DETECTIVE SANDERS' SURROGATE

November 2021 LANA'S POV I braced myself and walked ahead to the door, before knocking lightly. I asked myself if I knocked lightly because I was nervous, or because the right thing to do wasn't to go hitting hard on people's doors. After some seconds, I knocked again and waited to be answered. Finally, the door opened to reveal William, and I could tell he was more shocked than suprised to see me. "Lana?" He whispered in shock. I didn't blame him either. I had stayed for two whole months before finally making a decision. The man probably thought he wasn't going to be seeing me again for the rest of his life. Little did he know I was here to torment him in the worst way possible. I wasn't happy about that, but I had no choice as well. I couldn't be away from my daughter any longer. "Hey." I smiled, but he couldn't bring himself to reciprocate it. Instead, he asked the question I had been expecting, though not so quickly. "What are you doing here?" Even in his state of shock and unhidden disapproval of my presence, I still couldn't help but notice how broader his shoulders had become under the space of just one month. How his face appeared brighter and more beautiful. God! the man was beautiful, and the way he towered over me, made me feel so small. "Well... ermmm, I....." "Lana, just tell me what the issue is." He rushed out impatiently, looking back to seeing if someone was coming. Was there a woman in his house? That couldn't be a problem to me, so why was he acting so fidgety? "Okay, here goes nothing." I muttered, bracing myself to let it out, and not minding the fact that he hadn't invited me in. I wasn't going to ask him to do that either. "I want to be a part of my daughter's life." I finally said it! Yayyy! "What?" He growled, and if not for the fact that I was still outside, I would have moved backwards. "I'm sorry William, but I want to be a part of her life. Alexis is my daughter and I have every right to parent her." "It's so funny how you can come to my house and feel so comfortable spluttering rubbish from your mouth." Oh wow! I hadn't seen this side of him coming. I had always seen William as a calm one. Sometimes, I even felt he wasn't suited for this police work. But watching the way he was all aggressive to me just seconds ago, I could very well tell that parenting brought out a whole lot in people. Gladly, being away from my child had brought out quite a lot in me as well. "William...." I muttered, giving that sophisticated smile that looked so calm, but held so much power within. "5 years ago, I used to be the poor girl that was ready to even sell her child for money. Atleast in my defense, it was to save my dying sister. Then, I definitely couldn't go against the wealthy family of the Sanders and win. Now, I am a whole new woman that has all it takes to battle against you in court and win. Thankfully, I had rejected your money and that makes Alexis my daughter, legitimately." I said. "Oh? You want us to take this to...." He was still talking when a tiny voice interrupted us. My eyes widened as he turned and saw Alexis behind him. Thankfully, she didn't look like she heard a thing. "Dad?" "Oh sweetie, Miss Lana was just leaving." He said, and proceeded to close the door when Alexis blocked the door from closing, with her small feet. I looked at her in a mix of suprise and admiration, as the first day I saw her quickly flashed through my mind. That day had been.... the best day of my life. "Honey? Get you feet outta there." He instructed, and that was when she looked up at him, her previous composure crumbling as the tears made their way down. Oh no! Was this what I was thinking? "You lied to me Daddy." She cried, looking at him in disbelief. "Alexis?" I whispered, slightly frowning at seeing her cry. What did she mean when she said William had lied to her? I was about stretching my hand to cup her cheeks when she turned and ran into the house, leaving a devastated William and a confused me. "What's going?...." I was still talking when he caught me short. "I think you should leave, Lana. Just leave already." I gasped at his words, and even if I hadn't planned for my visit to turn out that way, I pushed him asides and made my way into his house. I could tell he hadn't seen my intrusion coming, as he easily stumbled to the other side of the door, as a result of the slight push I gave. "What are you doing?!" He roared, probably after regaining his balance. "What am I doing?!" I screamed back at him. "For years! I have been without my daughter, and now I'm finally here, you're really trying so hard to keep me away. How selfish could you be?" I cried out. "Selfish? I'm the selfish one here?" "Clearly." I shrugged dramatically. "How else do we explain what you lied to our daughter about?" "Okay first of all, Alexis is not 'our' daughter, but MY daughter. Secondly, I didn't lie about anything. I only told her you weren't her mother when she couldn't stop asking about you!" He yelled in frustration. I felt my whole world stop at hearing that new information. Alexis had been asking of me? I wanted to grin so widely and jump for joy like a baby, but this wasn't the time for that. "Oh wow! Aren't you such an amazing father, William? You have the heart to keep such a thing away from the little girl? So she even asked of me? She did? She felt it as well, she knew I was her mother!! But then you went ahead to lie to her and now, she's found out. What was your plan exactly? To erase me from my daughter's life?! If it were possible, would you have me killed?!" "Oh please! Don't be ridiculous, Lana." He scoffed. "Ridiculous? You call this, being ridiculous? You f*****g have no idea what it means to parent a child." I spat, and watched his face contort in anger. I wasn't one bit scared though. "I wouldn't stand here and listen to you question my ability to be a good parent to my daughter." "Oh yeah?" I chuckled distastefully. "If you were so much of a great parent, then you should have known a child needs both mother and father! It's not like I'm dead or something, I'm very much alive but you are too greedy to share." "Alexis is not some snack to be shared!" He yelled. "You know, I had initially decided to keep my distance from her if it turned out she was doing well without me, but I'm glad I got to witness all of this today. You don't even see how much this girl is suffering, mr detective." "My work doesn't keep me away from my child or my responsibilities, Lana. If you so much claimed to be what she needs, where were you all these years? Huh? Where the f**k where you?! Where were you when I had to manage with feeding a child who needed breast milk for atleast six months? Where were you when I took care of, and watched her grow the past 4 years? Where were you when I cuddled her to sleep every night? Where were you when she grew her first tooth? Where were you when she took her first step huh?! Where the hell were you?!!" He screamed in my face, and I tried my best to keep the tears at bay. "Well.... I had been away." I sniffled, letting one stray tear fall. "I had been away because I felt I didn't deserve her! I was away because I was tormented by the fact that I had almost sold my own child! I was away because I had lost it all; My sister, my baby, and myself in the process. I feel so sad that I wasn't present to watch and see her grow to this level, but now I'm here. And I can see she needs me just as much as I need her. For that reason, I would make sure I become a part of her life, whether you like it or not!" I spat in his face. "You are joking." He mumbled. "Oh no, I'm not! On the contrary, I've never been more serious. So it's left to you now. Would you let us talk civilly, or would you rather I sent down my lawyer tomorrow? Make a decision, and be quick about it. You have just this night." I didn't wait for him to say another word, as I turned around and walked out of his house.