"Excuse me?" Reba said stepping out of the shadows. "Would you like to repeat that?"
"Mom, uhh- hi!" Cheyenne stumbled. "You heard the last part didn't you?"
Reba rolled her eyes. At times, Cheyenne really stated the obvious. "Actually I heard all of it. This is the thanks I get for everything I've dont for you? After everything I sacrificed this is the way you say thanks? First you lie, then you insult, what's next? Your going to say your having another baby?" Reba said starting to get enraged. She was about to go on but the look on elizabeth's face stopped her. It was full of shame and regret, as if everyone's problems were her fault. Reba's heart melted. She walked over to Elizabeth smiling. "Honey, you really have grown up so much since you were 3 months old and your mom brought you in my room screaming. I am so proud of all your decisions and I want you to know that you can come to me whenever you feel the need to. My door will always be open."She said giving her first granddaughter a hug.
"Mom why didn't you say that when I got pregnant?" Cheyenne exclaimed a little hurt that her mom treated her granddaughter better than her own daughter.
"Because I didn't need to. You were always at my door; I didn't need to restate the obvious." Reba chuckled.
Something in Cheyenne couldn't take it anymore. As she replayed what her mother said, she ran to her old room crying. Not only because her mother didn't reassure her when she was pregnant, but more because she felt guilty. She felt like it was her fault her daughter was pregnant. That she was the reason her baby girl would have to go through all the hard work, all the pain, all the suffering. If she didn't get pregnant in high school, maybe her daughter would've had more time to grow before she had to be a mother. There was also another reason, a secret that no one knew about.
Reba, after seeing her eldest daughter run off like that, was quite stunned. She made comments like that all the time and it didn't seem to affect her so much before. It just seemed to always go right past her head. She hurriedly ran up the stairs ignoring the shocked faces of Van and Elizabeth.
She gently knocked on the door. "Cheyenne, can I come in?" She said softly. When she got no answer, she walked in seeing her daughter lying face down on her bed crying like her life depended on it. "Oh honey, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." Reba said quietly as she sat down and pulled her daughter up from the bed and into her arms. "I didn't think it would mean so much to you to reassure you when you were pregnant. I'm so sorry Cheyenne. I really am." She gently rocked her oldest daughter. "I was scared when you were pregnant. My baby girl was growing up so fast. I never thought of what to do or say. But with Lizzie, it was like she was you. I knew what to say and do, and how to make things better."
Cheyenne pulled her face from her mother's shoulder. She stopped crying for a minute "Mom, think, it's not only because you made that comment. I don't even care about that comment. I know you don't mean it. But- it's just that-" Cheyenne broke out crying again.
It suddenly dawned onto Reba. She knew her daughter well. She knew one comment wouldn't make her sob like this. There had to be more, way more. "You feel as if it was your fault Lizzie's pregnant right?" She asked.
Cheyenne nodded, still unable to speak. "Cheyenne, you heard Lizzie. She wasn't trying to be like you. It was a mistake. Just like it was a mistake you and Van made a mistake and ended up with Lizzie. They're not mistakes really, they're unplanned blessings. I'm sure Lizzie will see that someday when she sees her
child walk across the graduation stage. She's going to see it, just like you did today. And if you didn't get pregnant in high school, you would've never had Lizzie. Think about how much joy she brought into everyone's lives. Don't you think it was worth it?"
Cheyenne was quiet for this time. What her mother said made sense. She did think that her daughter was a mistake, but didn't know what she would do without her.
"I understand how you feel Cheyenne." Reba went on. "When you're a parent, you worry every mistake you make, your kids will never forget." Cheyenne was jerked out of her thoughts when she heard her mother say this. "Dad told me the same thing about 5 years ago!" She exclaimed. "Guess where he got it from." Reba said laughing when a bemused smile came onto her daughters face. "Are you ok now?" Reba asked as the laughter died.
Cheyenne nodded again trying to smile. She wasn't ok and she could tell her mother sensed it.
"What else is wrong honey?" Reba asked with concern in her eyes. Something wasn't right. Something that everyone was overlooking. Cheyenne shook her head. She couldn't tell her mother. Not yet at least. "Nothing," She finally said. "I guess I'm just a little over emotional." She could tell her mother wasn't buying any of this but didn't push farther. "Ok honey. I believe you, for now. Now why don't you clean up and I'll meet you downstairs. I got to go to the bathroom to wash off. When you hit Van, some of the beer he sprayed landed on me. I smell like I just landed in the middle of some drunken people in a bar. Not a pretty smell, trust me." Cheyenne laughed a little and wiped her eyes. Her mother always made her feel better.
Reba walked into the hallway bathroom laughing. She really did smell bad. "I'm gonna kill Van later." She said with an evil smile. She laughed thinking about Van's face when Cheyenne and Elizabeth hit him. She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize that she had kicked over the garbage can that was next to the doorway. "Craaaap." She thought. She hated touching garbage. She would've called Lee over to pick it up, but he was asleep.
She sighed and bent over to clean up. As she piled the things back to the garbage can with her eyes closed squirming at the disgusting feelings, she suddenly felt a long smooth stick. She opened her eyes. It was a pregnancy test. Her eyes widened. "Didn't Cheyenne break Lizzie's pregnancy test when Lee showed it to her?" She wondered. This one wasn't broken and it clearly said positive. Reba put the rest of the trash back into the can as fast as she could. She had to think. "It wasn't hers and wasn't Lizzie's. That could only mean-Kyra…" She thought. She couldn't believe it! Her youngest girl was going to have a baby! "Wait, that isn't right, Kyra's not even seeing anybody." Reba thought now getting confused. "If it's not Kyra's that means its Cheyenne." Reba's eyes bugged out. That would explain why she was so emotional. And she never hit Van before, which would explain that too. Reba shook her head not believing what she was slowly realizing. "This is crazy! Cheyenne can't be having a baby, her daughter is having one." She thought. But the facts show that it was either Kyra or Cheyenne, Reba decided to confront Kyra first.
(A/N: Sorry this chapter was sorta slow. I just wanted to show what a strong mother/daughter relationship Reba and Cheyenne have. Review please!)