The Dark Kingdom Anthology

by Krissy V et al.

  What in the world has she done? I watch as she starts to get teary-eyed. I can see her throat move as she swallows then takes a deep breath. She starts to take the lid off of the box.

  “Felecia, I love and adore you with everything that I am. I want our family to be a real family in every sense of the word. Felecia Moore, will you be my wife and adopt our daughter? I want you to have the right to keep her if God forbid anything ever happens to me. I know my Father when he finds out that I had a child, he will try to take her from you. If you adopt her, Arabella will be legally yours. Please say you will be my wife, my partner, my friend, and my lover for life. Be the other mom to our child.”

  Now I’m the one who is speechless and on the verge of tears. Delilah opens the box and there are two wedding rings in it made of gold with fancy roses etched into them. On the inside of each ring is one of our names. I would wear the one with her name, just as she would wear mine. Beside the rings, there is a locket. It’s also made of gold with the same roses etched on the front of it as is on our bands. Delilah opened the locket, inside is a picture of each of us. This way, Arabella can wear it and always have her two moms close to her heart.

  Through the tears streaming down my face, “Yes, Delilah, I will marry you and adopt our daughter. As soon as you are well enough, we will make the trip to the next town over. There we can get married, file Arabella’s birth certificate, and file the adoption papers all at one time. I love you so much.”

  Over the next two weeks, Delilah regained her strength. We started making plans for our trip to the next town. Once we had everything ready, Delilah used her burner phone to call an Uber to pick us up at the edge of town where my produce stand is. I carried our bag while Delilah took the baby. When we got close to the edge of the forest, I stepped out, making sure the coast was clear. Once I saw the coast was clear, Delilah brought the baby and hurried to get inside of the produce stand. We waited there until the driver showed up.

  We got into the car as fast as possible to make sure that no one saw us. We told the driver where we wanted to go. It was so quiet in the car that you could have heard a pin drop as we traveled. Upon arriving at the courthouse, the driver got out and opened our doors for us. We quickly paid and thanked him. Handing me his business card, he introduced himself as Theoval. This was his direct number so that we could reach him anytime we needed a driver. I thanked him and told him that we would probably be calling him for our return.

  “Felecia, are you ready for this? Once we go in, there is no turning back. If you want to change your mind and run, you better do it now.”

  “If you weren’t holding Arabella, I swear I would bend you over my knee and spank you right here on the courthouse steps. Are you sure that you haven’t changed your mind?”

  “No way, you’re stuck with me for life, my love.”

  With that, we made our way into the courthouse. The first stop was to get our marriage license and find the justice of the peace. Once we were legally married, we went to the records office and filed our marriage license. While we were there, Delilah filled out the paperwork for Arabella’s birth certificate and for me to adopt her. The clerk called the judge’s office to see if he was in so he could sign the adoption papers. We got lucky and she sent us to go see him. The clerk said we could pick up the birth certificate and our marriage license on the way out.

  I knocked on the judge’s door. When the door opened, it was a kind-looking older woman. I hope it helps us with the adoption. Judge Messina asked us to please come in and sit down. Once we were all seated, she had us explain why Delilah wanted me to adopt Arabella.

  As hard as it was, Delilah told the judge everything. She explained about the rape, about living with me, us being in love and getting married. How we want to raise our daughter together and that Delilah wants to make sure that God forbid something happens to her that I would have the legal rights to continue raising Arabella. The only thing she left out was the fact that she knew who had raped her. She told the judge that she was jumped late one evening by two men with masks on, so she never saw their faces.

  “I have to say both of you young ladies are very strong to do what you’re doing. Not many know, but the reason I went into law was that I was raped when I was younger. I was fortunate that I didn’t get pregnant. The unfortunate part was that it was a family member and no one believed me. They all said he was such a good man; how dare I smear his good name with my lies. Shortly after that, I let home. I was afraid he would do it again since he got away with it the first time.”

  We both told her how sorry we are for what she went through. Delilah and the judge talked for a while about flashbacks to the rape and how long it took to feel safe again. They spoke of trust issues and many other things. All I could do was sit there and listen as my heart broke all over again at what these two wonderful women have gone through in their lives.

  After they finished talking, the judge signed the adoption papers. She told us to take them to the clerk and have them filed immediately. She wished us a long, happy future together before we left. Back at the clerk’s office, she handed us our marriage license and Arabella’s birth certificate. We gave her the adoption papers that the judge had signed. The clerk said it would take a couple days for them to be ready because there was so much more to do with them. Did she want us to have them mailed or would we come back and pick them up? I told her that I would come back if she knew when they would be ready.

  Delilah had taken my last name and Arabella would also have my last name once the adoption was finalized. I’m so glad she thought not to tell who the two jerks were who raped her. They would have ordered a DNA test to see who the father is and then force the jerk to pay child support. You can bet those two fuckers wouldn’t give up their rights to Arabella just to torture Delilah.

  Before we went outside, I called the number on the card that Theoval had given us. He answered on the second ring.

  “Hi Theoval, we are finished at the courthouse. Are you busy right now? If you are, we can get something to eat while we wait.”

  “I should be there in about thirty to forty-five minutes. Go ahead and eat something. I will see you, ladies, soon.”

  We went into the little café across from the courthouse and ordered a quick lunch. Just as we finished eating, Theoval pulled up outside. We paid the waitress for our meal and left her a good tip. She works hard and Delilah and I both noticed how stingy some of the customers were with their tips.

  When we got outside, Theoval already had the door open waiting for us. We climbed into the car then made the trip back home. I couldn’t stop grinning the whole way home. Delilah Moore is my wife. By this time on Friday, Arabella Moore will legally be my daughter. I can’t imagine life getting any better than this. The only downer is we still have to wait a few more weeks for Delilah to finish healing before we can consummate our marriage. It’s not like we haven’t made love before, but this time is going to be different for a few reasons. We are now married, she is no longer pregnant, and I am more in love with her each and every day that passes.

  Theoval pulled in front of the produce stand again to let us out of the car. I let him know that we would be needing his services again on Friday. That we would meet him here again at ten am. I also asked him if he would be able to wait for us. I explained that we only had to run into the courthouse to pick up some papers, then we would be ready to come back home. I watched as he penciled us into his calendar for Friday. We paid him and wished him well, then we headed for home.

  We spent the rest of the week loving each other and our daughter. Completely forgetting that the rest of the world existed. Life is strange. It had taken so much from me at such a young age. Now here I am older and it’s given me so much in return.

  Friday finally rolled around. We got up early, fed Arabella and got ready for our little trek to the produce stand. When we arrived, good to his word, Theoval was there waiting for us. Grinning as we made our way towards him, he opened the door for us.


  “Good morning, ladies. I hope you’ve had a pleasant week. You said that we are going to the courthouse again this morning, correct?”

  “Yes, Theoval. We had a wonderful week. Today is the icing on the cake. How was your week? I hope it was a good one.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I had a terrific week. So much so that you are my only customers today. Once we are finished, I’m going to park the car and see if I can’t find a peaceful spot to go fishing. I’ve been wanting some fresh fish for dinner.”

  I proceeded to tell him where he could catch some of the best catfish. I made him promise not to tell anyone else because it’s my favorite fishing spot for miles around. Once he gave his word and Delilah agreed, I gave him specific directions to the fishing hole. A part of me would love to have him bring the fish over and we would cook it with some of our fresh vegetables from the garden.

  Maybe after a few more trips with him and Delilah and I can trust that he won’t tell anyone where we are, he can come for dinner. It would be much easier for him to pick us up at the cabin or close to it instead of sneaking so close to town and taking a chance of getting caught.

  We got to the courthouse in record time. Theoval decided he was going to go to the café for some breakfast while he waited for us. Delilah, Arabella and I made our way into the clerk’s office. Once we were inside, the clerk perked up. She made a quick phone call then greeted us. Before we knew what was going on, Judge Messina walked into the clerk’s office.

  It turns out that she wanted to be there to congratulate us on being co-parents to little Arabella. To our surprise, she had brought a small gift for the baby. It was a tiny charm bracelet with two letters on it. A & M for Arabella Moore. She explained where she got it from and that as Arabella got older, they could make the bracelet bigger and we could add more charms to it. We both gave the judge a hug and thanked her. Delilah put the bracelet on her arm. It was a perfect fit. Now she has a necklace and a bracelet. Maybe one day we will get her ears pierced so she can wear earrings too.

  After thanking the judge and clerk several more times, we took the paperwork and left the courthouse. Hopefully, for the very last time. Theoval was just coming out of the diner as we exited the courthouse. He motioned for us to wait where we were, then he got in the car and drove it over to pick us up.

  “I can’t help but notice that you two are grinning like the cat that ate the canary. I take it you got good news inside?”

  I looked at Delilah and she nodded her head yes.

  “When you brought us here on Tuesday, we got married, filed the baby’s birth certificate, and filed for me to adopt her. This way, we are both Arabella’s legal guardians. We picked up the adoption papers today. So, we are officially a family for all times.”

  “Congratulations, ladies. That is fantastic news and definitely worth celebrating. If y’all want and I catch some fish this afternoon, I would love to share it with you. You are more than welcome to come to my home. I will make dinner for all of us and you two can relax and enjoy it. My family is all gone, so it would be a rare treat for me to entertain and help you to celebrate.”

  Before I could say a word, Delilah spoke up.

  “Theoval, we live in a small cabin not far from that fishing spot. We have a huge garden with all kinds of fresh herbs and vegetables. You catch the fish and we will do the cooking. All we ask is that you, please don’t talk to or tell anyone about us. There are those that would see harm come to both of us and especially the baby if they found out about her.”

  “Ladies, you have my word that no one will ever know about y’all from me. Consider me not only your driver but your friend and protector if you ever need one. You’re both fine ladies and deserve to be cherished. Consider me as an extended family member.”

  “Thank you so much, Theoval. We are honored to have you as part of our family. We will see you later for dinner.”

  We took our time walking home. It was a beautiful day and we wanted to enjoy as much of it as possible. It was going to be nice having company later for dinner.

  Chapter Four

  It’s been almost a year since Arabella was born. For that matter, Delilah and I have been married nearly a year. Theoval has become an incredible part of our little family. He watches over and dotes on Arabella until he has her spoiled rotten. It was late in the afternoon when there was a knock on the door. Not thinking anything of it, Delilah answered the door. The next thing I know, there is a shitload of screaming and cussing going on. I flew into the living room to find out what the hell was happening.

  Standing inside the door screaming at my wife is my childhood best friend, Steven. What the hell is he doing here? When he left for college, he never looked back. I figured he had outgrown our friendship. I stepped between the two of them so I could talk to Steven.

  “Steven, what the hell is going on? Why are you here now? I haven’t seen or heard from you in five years, hell maybe longer. As close as we were when we were small kids, you had started to outgrow our friendship way before you left for college. I rarely ever saw you. Plus, why the fuck are you screaming at my wife?”

  You could have heard a pin drop as what I had said to him sank in. Delilah had turned ghostly white with a look of terror on her face.

  “Did you just say this bitch, my fucking sister, is your wife? How the hell did this happen and why would you marry her after the way I told you how she and my father treated me?”

  “Your sister? Well, shit, I see there have been secrets all the way around. Steven, you never once told me your sister’s name. Delilah, you never once told me your father or brother’s name. I never told Delilah that I knew you as a child because it wasn’t necessary. You were gone like a thief in the night. What the hell are you doing here now? Why did you come to see me?”

  Just then, Arabella started to cry. Delilah made a mad dash for the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Now maybe I can find out what the fuck is going on.

  “Steven, why are you here?”

  “I came to see you. Father passed away about six months ago. Delilah had been missing for almost a year and a half. I needed someone that I could trust to talk to. It’s always been you that I could confide in without worrying about you judging me. Little did I know that my traitorous sister would be here to answer the door. Whose brat was that crying?”

  “I’m sorry about your father. I’m surprised it even bothered you that he has passed. You always hated him. As for Delilah, it’s your father’s own damn fault she is here. The bastard kept pushing more and more guys on her to date. The last one turned out to be the worst scum of the earth. The guy and his buddy took turns repeatedly raping your sister. We had already met and become close friends. She didn’t know what to do, so she came here. I gave her the support she needed, helped her get cleaned up, then walked her part-way home. The rest of the way, she went in an Uber. She never once told me who her father or brother was.”

  Taking a deep breath, then pointing to the couch for Steven to come in and sit down. Once he was seated, I sat across from him in one of the chairs.

  “Delilah never told your father or anyone else about the rape. Your so-called father had a big business deal going with the one boy’s father. The boys threatened her with all kinds of slanderous shit if she said a word. They also said if she opened her mouth that they would make sure the business deal would never happen. So, even though she was raped brutally and beaten, she kept her mouth shut. A couple of months later, we found out that she was pregnant. There was no way she could tell your father. She would have had to tell him about the rape. I offered her sanctuary here with me.”

  I kept watching Steven’s face as I explained everything to him. It’s as if he had an emotionless mask on. I continued with our tale.

  “She spent two weeks moving what she wanted to keep here with me. She left a note for your Dad saying that she needed to getaway. She was fine, but for him to please not come looking for her. If he forced her to go home, she would leave again
the first chance she got. We already had feelings for each other. The longer she was here, the more I fell in love with her. She had fallen in love with me too.”

  Still, no emotions. I would have expected something from Steven, but it’s as if he is dead on the inside.

  “When the time came, I delivered Arabella. Shortly after she was born, we got married and I legally adopted Arabella. She is almost a year old now. You have a niece, Steven.”

  The mask slipped away as Steven’s face transformed into one of pure rage and disgust.

  “You fucking slut. You turned my sister into a lesbian whore. Now you have the nerve to tell me that I have a niece who was born from rape. Fuck you, Felecia. That is not my niece. Delilah should have aborted that little monster instead of having her.”

  That’s when Delilah lost it. She came stomping out of the bedroom with Arabella in her arms. Delilah got right in Steven’s face.

  “You sorry piece of shit. Take one look at my daughter and then call her a monster. The only monster here is you. Did you tell Felecia the reason you had to stay in the apartment above the garage was because you used to hurt me? Father knew I wasn’t falling down and getting hurt. After you broke my arm that last time, he felt like he had no choice but to ban you to the garage apartment. You didn’t tell Felecia that did you? I bet you did the poor me, pity me sob story. You really are a piece of shit, Steven.”

  “I may be a piece of shit, but you killed our Father. He literally grieved himself to death after you disappeared. I had to leave college and come home to take care of him. Poor bastard was in such lousy shape that he had paperwork he continuously had to sign because of his business. I slipped a new will in for him to sign. The fool never even noticed. He just signed everything over to me. You get nothing.”