5

"I can take good care of myself,thank you!" Her attempt to remain as polite as possible failed miserably when the officer tried holding her back. She pulled herself away from him and with all justifiable anger,stormed out of the house. Leah felt imprisoned! The windows were always open but the door wasn't. It had been five long days of sitting around in her old bedroom doing nothing but 'recuperate'. She spied the officer staying a discreet eight feet away from her. A sigh escaped her chest.

Growing up,her mum had made her hate the house but she still love the land it was situated;so very much. The house was in front of a very small lake and behind the lake,overgrown shrubberies and tall trees hid secrets. She had snuck down there whenever her parents fought,almost got drowned in the lake once, lost her virginity in that very land and even smoked pot for the first time behind those trees. To her,it was a mini countryside.

She sat by the lake,feeling very overwhelmed with her life. She was the victim of an attempted murder,she had witnessed a murder and most unbelieving,she was going to be a mum. Involuntarily,her hands went to her belly. She hadn't been sexually active for a long time;right until that night Anne pulled her to the club. Anne claimed Leah's social life was dwindling...and even so,fast! They had gotten really drunk but she wasn't so wasted to not know she had sex. But it was with a complete stranger. He had left the morning after,without even dropping his number. The sex was good but the migraines took her mind off precautions that morning after.

She didn't turn when she heard the steps approaching. The grass beside her crunched;her father sat.  She felt his gaze for a minute or two and as she turned her head to confront it,he looked away. "What's wrong,princess?"

She smiled. Princess. "I'm about to be a queen now dad since..." She looked at her hand which still rested on her tummy. The nonjudgmental understanding across his face calmed her. "I don't know what to do. I really don't." She muttered.

A moment or two later,right after she thought he wouldn't respond,her dad nudged her shoulders with his. "You'll be one bad ass queen then." Somehow,that made her laugh. "Do you know him"

"He was a one night thing" Shame washed through her.

"At least his name?"

"Matt. He called himself Matt"

"We probably shouldn't name it Matt if it's male."

"I don't know if I would keep it" She looked away since her dad pierced through her with his blank stare. "I don't want to be a mum yet."

"You're right. You're don't"

The response annoyed the heck out of her. She wanted to argue. She wanted to hit and break things. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. "I'm twenty six,dad. I'm old enough to be a mum."

"Whatever you say,Lee,you're right."

""Argue with me,goddamnit"

"What's the point? You'll do whatever anyways. You've always been single minded."

Her hands never left her tummy. It felt empty,yet so alive. "I want to keep it" She swallowed the emotions choking her up. "I really want to be a good mum."

"We wouldn't name it Matt,I promise". Her chuckle was dry and that was probably why he drew her close. He head rested on his shoulders and once again,she got reminded about how she survived her childhood. "I'll be flying out by the week's end."

Amazingly,she didn't feel sad. She only nodded.

"Raul!" They heard her mother scream.

"Carol!" Leah laughed silently in response to her dad's more deafening scream.

"The doctor needs Leah".

"Let's go Princess" He gently removed her head,stood up and helped her up. "Or shall I say my queen?" They laughed and walked off.

Somewhere,someone stood behind those trees with so much secrets. His heart was filled with so many secrets too. Especially of lives he had ended. And he watched Leah leave with her dad...two more lives to be taken soon. Her and her very alive baby.