinking in.

  “I… I don’t understand… How…? Do I know you from somewhere?”

  “Nope. But do you mind if I get some tea before we continue this conversation?”

  “Um… sure…” he answered before he quickly scrambled to his feet, disappearing into the kitchen.

  As soon as he did, I leaned back and closed my eyes for a moment. I was exhausted. I had been up since the six in the morning, trying to catch my flight to London. I had been delayed for hours, wasting my life away in an airport. I just hoped all of this would be worth it. He was my last chance – the only thing that would keep me alive. I had pooled the last of my resources into coming here, and I’d be damned if he tried to kick me out. Now that I was here, there was no way I was leaving.

  With this thought, I ran my hands along the soft leather of the couch. On one hand, I felt a little guilty for imposing myself on this man, but on the other, I felt like he was obliged to help me. After all, I was carrying his child.

  In the end, however, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was providing for my child, and I would do anything and everything to make sure that happened.

  3

  Franklin

  While I was waiting for the kettle to boil, I tried to make some sense of what was going on. I rubbed my eyes and blinked a few times, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I even pinched myself, but still, I did not wake up.

  Her words were rattling around in my mind. How could I possibly be the father of her child? I tried to remember a moment of weakness where I had slept with her, but I knew for a fact that I hadn’t been with anyone since my late wife.

  None of this made any sense.

  The kettle started to whistle, so I quickly took it off the stove before it could make too much noise. The last thing I wanted to do was wake Gina up.

  In a haze, I made her tea and brought it to the living room.

  “Thank you.” She picked up the handle with two fingers, like a member of royalty.

  I could tell by the way this woman presented herself that she was well-bred and sophisticated. But at the same time, her story hinted at something different. What had she done to cause someone to accuse her of sexual harassment? Was it just a ploy to destroy her career, or were there other factors at play? There were so many things I wanted to ask her that the questions started piling up in my throat like a traffic jam. In the end, only one word escaped my lips.

  “How?”

  She raised an eyebrow in my direction, her soft pink lips wrapped around the rim of the teacup. Slowly, she placed it back on the coffee table. “How what?”

  “How are you the mother of my child…? I just don’t understand. We haven’t slept together… have we?”

  She laughed. “Oh heavens, no.” She waved her hand, dismissing the thought.

  Now I was even more confused.

  “You really don’t remember, do you?”

  I shook my head.

  “You were my sperm donor.”

  My eyes widened. Something in my mind clicked, unlocking a memory I had nearly forgotten. Right after retiring as a SEAL, I’d fallen on some hard times. I couldn’t find a job, and I’d needed some cash to buy groceries. As I’d scoured the city, looking for ‘help wanted’ signs, I had passed by a sperm bank.

  With the $100 in my pocket, I’d been able to buy the food that I’d needed and I’d even had enough left over to take my girlfriend on a date. It had ended up being a huge mistake. Gloria had been a nightmare who’d nearly driven me to insanity. Sabrina, my wife, had been my only saving
grace.

  Lauren waved her hand in front of my face. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah… I’m sorry…” I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of the painful memories.

  “So this might be unfair of me to ask, but I need a place to stay, at least until I’m back on my feet. I had nowhere else to go, so here I am.”

  I looked at her a moment. “Wait… you want to live with me?”

  “Yes.”

  “But we don’t even know each other.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t care. You seem like a nice enough guy. From what I could tell based on a quick internet search, you have a steady job, you own this house, and your daughter is adorable. I’m not asking you to get involved in the pregnancy. That was my choice, not yours, and I would prefer if it stayed that way. I just need a place to stay for a while.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Are you really going to throw out a pregnant woman onto the streets at three in the morning?” she asked, a conniving smirk on her lips.

  I ground my teeth, realizing that she had planned all of this. She was trying to manipulate me, to force me into a corner so that I would be left with no option other than helping her. I narrowed my eyes at her, studying her sharp features. There was a coldness about her that I didn’t like.

  “The guest bedroom is this way,” I relented, knowing deep down that I would never be able to mistreat a pregnant woman. I just didn’t have the heart to do it, no matter how manipulative she was.

  She smiled in triumph as she got up. “Do you mind giving me a hand with my luggage?”

  Without a word, I picked it up and carried it into the room. It was rather heavy, almost as if she planned to stay here a while.

  “Thank you,” she said as she sat down on the edge of the mattress. “This is quite lovely.”

  I nodded in her direction before leaving the room, letting the door close behind me. As soon as I was on the other side of it, I ran my fingers through my hair in exasperation.

  Why was this happening? Why did my past choose to haunt me today of all days? I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. If I hadn’t been able to sleep before, I definitely couldn’t do so now. I sighed heavily, my hands crossed over my chest.

  I thought about the strange woman sleeping in my spare bedroom. I had no way of knowing if she was telling the truth or not. For all I knew, she could be making up the whole thing.

  Then it hit me.

  Quickly, I scrambled out of bed and flew toward my desk. There, I opened my laptop and logged into the VanGuard database. Technically, I wasn’t supposed to use it for personal inquiries, but I knew Cruz would understand. This was definitely an emergency situation.

  4

  Lauren

  I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, I was surprised to find that it was still quite early. Morning light filtered through the curtains, filling the room with a dim glow.

  Slowly, I rolled out of bed. As soon as my feet touched the ground, pins and needles crept up my legs. When I had planned my pregnancy, I knew it would be difficult, but I never imagined it would come with so many encumbrances. Still, as I ran my hands over my bloated belly, a spark of maternal instinct flared inside of me. I was always meant to be a mother, that much I was sure of.

  Maybe I had not followed the traditional route to motherhood, but I had gotten there nonetheless.

  My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of movement just down the hall. It sounded like someone was rummaging through the kitchen, opening cabinets and drawers. There was the soft clink, clink of utensils hitting plates. Soon enough, the smell of pancakes wafted to my nose.

  It was divine.

  Hunger tightened around my stomach. It protested, craving the sweet food it smelled. So I quickly slipped into the bathroom and went through my morning routine. By the time I emerged, dressed in a loose-fitting blouse and maternity pants, the smell was overwhelming.

  I followed my nose to the kitchen.

  There, I found a cute little girl sitting at the table, fork in hand. She looked up at me and I looked at her. In that moment, the world seemed to stop. Neither one of us made a move or dared to utter a sound.

  Suddenly, she started screaming. “Daddy! There’s a stranger in the house! Stranger danger, stranger danger!” she squealed, about to run out of the kitchen when she realized I was blocking the way. She stepped back, her little eyes scanning the room, looking for an escape route. In the end, she locked herself in the pantry, still screaming.

  Franklin came running in, barreling into me. We both tumbled forward, about to crash into the counter when he managed to steady us at the last possible moment. His arms were tight around me as he pinned me against his body. For an instant, his warmth triggered something inside of me. An ember of something started to smolder. The emotion was foreign to me, and I had no time to analyze it before it was gone.

  The second he let go of me, I felt a familiar coldness settle over my body. I almost craved his arms to be around me once more.

  Quickly, he crossed the kitchen, knocking on the pantry door. “Sweetie, it’s me, open up.”

  “Daddy! There’s a stranger!” she exclaimed.

  “I know, honey. She’s just a… friend… of mine,” he answered, trying to coax his daughter out of hiding.

  Ever so slowly, she peeked out her head, eyeing me with suspicion. “A friend?” she questioned.

  Franklin nodded. “She’s going to be staying with us for a little while, okay?”

  Hesitantly, the little girl emerged, clinging to her father’s side.

  “Gina, this is Lauren. Lauren, this is Gina.” Awkwardly, he made the introductions.

  I smiled at the little girl and held out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Gina. And might I say that’s a very pretty dress you have on.”

  The compliment instantly peaked her interest. She loosened her grip on her father’s pants and stepped forward, taking my hand in hers. She shook it excessively and smiled. “I like your shirt! The flowers are pretty.”

  “Why thank you.”

  She then pointed to my belly. “Are you going to have a baby?” she asked innocently.

  I chuckled. I loved the way children were so blunt.

  “Yes.” I took her hand and placed it on my stomach. “In two months.”

  “Wow…” Gina whispered in amazement. “Where’s the daddy?”

  “Gina, I think you should finish your pancakes or you’re going to be late for school,” Franklin spoke quickly, intercepting her question. It was obvious that he wanted to keep the whole thing a secret. I didn’t blame him. It would be for the better anyway. That would make things easier when it came time to leave.

  “Okay…” She scampered back to the table and continued eating her breakfast.

  “Would you like some breakfast? I made a few extra pancakes.” Franklin motioned to the plate on the counter. “Help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” I snagged the plate and sat down at the table with Gina, who kept staring at me, curiosity painting her eyes with brightness. “So, what year are you in?” I asked the little girl.

  “Preschool!” she said excitedly.

  “Do you like it?”

  She nodded. “I have a lot of friends, and I really like when we do arts and crafts,” she said, stuffing her mouth with pancakes. “And my teacher, Mrs. Pelican, she’s really nice.”

  “Gina. What have I told you about talking with your mouth full?”

  The little girl struggled to swallow so she could mumble a quick apology.

  Franklin walked up behind her and started to gather her long, dark hair into a ponytail. He was careful, making sure he wouldn’t hurt her. When he was ready, Gina held up a scrunchie, which he expertly wrapped around her hair.

  “Thanks, Daddy!”

  “You’re welcome, pumpkin. Now, finish up your milk. The bus will be here any minute.”

  She immediately picked up her glass and
chugged the drink. She then wiped the milk mustache from her lip, jumped out of her seat, snatched up her backpack, and flew toward the door.

  Franklin followed her.

  Finally alone, I decided to attack my pancakes. They were sweet and fluffy. I savored every bite.

  By the time I finished, Franklin still wasn’t back. I brought the empty plate to the sink and started to wash it. Even though I was demanding a lot from him, I didn’t want to be a complete freeloader. I wasn’t that kind of a person.

  As I placed the dish on the drying rack, I wondered, for a moment, if there was someone else in the picture. As far as I could tell, it seemed like Franklin was a single father. He had cooked breakfast, done his daughter’s hair, and brought her out to the bus. There seemed to be no sign of a woman in this household, so where was Gina’s mother? It was the only detail I had failed to collect during my research. It was like he had put a lot of effort into concealing that part of his life.

  I had always liked a good mystery, and this was starting to look like one of them.

  5

  Franklin

  Gina held my hand as we walked down the street toward the bus stop. “Who was that lady in our kitchen, Daddy?”

  “I told you, pumpkin, she’s a friend of mine.”

  “But you’ve never talked about her before and she’s never come over before. Who is she? Is she a friend from work? A friend from the army? How do you know her? She’s pretty, isn’t she?” She started to bombard me with questions as her excitement rose.

  “One question at a time.” I laughed.

  She pondered her options for a while, her face scrunched with concentration. “Do you think she’s pretty?” she asked with a giggle.

  I couldn’t answer at first. The suddenness of it all and the news Lauren had dropped on me last night had barely given me an opportunity to think of something so superficial. “Um… I guess so.” I shrugged. Lauren wasn’t unattractive. She had a fine complexion, sharp features, and a tall, thin frame.