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.

“Do you like her?” Gina tottered on her feet. “You know… do you like-like her?”

“She’s just a friend,” I answered.

She seemed disappointed. “But she’s pretty…”

I squatted down so I was eye level with my daughter before I placed my hands on her arms. “Liking someone is more than just thinking they’re pretty. You have to like them for more than that.”

She cocked her head, not quite understanding.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but just then, the bus arrived. As soon as the doors opened, she scrambled inside, eager to be with her friends. She turned back and waved at me. I waved back.

Usually, when the bus rolled away, I would walk back home and start getting ready for work, but today, I lingered. I wasn’t quite ready to face the woman in my kitchen just yet.

A part of me still couldn’t believe that this was happening. I had donated sperm almost ten years ago. When I had done it, I hadn’t thought anything of it. After all, what were the odds that someone would actually use my sperm to get pregnant? And even if someone did, what were the odds they would come knocking on my door at two in the morning? Better than astronomical, apparently…

I knew, realistically, that I had no legal obligation to support this woman, but I had a moral obligation. She was seven months pregnant with my child. I couldn’t possibly abandon her when I knew she had lost her job. After a quick search in the database last night, I knew her story had been true – even the part about the false allegation. She had fallen on hard times, as I once had. I felt it was my duty to help her.

Even so, there was still something about her that I didn’t quite like. It was a coldness that radiated from her words, as if everything she said was just a means to an end. She seemed fake in a way. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

Eventually, I went back home. Lauren was in the living room, watching TV.

I took the remote and turned it off, knowing I had to have a legitimate conversation with her. I needed to know what was going to happen. “We need to talk.”

She sat up and looked at me. “Alright.”

“You’re a complete stranger to me, and I don’t know if I’m comfortable having you in my home. That being said, I cannot throw you onto the streets knowing that you are indeed carrying my child. So I’ll see what I can do to get you a hotel room. I’ll pay for it until you can get back on your feet.”

She looked at me for a while, studying my face. “You work for VanGuard, correct?”

I nodded.

“In the IT department?”

Again, I nodded.

“Would it be fair to assume that you’ve already looked me up in their database and found out that everything I said was true? And that I have no prior history of crime? I’ve passed every single one of my background checks. Overall, you know I’m not a serial killer or some kind of a swindler, so I don’t quite understand why you’re so uncomfortable with me staying here. You have a nice guest bedroom. It would save you a lot of money – money that could go toward Gina’s college fund. Think about it. Do you really want to put me in a hotel?”

Her tongue weaved the words into a tightly knitted web. I hated that she was manipulative. What I hated even more was that right now, she had a point.

“Look, I didn’t let you into my home so you could talk to me like I’m a member of the jury you’re trying to sway.” My voice took on an edge I hadn’t expected. “I’m doing you a favor by letting you stay here, and it would be wise of you to remember that.” Without another word, I walked out of the living room. A few seconds later, I felt guilty. I shouldn’t have snapped at her like that.

I bit my lip and contemplated going back to apologize, but in the end, my pride got the best of me. I had said what I had said, and there was no taking it back.

A little while later, I emerged from my bedroom, dressed for work. Lauren was still watching TV. It irked me. Shouldn’t she be looking for a job or something? I was starting to get the feeling that all she wanted to do was use me.

Finding her a hotel would need to be my number one priority.