Chapter Two

Almost a half hour later, shocked Bryce sat in the loveseat his wife occupied before, with Kyra next to him on the side closest to the couch. The rest of the family and Terry tried to help with mixed results. He couldn't stop staring at the angel in the room. "S-So..." Bryce said. "This kind of thing happens on a regular basis around here?" They gave him the basics but left out the majority of incidents after Reba's coma. No one even mentioned the clones or body switching.

"I don't know about often," Cheyenne said. "Mostly Mom is the one who sees Terry. You were just lucky this time."

Bryce let out a laugh that could have been mistaken for a whimper. "Yeah, lucky. Hey, Kyra, love of my life – were you ever going to mention your pretty major family secret?"

"Not really..."

"Kyra!"

"It wasn't my secret to tell! And frankly, it's not something that's usually on my mind." Kyra glanced at her mother and Terry. "Help me out here?"

Reba quickly went to stand by her daughter. "She's right, Bryce. Angelically speaking, things have been calm the past few years. I swear to God...and that's a big deal, considering present company...it never came up! We don't sit around and talk about angels all the time. Just, you know, today."

"When you sent me out to pick up dessert as a distraction." Bryce narrowed his eyes at guilty Kyra, but instead of further accusations, he let out a resigned sigh. "It's really hard for me to be mad at you when you're carrying my baby."

"Oh, okay! So good timing all around." At his puzzled look, Kyra added, "I honestly did want to tell you. Maybe it's not something that comes up, but it's important, and I never felt right about keeping this from you."

Bryce reached for Kyra's hand as he glanced at Terry. "I have a lot of questions. Like, why are you here today? If this doesn't happen a lot, why now?"

Terry hesitated before replying. "That will take some more explanation. Here's an idea. Kyra, why don't you go with Bryce to get that dessert you mentioned? You can fill him in during the ride."

Even though the suggestion threw her off, Kyra complied. With some effort she pulled her pregnant self up from the loveseat. "Um, okay. Is there a reason you're sending us out of the house?"

"Nope, I just know you two need to talk, and a crowd of people starin' at you doesn't help matters."

Kyra laughed. "Thanks, Terry. Are you staying for dinner?"

This time, her question startled him. "Oh, uh, I don't think so..."

"Come on, Terry," Barbra Jean said. "I made enough chicken to feed an army. You're more than welcome to join us."

Even though it was her house, Reba let the overstep slide since Barbra Jean was the one who cooked for more than a dozen people. "Yeah, hang out with us humans for once," Reba joked. "We've got a lot to talk about, so why not?"

Realizing he was out-matched, Terry shrugged in defeat. "Guess I can't argue with that logic. If my supervisor comes looking for me though, I'm blaming ya'll."

"I'm okay with that," Reba assured him.

Meanwhile, Kyra guided her overwhelmed husband towards the door. "Let's go, babe..."

"So not only do you all talk to angels, you invite them to dinner?"

"It would be rude if we didn't."

"Wait, wait." Bryce put his hand on the doorway as an anchor, as his wife tried to drag him towards the car. "What you said before...that girl, Nell, who we hung out with when we were teenagers...that was..."

"Yeah, we need to get you some fresh air."

Minutes later, Reba brought the dress back down to the living room to show everyone who hadn't seen it. "This is the dress, right? I'm not crazy?"

"She asks her guardian angel," Van muttered, earning a glare from Reba.

Terry chuckled. "Yes, this concert coming up is the concert you saw. Frankly I don't get why you need me when you've handled everything pretty well over the years."

"'Over the years'? Mom, what's he talking about?" Cheyenne asked, turning around to glance at her mother. "Nothing strange has happened since the last wish, right? I mean, I think I would've heard if there was. And don't get me started on how long it took you to tell me when Kyra was the first to know. Mom laid down the law on with the 'no wishing rule,' but I should've gotten one to make up for it."

"What would you wish for, Cheyenne?" Barbra Jean asked, curious.

The question put a damper on Cheyenne's demands. "Well I can't think of it when you put me on the spot like this. But if I did get a wish, it would be a good one. A really good one."

"Hey!" Reba interrupted before the conversation got out of hand. "The 'no wishing' rule still stands in this house. Especially when a certain somebody is actually around to hear it."

Feigning offense, Terry retorted, "Gee, you think she means me?"

Adam jumped in to back up his wife. "It's a good rule though. Terry, you have to admit you've caused a lot of chaos around here."

"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Terry glanced at Reba, unable to hold back a teasing grin. "I think I'm offended by this 'no wishing' rule. I know what I'm doing, and just a reminder, the star does still work."

"Okay, here's a wish for you. I wish you'd stop pushing my buttons in front of my family." Reba sighed, fighting for patience. She hated that her automatic reaction to this topic was fear. While everything had always worked out in the past, wishes come true were a wild ride. She probably wouldn't look for the star again unless she really had an urgent need to prevent something terrible from happening, or...well, what else was there? She didn't need anything else so badly that she'd risk leaping into the unknown.

And wasn't that a kicker? The only person with the ability to grant wishes, and she refused to use it. Or to let her family use it. Did that make her selfish? Should she have spent the last ten years using the star to help her family, maybe even the less fortunate?

Good God, did she hold in her hands the power to create world peace?

Terry's laugh snapped her out of her frenzied state. "Okay, Reba, your thoughts were so loud just then I couldn't help but hear 'em. For the record, the star is only for you and your family – or those you consider family, like when Lori Ann made a wish. You couldn't use the star to change the world, just your corner of it."

"And why is that?" Reba spat before she realized the magnitude of her question. Since she couldn't take it back, she kept going. "Why me? Van and Barbra Jean brought it up before, in their own goofy way, and I've gotta admit I've wondered myself. There's nothing special about me, so why…"

She stopped cold when Terry met her gaze, looking more serious than she'd ever seen him, alive or dead. "Reba," he replied. "If you truly believe there's nothing special about you, then you haven't been paying attention. In fact I'd say you're deep in denial." Letting the family chew on this for a while, Terry switched topics and went back to the dress Reba had draped over the back of the couch. "Now, I believe Reba called me for a reason. Though I don't think my help is really necessary."

The room became quiet, Reba's mind racing while she struggled to form words. She decided to keep pace with Terry even though she'd been shaken to her core. Badgering the guardian angel about her destiny wouldn't get her any answers. If he didn't want to address it yet, she could wait. For a while. A short while.

"Y-yes, well, I disagree" she said, struggling to find her voice again. "To answer Cheyenne's earlier question, this has come up before, but it was usually minor and I didn't need to tell everybody. On the other hand, this concert...if it doesn't go exactly like I saw it..."

Conversation came to a halt when the kids burst in through the back door.

"Mom!"

"Dad!"

"Grandma Reba!"

"Aunt Reba!"

Henry, Rocky and Savannah rushed into the living room, yelling for their respective family members. After a while, Henry and Savannah started calling their father's ex-wife "Aunt Reba" because nothing else felt right. Reba gradually accepted it just like she'd accepted Barbra Jean as one of her best friends.

The trio gave Terry a curious look but otherwise ignored the stranger's presence. "Henry hit the ball onto the roof!" Rocky announced.

"Really? Way to go, son!" Brock changed his celebratory tone when he realized it may not be appropriate. "But you should be more careful about controlling your swing."

Pleased by his father's praise, Henry looked relieved he wasn't in more trouble. "I know, and I'm sorry. Aunt Reba, do you have another softball? We looked in the garage but we didn't find any..."

"You're the angel, right?"

Everyone turned to Savannah, who'd stared at Terry as soon as she came in. No one answered at first. "H-How do you know that, sweetheart?" Barbra Jean asked her daughter.

"Kids can always tell," Terry said, then turned to Savannah. "Yup, I'm the angel. Your parents and Aunt Reba told you about me?"

"Uh-huh. If you're really an angel, can you get the softball off the roof?"

Reba laughed and patted Terry's shoulder. "Looks like your work around here is never done."

By the time Terry used his abilities to "nudge" the softball off the roof, Kyra returned with recovering Bryce, bringing in the promised dessert. (The couple stopped at a closer bakery since they no longer needed to stall.) Reba and her family got through the entire dinner without anymore shocking revelations. Jokes were made about Terry's angel-ness, but no one pressed him for more details. Conversation stayed light through sheer willpower.

Reba struggled the most to force a casual attitude. Sitting at the head of the table, with Terry on the other end as the guest of honor, made it harder to keep her mind off the most pressing issues. Especially since it was now a given that he could read her thoughts if they were loud enough. Several times he smirked at her, letting Reba know he sensed her inner turmoil.

Frankly, it creeped her out.

Adam sitting next to her and holding her hand kept her sane until everyone cleared their plates. Her husband asked her about this when they had a minute alone in the kitchen. "What was up with you and Terry at dinner?" he asked.

"He's in my head!" Reba blurted, the simplest explanation she could give him. "Something's going on, Adam. It's not just about the concert anymore...which is still a very big concern. All I know is, I'm more anxious now than before I asked my guardian angel for help."

They let the subject drop when the kids dashed through the kitchen towards the back door, rushing to finish their softball game. Only Elizabeth paused by her grandparents, letting the rest of the kids race each other out the backyard. "Grandma Reba?" she asked quietly.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Reba asked, instantly focused on her granddaughter. "Everything okay?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm okay, but I'm more worried about you. I mean, Terry's here. Is something weird going to happen again?"

Since Reba just expressed the same fear a second ago, she didn't feel right lying. "I'm not sure," Reba confessed. "We're taking things as they come right now. I promise though, no matter what happens, it's nothing you'll have to worry about. Terry has strange methods, but in the end, we're always better off."

Comforted by her grandmother's words, relief filled Elizabeth's face and she hugged Reba tightly. Reba returned the hug and wondered just how much her oldest granddaughter remembered from the past. After Elizabeth ran out to the backyard, Reba leaned on the counter and massaged her forehead. "I forget she's a young woman now," Reba muttered. "Henry's oblivious most of the time, but Elizabeth sees all. I've speculated more than once that she's actually the psychic one in the family."

"She has great instincts, but I wouldn't go right to 'psychic.'"

They looked up at Terry, who stood in the doorway. "Well, there's some concrete information at least," Reba retorted. "I suppose you have to go soon."

"Not yet. Since you insist you need my help with this, we still need to discuss the concert," Terry said with a shrug. "There are a few tips I could give you to help things go smoothly."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "So Reba's actions at this concert could change the past?"

"They could. And everyone else plays a role in this too, even you."

Terry waved them both into the living room, where the rest of the adults waited. They arrived to find Bryce standing by the door with car keys in hand. "Um, I know ya'll have business to discuss, so..."

"Sit down, babe." Kyra pulled him back over to the loveseat, where she sat down and tugged on his arm so he did the same. "I'm not missing this, so we can't go home yet."

"But..."

Terry nodded in agreement with Kyra. "Listen to her, Bryce. You're part of this too."

When Bryce's expression became even more scared, Adam sighed and put his arm around Reba's shoulders. "Brings back memories, doesn't it, hon?"

"Mhm. It's been a long time since I've freaked you out like that," Reba said, a wistful note to her voice.

"I'm still plenty freaked on the inside, don't you worry."

As they all settled in around the living room, Reba picked up from where they left off before the kids interrupted. "Look, Terry, I know you think I should handle this on my own, but if you don't mind me saying – that is a big load of crap."

Bryce raised an eyebrow while everyone else snickered. He turned to Kyra, who shrugged. "This is tame," she whispered. "Terry is her ex-boyfriend. Sometimes history comes into play."

"Wouldn't want to be here during a thunderstorm," Bryce commented. At her puzzled stare, he mimicked God striking down the house with lightning. Kyra struggled to control her laughter.

Meanwhile Reba ignored them, too lost in her own rant to pay attention. "For more ten years I've been holding all this information without any idea what to do with it. You just...dropped me off in the future without warning, and expected me to deal! Even worse, now I have to make sure past me knows what she wasn't supposed to know in the first place!"

"So it's true then," Van whispered in awe. "Mrs. H actually does know everything. Even before it happens." He glanced over at her. "Is that how you knew I was gonna sell that house last week?"

Reba sighed. Honestly, she could tell by the buyers' interest, not precognition. But a little mystery couldn't hurt. "Yes. Yes it was." While Van's jaw dropped, she turned back to Terry. "So what've you got to say for yourself, huh? Did it ever occur to you that showing me the future could make the present a lot more difficult?"

"Oh, stop bellyaching," Terry retorted as his defense. "You're probably the only human being on the planet who'd complain about seeing the future. I meant what I said about you handling things well. You made it here, right?"

"Luckily for you," Reba muttered.

"And as for changing the past now," Terry continued. "It's not likely. You just have to make sure you don't reveal anything you didn't find out the last time."

"So you're saying Mom could change the past?" Cheyenne asked.

Terry shrugged. "Potentially. There may even be additional information she wants to share."

"Seriously, will you stop being an instigator?" Reba retorted. "How is it you're both the good and bad angel on my shoulders?"

Though Terry laughed, his expression was sympathetic and he offered an apologetic shrug. "Old habits die hard."

When her husband snorted, Barbra Jean raised an eyebrow at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Brock answered quickly, exchanging a smile with his ex-wife and Terry. "Just brought back a lot of memories. The question still stands, Terry - how the hell did they make you an angel?"

Brock meant it as a joke, but Terry stared at Reba for a second before turning away. Reba caught on to the implication. "Oh my God," she whispered. "It's because of me?"

"Just a theory I've been kicking around," Terry muttered. He quickly returned to their original subject, again leaving Reba shaken and struggling to control her reaction. "Anyway, like I said, the small stuff won't matter. You just need to make sure the big stuff is all the same. Like, everyone you saw that night is present and accounted for."

A sigh of relief went around the room. "Well, that's not so bad," Barbra Jean commented. "As far as I know, we're all planning to be there anyway. Even the kids are coming."

"Yeah, who else was there, Mom?" Cheyenne asked.

"Just us and the kids, I think. Us and..." Reba's eyes widened, slowly seeing the problem. "Jake. Jake, Lori Ann and her husband. I can talk to Lori Ann, but Jake...wait, we're in the clear. That's his spring break. He'll be here the week after Easter anyway."

While Jake went to college, things turned out a little different than she'd seen at the concert. He went to a school in southern California specializing in video game development, not the college named on his sweatshirt. Reba was just glad the college senior had a direction in life after a rebellious phase in his early teens. She never thought too much about the sweatshirt, but she supposed it could've been a loan or a gift from someone else.

...like the date on his arm at the concert. Oh, crap, it was all coming back to her. What were the odds her son could convince his girlfriend to fly to Texas to see his country singer mother perform?

"On second thought, we may have a problem." Reba turned to Terry and asked, "How important is it that everyone be there? I can explain things to Jake, but I saw him with his girlfriend. What's he going to say to her? 'It's real important you go to this concert, if you don't, life could change as I know it'?"

"Aw, Jakey has a girlfriend?" Cheyenne exclaimed. "How come I didn't know about her?"

Kyra smirked. "Well, all this would be a good test of the relationship. You need a strong tolerance for weird when you marry into this family."

"Amen to that," Bryce said, high-fiving his wife. Meanwhile, Adam exchanged a look with Reba and resisted the temptation to add his own commentary, laughter in his eyes.

"Oh, ya'll cut it out," Reba said, struggling to hold back a smile. "Seriously, Terry, how much of an issue is this?"

Terry hesitated, which instantly made Reba worry even more. "It's hard to say. Did Jake know exactly what you saw?"

"Of course not!" Brock answered before Reba could. "She laid down the law on that, too. No one could know anything about the future. No matter how much they begged, pleaded, and offered to pay her half of Jake's college tuition."

While her family expressed similar sentiments, Reba grimaced and looked down at the floor. "Well..."

2013

Reba didn't know what to expect when her only son came home from California. While she'd spoken to him on the phone often enough, she hadn't seen him at all, and she feared the worst. What if he came home with his hair dyed a wild color and a completely different wardrobe? She'd still love him, she always would, but she didn't want him to change so much. Not when it took him all of high school to get his life on track.

Much to her relief, Jake came home for Thanksgiving looking almost the same as when he'd left. If anything he'd started working on his "freshman fifteen" and seemed a little depressed. Reba tried to talk to him while he helped her prepare for Thanksgiving the day before. "So, um, how are your classes this semester?"

"Hard," Jake answered without needing to think about it. "Mom, let's face it, I wasn't a genius in high school. I only studied more because I needed the math and science to develop video games. I got by, but in college, it's not enough and everyone is smarter than me."

Oh boy, Reba thought, her heart going out to her son. She wasn't sure how much she'd have to push to get him to talk. Apparently he'd been ready to burst. Taking a second to consider her words, Reba began, "It's funny, you know who you remind me of?"

"Cheyenne?" Jake guessed.

"Her too," Reba conceded, remembering how her oldest struggled through college. "But I was thinking of Kyra."

"That makes no sense, Mom. Kyra's the smart one, and she never even went to college."

Reba shook her head as she continued chopping vegetables. "Hey, you're smart too. And as smart as she is, Kyra had the same insecurities you do. So you see, there are always going to be better students. The trick is blocking them all out and doing the best you can."

While processing her advice, Jake raised an eyebrow at her. "Kyra told you she was scared of college? That doesn't sound like her."

"Well, things were a little crazy at the time. Wish number two," Reba explained, and Jake nodded in understanding. She paused her chopping, a small smile on her face. "It's been a while since I've thought about that."

"Same. In college, I have to pretend I come from a normal family. It's bad enough I'm from Texas."

Instantly offended, Reba put a hand on her hip. "What's wrong with Texas?"

"They call me 'cowboy' and say I have an accent."

"You don't have an accent!"

"According to them, I do." Jake sighed and stared down at the counter. "I'm never gonna fit in, and I'm never gonna graduate."

With the wish on her mind, Reba flashed back (or forward?) to the concert she saw in her trip to the future. Even though Reba believed in her "no future knowledge" rule, the dejected look on her son's face wore her down. Would it really be so bad if she told him what she saw? And it wasn't anything so amazing, really. Anyone could've guessed Jake would stay in college and have a girlfriend. "Okay, I'm gonna let you in on a secret, but you can't tell anyone. Especially not your dad. He's still offering to pay my half of your college tuition. As incredibly tempting as that is, I can't risk it."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

Reba sighed. "Remember my little trip to the future?"

"The one you won't share with us?"

"Yeah, that one. And thank the Lord there haven't been any others," Reba grumbled. "I'm gonna talk about it now, for you, so appreciate how big this is. When I went to the future...I wound up in 2017, four years from now."

"Whoa."

"You can say that again." Reba leaned on the counter, making eye contact with her son. "It was a concert. I saw you in the audience, wearing a college sweatshirt. Now why would you wear a college sweatshirt if you'd dropped out freshman year?"

Hesitant to believe her, Jake asked, "Maybe it was the only clean shirt I had lying around."

"Come on, Jake. You were going to a concert with your girlfriend. I like to think I raised a son who would treat a date with more respect...oh, good gravy..."

They both realized her slip at the same time. "I have a girlfriend?" Jake asked excitedly. "What does she look like? Is she hot?"

"Oh, gross! I'm not answering that!" Reba exclaimed. She didn't lecture him too much though, since he'd been single ever since his girlfriend dumped him senior year of high school. He'd had a long, lonely summer, moping around the house and worrying he'd never date again. Reba actually took this as a positive sign he was ready to resume dating.

"But what was she like? Was...will she be...into me?" Jake paused, his brow wrinkled. "Man, this time travel stuff..."

Reba laughed. "You don't have to tell me. And I've given you too many details already. Knowing all this should at least help you through the semester."

"It does." Jake walked around the counter and hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom. You always know what to say...even if it is really weird."

"Story of my life, Jake."