Disclaimer – I don't own Reba or the song 'The House That Built Me'. They belong to their respected owners. I do own my original characters and the plot. 'Nuff said.
Italics song lyrics and thoughts.
A/N: I got the idea while listening to this song earlier today. Will update Rescue and The Horse Whisperer – just having some writer's block. For the sake of this story, Reba and Cheyenne ARE NOT RELATED.
Summary: AU: When Brock dies, Cheyenne goes to visit the house that she grew up in. Set to the song The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert. ONE-SHOT.
Genre: Family/Hurt/Comfort
Rating: K
Cheyenne watched the young girl canter around the arena on a magnificent black Fresian gelding.
"Good, Carolyn. Now, see if you can get him to change leads." Cheyenne instructed. She, along with Kyra, ran a therapy program, specializing in people with disabilities and underprivileged kids. The girls didn't charge for lessons, but they did insist on a fifteen dollar fee or volunteer work for the return of riding.
"Cheyenne! There's someone on the phone for you!" Kyra called.
"Okay. I'll be right there." Cheyenne told her sister. She then turned to the girl on the Fresian. "Why don't we call it a day. Can you handle cooling Sultan down and putting him away?"
Carolyn nodded and dismounted Sultan, draping his reins over his head. She walked him around the dusty arena while Cheyenne headed inside.
"Hello? This is she. Oh my God! When? Okay, we'll be there as soon as possible. Thanks." Cheyenne put the phone down and began sobbing loudly. Kyra looked up from feeding the rescued fox kit they found on the side of the road. They named him Roadkill, since he almost was.
"Chey? What's wrong?" Kyra asked, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. Cheyenne looked up at her sister's face and tried to gather the right words to say.
"That was the nursing home where dad was. They said he passed away early this morning. We need to go to Huston as soon as possible." Cheyenne choked out. Kyra broke down right then and there. Cheyenne embraced her twin and the two of them cried in each other's arms.
The following day, they were on the train bound for Huston. A neighbor said that she would take care of the stable and Roadkill.
"Cheyenne! Kyra! It's great to see you again!" Barbra Jean told her daughters, embracing them tightly. They returned the hug and entered the small apartment.
"Is Jake coming?" Kyra asked. A few years ago, Jake had a mental breakdown and was now at an asylum.
"I-I don't think so, sweetie." Barbra Jean said, stroking Kyra's red curls. Cheyenne sighed and looked at all the pictures scattered around the apartment.
"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back later." Cheyenne announced, exiting the apartment and headed out onto the street. She needed to be alone. She was the oldest and didn't handle stress well. Kyra came fifteen minutes after Cheyenne. Jake came ten years after the girls. He was a surprise baby. The girls were now in their early 30s and Jake had turned 21 in April.
Cheyenne kept her head down as she walked, nearly stumbling on a crack in the sidewalk. She caught herself and saw something out of the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw the house that she grew up in.
"I don't believe it!" Cheyenne marveled. They had sold the house in order to pay for the nursing home.
She saw the hand prints on the front steps that she, Kyra and Jake had done when they were younger. She remembered it being one of the happiest days of her life.
I know they say you can't go home again
I just had to come back one last time ma'am
I know you don't know me from Adam, but
These hand prints on the front steps are mine
"What do you think you're doing?" a harsh voice made Cheyenne look up. Standing in the doorway was a red-headed woman who looked to be her mom's age. She was dressed in a pink robe and held a rolling pin in her hand.
"I'm sorry. My sister, brother and I grew up here. Gosh, I have so many memories of this place." Cheyenne explained. The woman's expression softened.
"You're the family I bought this house from!" the woman told Cheyenne. She nodded and stood up.
"I'm Cheyenne, by the way." Cheyenne told the woman.
"Reba."
"Nice to meet you, Reba."
"You too, Cheyenne."
"Do you mind if I come in?"
"By all means." Reba said, moving aside so that Cheyenne could enter the house. She saw pictures of Reba and her family lining every surface.
"How old are your kids?" Cheyenne asked, looking at a photo of a beautiful brown-haired girl. She held a yellow balloon and was riding an elephant.
"Sara, my youngest is six-years-old. Julie is 20, Shawn is 13 and Makaylah is 16." Reba told Cheyenne.
"MOM! WHERE'S MY OTHER SHOE?" a girl's voice called from up the stairs.
"IT SHOULD BE UP THERE! YOU WERE THE LAST ONE TO HAVE IT!" Reba called back. She then smiled at Cheyenne. "Do you have any kids?"
"My husband and daughter were killed in a car accident two years ago." Cheyenne told Reba.
"Honey, I'm so sorry! Would you like one of my pains-in-the-neck?" Reba joked. Cheyenne smiled and shook her head.
"I'm off now, Mom. I'll see you later!" a girl with features resembling Reba's told the two women.
"Mikki, come here. I want you to meet someone." Reba told the girl. She rolled her eyes and walked over. "Cheyenne, this is my daughter, Makaylah. Mikki, this is Cheyenne. She and her family grew up here."
"Cool. Nice to meet you." Mikki told Cheyenne. She then turned to Reba. "Can I go now? Shawn and I are going to a movie and it starts soon."
"Have fun, sweetie." Reba told Mikki, watching her exit the house. Cheyenne had started up the stairs, marveling at what a beautiful job Reba had done with the house.
"Hi!" a little voice greeted Cheyenne's ears as she went to the back room. It had been her room when they lived there. She remembered doing homework and learning how to play the guitar, just for fun.
"Hi, sweetie." Cheyenne greeted the little girl in the room. She was under the covers and facing the door. "What's your name?"
"Sara. What's yours?"
"Cheyenne."
"That's a pretty name." Sara told Cheyenne.
"Thanks. What are you doing in bed? It's a pretty day outside."
"I'm sick. Momma says I have to stay in bed." Sara told Cheyenne.
"Feel better, honey." Cheyenne told the little girl. Sara smiled, closed her eyes and was off to sleep. Out Sara's window, Cheyenne could see the oak where her favorite dog, Magnolia, was buried under.
Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
Now I bet you didn't know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard
I thought if I could touch this place
Or feel it in this brokenness
Inside me might start healing
Out here it's like I'm someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave
Won't take nothin' but a memory from
The house that built me
Cheyenne closed Sara's bedroom door and headed down the stairs. She saw Reba in the kitchen, making lunch for her and Cheyenne.
"There you are. Are you hungry?" Reba asked, indicating to the grilled cheese sandwiches and salad she had made.
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you." Cheyenne thanked Reba, sitting down across from her at the table. "So, where's your husband?"
"He's working, but he'll be home later." Reba answered, pouring both her and Cheyenne a glass of strawberry lemonade. "So, what do your folks think about you coming here?"
"They don't know. My dad died a couple days ago and my mom couldn't care less about where I am." Cheyenne answered, taking a bite of grilled cheese. It was then that Cheyenne's phone rang. She excused herself from the table to answer it.
"Cheyenne Marie Hart! Where the hell are you?" Barbra Jean hissed.
"I'm visiting the house one last time. I'm actually having lunch with the woman who bought it." Cheyenne told her mother.
"We're heading to the church soon. Be home in an hour."
"Okay."
Cheyenne hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket. She smiled at Reba and continued talking with her all through lunch. Conversation then led to the building of the house, which Cheyenne was happy to talk about.
Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine
Plans were drawn and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream
"Sounds like your daddy was a wonderful guy." Reba told Cheyenne once lunch was finished. Cheyenne nodded and felt tears in her eyes. Reba put down the bowl and embraced Cheyenne, stroking her blond curls, letting her know that everything would be all right.
"I'm sorry about that." Cheyenne told Reba, blinking her tears away. Reba smiled.
"Don't be silly." She told Cheyenne, hugging her one more time before Cheyenne had to leave. She then had an idea.
"Why don't you come with me to the funeral?" Cheyenne suggested.
"Oh, no, I can't. I don't have a sitter for Sara." Reba answered.
"I know a great babysitter – she lives next door to us." Cheyenne said, dialing the number for Meredith, an old friend of hers. Meredith said 'yes' to babysitting Sara and would be over soon.
I thought if I could touch this place
Or feel it in this brokenness inside me
Might start healing out here it's like I'm
Someone else I thought that maybe if I
Could find myself
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave
Won't take nothin' but a memory from
The house that built me
Cheyenne introduced Reba to Barbra Jean, Kyra and the other family members as an old friend. She sat next to Cheyenne during the service, which she felt comfortable about. Cheyenne was the only one she knew in this sea of strangers.
After the funeral, Reba, Cheyenne, Kyra and Barbra Jean went to visit Jake in the asylum where he lived. Cheyenne smiled at her brother and introduced him to Reba.
"How are you doing, Jake?" Kyra asked, tears filling her eyes. Jake's black hair flopped in his face and he had dark circles under his eyes. He had handcuffs around his wrists. Cheyenne could see long, thin red marks on both his wrists – he had been cutting, again.
"Mmkay." Was Jake's reply. Cheyenne reached through the thin bars and stroked one of Jake's fingers. She saw him smile for the first time in a long time.
They stayed with Jake for an hour then left. They decided to go to dinner at IHOP so that Barbra Jean could get to know Reba better.
"Thank you for everything." Reba thanked Barbra Jean, Kyra and Cheyenne as she got out of the car.
"You're welcome, Reba. Say 'hi' to Sara for me, okay?" Cheyenne told Reba.
"I will, sweetie. Take care of yourself."
Cheyenne smiled and watched Reba walk up the steps to the house. She then leaned against the backset and sighed.
The following day, Kyra and Cheyenne left Huston and went back home. Before they left, Cheyenne phoned Reba with the number for the stable, her cell, Kyra's cell and the house.
"Call anytime – one or both of us will be around." Cheyenne told Reba.
"I will, sweetie. See you soon."
Cheyenne nodded and hung up the phone before the tears came.
They reached the stable just as dusk was approaching. The girls took care of their stuff and went to check on the horses.
You leave home you move on and
You do the best you can
I got lost in this old world
And forgot who I am
When the feeding of the horses was done, Cheyenne waited for her Applassoa mare, Shining, to finish her supper so that Cheyenne could ride her. She wanted to be alone for a while. Not have to worry about anyone or anything getting in her way.
Cheyenne had to stop riding ten minutes in because she couldn't stop crying. She suddenly felt all the losses she had faced – losing Van and Elizabeth; Van's parents; her great-grandmother and most recently, her father.
She hugged Shining's neck as she cried. At that moment, she wanted to be a horse. They didn't care if you cried or not, had a bad day or not. They didn't tell your secrets or spread lies or rumors about you. They were there to listen.
A week later, she was hosing down Shining after a very difficult dressage test when her phone rang. She told Kyra to finish hosing down Shining so she could talk to the person on the other line.
"Hello, Reba!" Cheyenne's voice was a little too cheerful.
"Cheyenne, do you think you could come to Huston tonight? Sara's cancer is back and the doctors say she doesn't have long to live."
"Of course. I'm on my way." Cheyenne said, hurrying to the house to pack a bag of clothes.
"Where are you going?" Kyra asked, watching Cheyenne pack.
"Back to Huston."
"Why?"
"Reba's little girl is sick and I want to be there to support her."
"Do you want me to go?"
"No, but thank you. I want you to stay here and hold down the fort."
"How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know. I'll call you every day, all right?"
"Okay."
It was after that conversation that Cheyenne headed down the drive, making sure to go the speed limit.
She reached Reba's house around dusk and ran up the steps. Reba opened the door and hugged Cheyenne. Cheyenne dropped her bag on the floor and hugged Reba back.
"Can I see her?" Cheyenne asked. Reba nodded and led the way to Sara's room, although Cheyenne knew where it was.
"Baby girl, there's someone here to see you." Reba whispered. Cheyenne entered the room and felt her heart freeze in her chest. Sara's skin was pasty white and wore a pink headscarf around her head. Cheyenne saw Sara's eyes light up like a Christmas tree as she sat on the bed.
"Hi!" Sara whispered.
"Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling?"
"Tired."
"I know, baby, but guess what?"
"What?"
"You have a whole team supporting you."
"I know."
Cheyenne swallowed back the tears as she held this little girl's hand in hers. She then turned to Reba, who was standing in the doorway, along with Julie, Mikki and Shawn. There was a man with chestnut-brown hair standing next to Reba. Reba mouthed 'Jack, my husband' to Cheyenne. Cheyenne smiled at Jack and let go of Sara's hand. She decided to let the little girl sleep before visiting her again.
"What kind of cancer does Sara have, if you don't mind me asking." Cheyenne asked.
"Bone. The doctor gave her two to four weeks to live." Jack told Cheyenne, his voice heavy and tired.
"I'm so sorry." Cheyenne said, playing with her food. The six of them were eating dinner from KFC while they sat around the table.
"You're all she ever talks about. Cheyenne this, Cheyenne that. You're her hero." Julie told Cheyenne. Cheyenne smiled back at the girl who looked exactly like her father.
"That's sweet of you to say." Cheyenne told Julie.
It was silent after that. Cheyenne could tell that the family's thoughts were elsewhere. She didn't blame them.
Cheyenne left after staying with the Hart family for ten days. She would leave to let them grieve before returning for the funeral. It was painful to say goodbye to the family who she called her second family.
"Cheyenne, we would like it if you did a reading or read a poem at the funeral." Reba told Cheyenne a few days later on the phone.
"Okay. Was there anything that you had in mind?"
"There's an Irish blessing that Jack would like you to read. I'll email it to you." Reba told Cheyenne.
"Sure. How is everyone coping?"
"I feel like I'll never be happy again."
"I know. I feel the same way. I felt the same way after my husband and daughter died."
"How did you get over it?"
"I'm still not over it completely, but my sister and I started a horseback riding stable two years ago. I actually opened it the day after their funerals."
"Would you mind if I visited sometime?"
"You're welcome anytime."
The two women chatted for a while longer before Cheyenne had to go.
That night, Cheyenne dreamt of the first time she saw the house and the wonderful people who lived in it.
I thought if I could touch this place or
Feel it this brokenness inside me might
Start healing
Out here it's like I'm someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around I swear I'll leave
Won't take nothin' but a memory from
The house that built me