The Black Queen

Twenty fifth Entry

February 3, 1987

It's been a week since I came home. A very busy week. Skylar is very noisy and sleepy. She wakes up at three in the morning for her bottle of milk. She wakes up again at eight in the morning. I give her another bottle. She naps for three hours around two in the afternoon. I feed her again. Then we go to sleep around nine, and the cycle repeats.

She's so beautiful, she really is. She has thick, black hair, with beautiful caramel skin. And her eyes are strikingly blue. My parents would love her. We called them the day after she came into this world. They were so happy. But they weren't too thrilled with the fact I wasn't married to the father, or that he already had a family. More trouble to come.

Last night I woke up around four. I was wondering why Skylar wasn't crying yet. I got up from bed. I put on my slippers. I walked to the baby's room and saw Marty holding her in his arms. He was feeding her the bottle while singing to her softly. He looked up and saw me.

"Hey" he whispered. "I heard her crying and decided to get her for you."

"Thats ok, I could have gotten her."

"You haven't been sleeping that much. Go back to bed, I got this." I nodded

"Thanks, Marty" I said. He smiled. I went back to bed.

The next morning i woke up to the scent eggs and beans. Delicious. I went into the kitchen. Marty was cooking while Skylar was in her crib.

"Bueno dias." He greeted. I laughed a little.

"Buenos dias" I yawned.

"Huevos y frijoles for breakfast today, okay? No more of that weird cereal shit."

"Oh come on, I love that cereal."

"Raisin Bran?"

"Shut up, Marty." He laughed. "How was she this morning?"

"Really good. I woke up and found that she was awake already."

"Yea, she's an early bird. You don't have work today?"

"I asked for a day off, to spend more time with Skylar."

"Oh thats good, thats great actually. You two can bond together."

"Yea, I don't know, I guess since she's technically my stepdaughter or something, I don't know. I'm knew at this."

"So am I. We'll do this together."

"Yea, haha, we're sort of like a married couple already." He laughed. I chuckled a little. There was an awkward silence between us. I looked up at him. His eyes were shining in the light and his brown hair flowed with the wind blowing through the window. What the hell was i thinking. He's my best friend. He cant possibly feel the same as i was feeling.

The door knocked and broke the silence. I got up and answered it. It was Freddie.

"Freddie. What are you doing here?" I said a little shocked.

"Sorry, dear. You must still be in a mourning state."

"Um, y-yea, I guess you could say that."

"I just cane to see how you are. You wanted that baby so much. Im so sorry."

"It's all right, Freddie."

"Roger is completely broken down, as well. He's completely destroyed."

"Its a hard time for the both of us" I said. Skylar began to cry. Which sparked attention to both of us. I saw Freddie look at me weird.

"That isn't..." He started off. "Oh Dahlia, you didn't." I pulled him inside. He saw Marty holding the baby in his arms trying to calm her down. "Dahlia, what have you done? Roger thinks his baby is dead!"

"Freddie, you need to understand, I don't want Roger to know about his daughter."

"Why can't he know! He's the father for Christ's sake!"

"I know, I know, but all Roger has done is cause problems and drama and conflict. I don't want her to be around that. Come on, Freddie. Don't you remember how hammered he was at the party you threw years ago? Is that the kind of father I want for my baby? Really?" Freddie thought about it for a moment. He looked up at me afterwards.

"Alright, i'll keep tour secret, but, be careful, please? If he finds out, you are screwed, darling." He left the apartment.

A couple of hours later, I sat on the couch watching some t.v. I kept thinking about what happened today. That was so close, and Freddie was right, if Roger found out, it'd be over. Marty came and sat next to me.

"She's asleep."

"Good, thats good" I said

"I think we had a great time today. Too bad I have to go back to work."

"I have to find a job, maybe for the next three months."

"Don't worry, you'll find one." We continued to watch the show that was on. I needed to tell Marty that I loved him, that I have been ever since high school, that I thought I got over him until a year ago when he came back. I had to tell him, but I was scared to. It would be so awkward. He's the legal father of my child, we aren't romantically together. I didn't want to ruin anything, but I had to take my chance.

"Marty"

"Yea" he said still watching the show"
"I have to tell you something, and it's important so can you turn off the tv for a moment?"

"Yea sure" he turned it off. I inhaled and exhaled. Here it goes.

"Okay, so, I've been wanting to tell you this for a while, but I didn't want to ruin anything, because we've known each other for such a long time now." He nodded. He seemed very into what I was saying. "What I'm trying to say is that, my friendly feelings towards you, have grown into something more. I like you as a friend, but I love you as...someone I want you to be more with me."

"What?"

"This was stupid, I'm sorry"

"No, it isn't. Are you saying, you love me?" I nodded. He lent in quickly and kissed my lips. I kissed him back.

We are trying to keep the relationship a little slow. Its a little weird, y'know. You've been best friends with someone since childhood and know you're parents together. I guess he really is a stepdad now.

-Dahlia