Chapter 2

Reba had planned spending most of the day cleaning and tiding up rooms. She needed to go to the grocery store too but she canceled that since she had Henry with her. She figured she order pizza and she go to the grocery store tomorrow.

Reba didn't understand Barbara Jean. How could someone leave their child? She didn't care if you couldn't handle it. She had a rough time to start out as well but she didn't abandon Brock and Cheyenne. Children are a blessing and Reba couldn't help but think of how many people out there want children but can't have them and here this woman is given the blessing of a beautiful baby boy and she gives him up.

Reba knew how inappropriate babysitting her ex-husband's new baby was but she had to help in someway. She felt sorry for Brock, even after all the crap he had put her through, she felt she could forgive him now, not totally but some.

Reba looked down to the sweet child she held in her arms. He was a pretty good baby if you were just calm and relaxed. Reba bounced the baby as she walked to his car seat she had set on the coffee table and put little Henry in there. He squirmed a little but settled right back into the car seat, eyes still closed.

Reba now could relax herself. He may be a good baby but he was still a newborn and she had forgotten how exhausting they really could be. She sat on the couch and laid down herself, ready to take a short nap. She was half way asleep when she heard the door slam. She winced when she heard Henry starting to wail. Reba sat up and sighed while picking up the little tyke.

Meanwhile Van and Cheyenne were the ones who were walking through the backdoor, coming home from school. Cheyenne was rolling her eyes as Van kept talking.

Van seemed truly confused. "Seriously, it's a question that has yet to be answered truthfully by anyone."

Cheyenne rubbed her huge stomach and sighed. She loved her husband but sometimes he was a big idiot. "Van, I really don't care and I am not giving my opinion why the chicken crossed the road." She started to walk away.

Van just kept on talking. "But Cheyenne…"

Cheyenne scrunched her eyebrows together and turned to Van holding up her hand. "Do you hear a baby crying?"

Van smiled "Cheyenne the baby hasn't…" He was cut off by a huge wail from a baby in the living room.

Cheyenne looked to him. "Now you heard that." He nodded and followed her waddling self into the living room.

Reba was trying to hush Henry when her daughter and son-in-law walked into the living room. She sighed. This was going to take a lot of explaining.

Cheyenne eyed her mother. "Mom, what is Henry doing here?"

Reba held up her hand to indicate she needed a minute to get the baby quiet, within a couple of minutes she had Henry asleep again. She continued to rock him just in case he was to awake, she then gently set him back down. She tried to put off any explanation she had to give by searching for a blanket and gently tucking Henry in. Reba knew her daughter was staring at her waiting.

Cheyenne continued to look at her mother. "Mom…hello…what is Henry doing here?"

Reba sighed and sat back. She can't tell them anything really. It wasn't her job to tell. They would all just have to wait for Brock to get back. "I can't really tell you anything. I offered to watch Henry today, just for today. When your dad gets back he will explain."

"But Mrs. H…"

Reba held up her hand. "No, I am not telling you anything. Just go do your homework or something."

Cheyenne and Van shrugged and went up to their room to do anything but their homework.

Reba had laid back down again and finally thought she was going to get some sleep when the door slammed again. Henry was awakened again and Reba was getting very angry. She picked him back up when Kyra and Jake walked into the living room.

Kyra looked to the baby. "What's Henry doing here?"

Reba sighed and just shook her head, indicating she was not in the mood. She really wasn't in the mood to go through what she just with through with Cheyenne and Van. She knew Kyra because no matter how much Kyra wanted to deny it she was exactly like her mother and she would not give up in finding out what is going on around here.

Reba felt Kyra was about to say something, so she stopped her before she could. "You're going to have to wait until your dad gets back here. I really believe its best you hear whatever is happening, from him. For now, just go do your homework."

Kyra sighed and knew her mother was serious. She motioned her little brother to follow and they went straight upstairs.

Reba shook her head at Henry. "What will I do with them?"

For now she had him calm, not asleep but calm. He seemed content with just staring at her. Reba set him in his car seat again and sat there making faces. She loved babies, they were so cute. Henry seemed to like the faces she was making because he cooed and giggled at everything Reba did. She quit once she saw his eyes getting heavy. She picked him back up and started to rock him to sleep.

Little Henry yawned and Reba yawned right along with him. She laid down, with Henry lying on her chest and they both soon fell right to sleep.

Reba eyes popped open when she heard a door slam and shortly after Henry started wailing in her ear. What was with people slamming doors today? She sat up slowly and started to rock him back to sleep. She felt a shadow loom over her and she looked up to see Brock standing above her. He smiled slightly and reached for his son. As much as Reba wanted to keep holding on to him, there was a part of her that was glad Brock finally came back. She handed him over and collapsed back onto the couch.

She heard Brock chuckle. She sat up and glared at him. "What?"

He smiled at her as he bounced the little baby. "Tired?"

She nodded. "I forgot how much energy a newborn can take out of you. I mean really, that kid has a set of lungs."

Brock nodded. "Tell me about it." He then looked down to see Henry fast asleep. He set him down before sitting next to Reba on the couch. "I appreciate you taking care of Henry today. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have today."

Reba gave a nod of understanding. Barbara Jean was an idiot for leaving them both, a big idiot. "What did you do? Did you get a hold of Barbara Jean?"

Brock nodded. He took a moment to take in what had happened earlier in the day. "I didn't go to work today. I called everyone I knew, trying to find her. I finally called her sister and she was there. I talked to her." Tears started to fall and Reba felt really bad. "I tried to get her to come home and then I tried coming up with some sort of arrangement where we could meet, maybe work this out but she didn't want to. She just kept saying she was done; she wasn't the wife and mother type. I asked her if she wanted to see Henry at all and she said no. I begged her even if she didn't want to stay with me at least be there for Henry. She said no, she said…" His voice broke up and Reba placed a gently hand on his shoulder. "She said that…"

Reba took his hand. "What did she say?"

He sniffed and looked to her with sad eyes. "That Henry was a mistake. That marrying me was a mistake."

Reba heart broke for Brock. She never told Brock that she made a mistake when marrying him. Even after all the crap they had been through, she wouldn't trade their time together for anything.

Suddenly Brock stood and Reba saw complete anger on his face. "I can't believe she would do this to me! She is such a bi…" He stopped when he saw the look on Reba's face that told him he shouldn't use swear words in her home. "Sorry. I just don't understand, any of it. I knew she was having trouble adjusting but I didn't think it was enough to make her leave." Brock turned back to Reba. "I'm sorry if I made you feel this way when I left. I…don't like this feeling and I feel terrible that it happened."

Reba shook her head. "Don't worry about that now. What's going to happen tomorrow with Henry?"

Brock shrugged. "I guess I can take a few days off until I find a nanny. I'm just going to have to make this work."

Just as he said that the kids hurried down the stairs, well, Cheyenne sort of waddled down the stairs.

They immediately wanted to know what was going on. They were all concerned when they saw their dad's tear stained face. "Dad, what's wrong?" asked Cheyenne with concern in her voice.

He sat down and braced himself as he started to explain. "Well, the thing is. Barbara Jean isn't going to be around anymore."

Cheyenne eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Brock looked down at his shoes before looking back up to his daughter. "She left me. She said she couldn't handle being a wife and taking care of Henry. I just…"

Cheyenne walked over to her father and hugged him. "Daddy, I'm so sorry."

He hugged her back as best he could with her big stomach. "Thanks honey."

Cheyenne let go. "What are you going to do now?"

Brock shrugged. "I have to find a nanny before I can go back to work. I have to work this out. I can do this. Lots of dads do this."

Cheyenne nodded but didn't smile. She had a lot of sympathy for her dad. She knew that Barbara Jean was trouble, she came in and ruined the family, and now she left her dad. She wasn't right. Cheyenne was brought out of her thinking by her father gathering up his stuff.

He picked up baby Henry and looked to Reba once again. "Thank you again. I don't know how to make it up to you but I will. I promise and I won't ask you again."

Reba smiled. "You didn't ask, I offered."

He nodded and then without another word left.

End of Chapter