A/N: It actually took me a month to finish this. Maybe because I kept writin and rewritin. I just thought that since many people enjoyed my previous one shots, that maybe I should take a shot at another. Okay so this originally started out as a 'Brock in first person' story, but then I changed it lol. So please read and review! And as always Enjoy!
Brock was rushed to the hospital that day, he had been in a severe car accident. Some delivery truck just came out of no where and ran through a red light, and hit the driver side of Brock's car. The nearby car had phoned the ambulance immediately and he was rushed to the hospital. Both Reba and Barbara Jean were called in the hospital, seeing as they were listed as both Mrs. Harts.
Reba and Barbara Jean rushed immediately to the hospital, leaving the kids home. Once they reached the hospital, they basically threw there cars key to the valet and sprinted inside. Barbara Jean ran quickly towards the front desk, and asked to see what room Brock was in.
"Room 302." answered the receptionist. "Go right down the hall, to the left, and it should be the last door."
They waited as the doctor came out with important information. "Mrs. Harts? He's okay, he's just in some critical condition. He's gunna be out for a while now, we've numbed the pain. He's got a couple of bruises towards his cranium, he just needs some rest in order for them to heal."
Reba and Barbara Jean both nodded. "Oh and with nothing left of what was in the car, we did manage to save this." Dr. Robinson said as he held out what looked like a journal. "Which of one you is Reba Hart?"
"I am." said Reba.
The doctor smiled. "Well it says here that it's dedicated to you, with love. You are his wife, right?"
Reba shook her head 'no'. "Ex-wife." she looked over to Barbara Jean who seemed a bit angry.
The doctor seemed confused. He didn't want to seem nosey, but it did say to the love of his life. "Well, as crazy as it sounds, it is for you."
Dr. Robinson handed Reba the journal, and began to walk away. Barbara Jean turned around to face Reba who was still in total shock.
"Reba, I don't think I could go through with this anymore. He's loved you all along, I just couldn't seem to make myself believe it, and now that there's proof it leads me to what I thought to be right." Barbara Jean said as she started to walk away.
Reba followed her and gently grabbed her arm. "Barbara Jean, wait - it's probably just about the kids or somethin', don't wreck your marriage over it. You and Brock have a chance."
Barbara Jean shook her head. "Reba, open the book. It says to the love of my life. If that isn't me, then my marriage was long over. He'd write in that journal every night since your divorce, and whenever I'd ask him about what he was writing, he'd tell me nothing and put it away." she stopped and looked around. "When Brock wakes up, I want you to be there for him. As much as he doesn't love me, he still holds a special place in my heart. Give him my regards, Henry and I'll come by every once a while, to see what's up. But for now, be there for him. Be the love of his life."
Reba was unable to form words, at the thought of what Barbara Jean had told her. So she watched her walk away and out of Brock's life. She figured someone had to wait there for him, and so she sat down in the waiting room seat, and read the journal.
Dear Journal,
Okay so you've all read those mushy romance novels type of stories. I swear those things can get depressin'. Well I started to read one anyway. It was called "The Note Book." Yeah you've heard of it. So it's about this couple that fall in love, but differences lead to them falling a part and goin' on to different lives. I didn't cry. Okay, maybe a little. But it's really ironic though. It's like Reba and me. We were in love once, but I didn't grow up soon enough to realize that I threw away a perfect marriage, with minor flaws. Alright, so it's nothing like "The Note Book." They got pulled away because of differences. Our relationship ended because of me.
Because of me. Wow. That hurts a bit, to know that I let the woman of my dreams go. But everyone makes mistakes right? It's just a matter of forgiveness, I guess. Sometimes, I wonder if she's forgiven me. We're always throwin' these little digs at each other, but we really never sat down and talked about our divorce. I guess there's not much to talk about. She'd blame me for everything. It's not all my fault. Is it? Maybe it is. But I still wonder if she's really forgiven me. I know my kids have. At least I think they have. But has Reba?
Maybe she's been hurtin' all these years? Maybe she's moved on? I love her. I'm not gunna lie. I mean I was married to her for twenty years and not to mention other years of friendship. You can't get over someone that easily. You can't get over a woman like Reba that easily. Does she love me? God I'd love to hear her say to me: 'I love you', just one more time in that charming southern accent of hers. The last time I heard her say that to me was so long ago, it seems ages. How long has it been? Seven years?
Seven years. I guess time does really fly. I thought that things would be easier when Barbra Jean and I got together. They didn't. Sheesh, that woman and her beanie babies. She needs to grow up. Maybe I need to grow up. So I guess it was best that we got that divorce after all. I tried to love Barbra Jean, I did. But we weren't meant for each other, anyone could see. If Henry wasn't ever conceived, I probably be with Reba. Henry's a sweet kid. I hate to see him being torn between his parents, but at least I get to see him every other weekend. It's better than having him suffer with his parents being in a loveless marriage. It would get tough when he got older.
I always think about her. Constantly. Reba. I can't seem to remember how we met. Maybe, I do. Oh God, it was so long ago. We were both so young and in college. Time flew by so quickly since that day. I remember when Terry first introduced me to her.
Flashback.
"Brock, this is Reba." said a younger version of Terry.
I wasn't even going to turn around, considering all of his previous girlfriends, but I was glad I did. "He-llo there." I said as I stuck out my head for her to shake.
"Hi." she said gladly accepting my handshake.
"She's goin' to be singin' here on weekends." said Terry.
"Oh, you're the one with the voice of an angel, he's constantly talking about." I said as I laughed at my own remark.
"Guilty." she giggled.
End of Flashback.
I became addicted to that giggle. I would do anything to make her laugh. Sooner or later we'd be spending more time together more than ever. Then one day I just blurted it out. I told her exactly how I felt. Surprisingly she felt the same. We didn't want to have an affair type relationship so we told Terry. Boy, I remember the first time we told good ol' Terry. I felt so bad, I'd lost my best friend, but I gained a new one. She was so kind and loving, any stupid thing I did, she was right there to support me through everything. In anything she did, she was so beautiful.
There were so many things that attracted me to her. I guess it was her innocence. She wasn't that type of girl that showed off or was full of herself, and she wasn't that girl that wore those shirts that showed off a little too much or that wore all that make up. She was beautiful the way she was. Reba was the first person that I made love to. Yeah, there I admitted it. I was pretty much of a bragger back in college, I made everyone see me as this player, who got along with the ladies. But, I'm glad she was my first...I'm glad I was her first. I remember that day too. She trembled and her hands became shaky as she took off my shirt. I put my hand over her hands and looked into her eyes.
Reba stopped reading and wiped some tears away, as she felt them fall down her cheek, and saw one drop hit the journal. She put her hand on her heart, as she remembered the time she had heard that, and she continued to read.
"I don't want to do anything, until you're fully comfortable with it. I'm not going to risk what we have and make you feel forced. I'll be ready whenever you are." I told her and it was the truth. I guess that's all she wanted to hear, because we made love that night and it was the most memorable moment of my life.
You're probably reading this thinking: Where did things go wrong? or What happened?. I don't know what happened. Before we even thought of extending her family, she told me she wanted seven kids. Imagine that. Seven kids runnin' around the house, that would of been havoc. But I was so in love with her, I said I'd have twenty if it meant having them with her. Especially since it was a very fun activity.
After we had Cheyenne, our relationship grew stronger. We began to bond, it really turned our lives around. Cheyenne was the light of our day, we'd wake that poor baby up in the middle of the night just to play with her and hear her giggle. I loved to watch Reba mother, or sing those lullabies, that not only put Cheyenne to sleep but me as well.
Reba looked up from the journal one more time and smiled. She continued to read.
Then came Kyra. Good ol' Kyra. I swear the day she came out of that womb, the first time I held her, I could of sworn she gave me a dirty look. I told Reba that. She said I was just seein' things. Kyra grew up fast, maybe a bit too fast. We didn't have enough time to enjoy her childhood. That's when I started to golf. I golfed through pretty much her whole childhood, and I guess that's why I missed every important moment. But Reba and I's relationship stood strong. I'd come home from work late, and there she'd be waiting for me at the dinner table, no matter what time it was. Then we'd lay on the couch and tell each other about our days, and we ended up falling asleep in each other's arms. Then we'd wake up on the floor in the morning.
Following Kyra, came Jake. Jakey, was an unplanned blessing as Reba would say. After Kyra and Cheyenne, I told Reba we needed at least one more guy in the house, even if it meant a baby. We tried for months, and nothing happened. Then one year, I remember we went away for our 15th anniversary and left the girls with my mom, and that's when Jake happened. In a hotel hot tub. We weren't even tryin' that time.
When we went in for a visit with the doctor, I was hundred percent sure it was goin' to be another girl. I begged Reba, to learn the sex of the baby, but she told me what surprise would it be, if we knew. So I agreed, and nine months later, a baby boy was born. We named him Jake Mitchell Hart. I was shootin' for Brock Jr., but from the look that Reba gave me, I thought Jake was a lot better.
After Jake was born, Reba hired someone else to replace her at my Dental Practice. Yeah you guessed it. Barbra Jean. A couple of months later, Reba and I started havin' these tiny problems. Tiny problems that we never sat down and talked thoroughly about. So being tiny problems left unresolved, they soon started to grow in gargantuan problems. Then she asked me to move out. I realized that I was not only losing my first love. I was losing my passion. I was losing my peace of mind. I was losing my counterpart. But most of all, I was losing my best friend and a piece of myself.That's when I made the stupidest mistake of my life. If only we could of talked it out, we'd be in a loving marriage.
To be completely honest, the failure of our relationship came in with our lack of communication. And how could we expect a friendship to ensue and live on when we had never been compatible in the last of our years?
So as I'm reading this, it's becoming more mushy, then I thought it would be. I still can't believe it took me seven years to finish this. It's amazing how fast time flies. So I finally finished today, March 10, 2008. After seven years now me and Barbara Jean are having problems. Some problems we can't seem to work out. We're currently separated. I'm on my way to Reba's right now. I think I'm gunna tell Reba how I feel. It's about time. I love you Reba Hart. That's what I want to scream out to the world. I love you.
Sincerely,
Brock.
"Wow." Reba looked up from the journal and wiped away the tears with the tissues she pulled out earlier. She couldn't believe how he felt. She couldn't even imagine, how it took seven years to finish such a journal. Her mind raced with all random thoughts. She put her head in her hands. Did she still love him? Was he ever planning on giving her this journal? Is this really how he feels about her?
The doctor noticed Reba crying and walked over to her. "Ms. Hart? Are you alright?" he asked causing Reba to look up.
Reba sniffed a bit and looked at the doctor. "Yes I'm fine." The doctor put his hand on her shoulder assuring and began to walk away. "Doctor-" Reba said stopping him. Dr. Robinson turned around and nodded. "Can I see him?"
Dr. Robison smiled. "Sure. Just please be careful, he's sleeping now. If he happens to wake up, please keep the stress at a minimum."
Reba nodded agreeing and walked into the room. She walked up to his bed and pulled a chair by his bedside and sat down.
She set the journal on the nightstand and took his hand in hers. "Hey honey." she smiled and realized how long it's been since she last called him that. "I know you probably can't hear me. But I read the journal and I want you to know, that it's about time I tell you how I feel." Reba said.
She felt new tears fall down her cheek and she picked up his hand and held close to her heart. "I never stopped loving you. I love you Brock Hart. Forever and for always." Her teardrops dropped on top of his hand, and she wiped them off. She placed his hand down and sat on the bed next to him. Reba stayed in that position for about two minutes, until she noticed the bed sheets move, and Brock move.
Brock slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to the lighting in the room. "Reba? What's goin on, and where am I?" he said as he tried to sit up.
"Shh. Relax and take it easy." she said as she gently pushed him back down on the bed. "You gave me quite a scare there. How do you feel?"
"Okay, I guess you could say. My head hurts a bit, though." he said rubbing his head, where the bandage had been placed. "Reba, in the car..."
Reba sighed. "There was a journal. I know. It's the only thing that was managed to be saved."
Brock's eyes widened. "She didn't read it, did she?" he thought to himself. "Oh, so you read it?" he asked.
Reba smiled. "Brock, why didn't you tell me about this?"
"Yup, she read it." he thought to himself again. "I don't know, I guess I was scared you wouldn't feel the same. But I was meanin' to give it to you, when I was drivin' over to your house, earlier today." he paused. "You should of read that in the journal." he laughed at his own joke.
"We need to talk this over, Barbara Jean even thinks we should." she said as she unconsciously moved closer to him on the bed. "I think I love you too." she mumbled slowly.
"Either this head damage, has caused me to go crazy, or I could of sworn I just heard you say, you think you love me too." he said looking into her eyes.
Reba bent down and caressed his cheek as she looked into his eyes. "I don't think I love you." he looked at her confused. Reba's eyes lit up with what she said next. "I know I love you."
Brock remained shocked. He was unable to form words, only actions. He did what he thought he should. Brock moved into a sitting position and grabbed Reba by the waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss. One that they both yearned for these past seven years. Reba responded to his kiss, and found herself leaning down on the bed. Moments later they both found themselves breathless and speechless. Unable to form words, they lied there. For that moment there were no 'what the kid's are gunna think' thoughts or 'what's gunna happen to us'. It was just 'I love you'. They remained that way and they both fell asleep in each other's arms, as it happened in the past. In each other's arms is the way they loved it anyway.
We found it in each other's arms
My life was so confused till I found you
And you know I'm stumbled through a love or two
We needed a loving place safe from all harm we found it in each other's arms
I've known this thing of losing heart and mind
And Lord knows I've seen some trouble times
The safest place to hide is the eye of the storm we found it in each other's arms
We found it in each other's arms a love so sweet so wild and yet so warm
The safest place to hide is the eye of the storm we found it in each other's arms
We found it in each other's arms
-John Greene.