Chapter 3

Reba was up most of the night. She thought by packing for the trip tomorrow would keep her mind from Brock, it didn't. She didn't know why she thought about him so much. They spent one night together. That didn't mean she loved him. She loved Terry so much. They had twenty seven years together as friends, lovers, then husband and wife. You couldn't change all that. Besides she was sure Brock had moved on by now, of course he has, it's been twenty five years. He probably had a gorgeous wife and beautiful children. He was more than likely happier the way his life turned out than if anything happened between them. She still couldn't help but wonder what would happen when she would see him again. Would he even remember her? Could she look him in the face without thinking about their wonderful night together?

Reba had shaken these thoughts from her mind and decided to focus on her marriage to Terry. Maybe this trip would be good for her. Maybe when she saw Brock she would realize that what happened twenty five years ago was nothing but lust. She was sure of it. She had packed her bags and then moved on to Terry's and Kyra's bags. When that didn't take much time she looked for more things to do during the night. She tried sleeping but she felt so uncomfortable sleeping next to the man in her bed who was supposed to be her husband. She sat in the chair near her bed and just watched Terry sleep.

She wondered what happened with them. It seemed when they got married, the passion they had when they were dating was…gone. She glanced at his face and he still had the handsome face except for the few lines that were starting to show. There was grey starting to show at the temples of his hair which was starting to recede. His once six pack stomach was gone and was replaced with a slight gut. She watched his gut rise and fall then gurgle as it did so. She crutched her nose up. Where did their life go? Where did the passion go? When did their love life become two minutes?

Reba stayed up and watched the sun rise over the other houses. She smiled when the sun hit her face. It was so beautiful in the morning. When the sun would rise up over the houses it reminded her it was a new day, new start. She sometimes wished for a new life, new change in her husband but, sadly, it never happened. She felt trapped in between two choices she had to make, working things out with her husband or leaving. She always chose working things out and hoped things would become much better but it never happened and she was so afraid if she left him now she would be alone for the rest of her life. She was so afraid of being alone. She didn't know how to be alone. Would she survive all right? What would Kyra think if she left? What would her parents think? What would become of Terry? She had so many questions but she wasn't sure if she wanted to even find the answers.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the alarm going off next to where Terry was sleeping. She had forgotten to turn it off. He hated waking up so early in the morning. She ran quickly over and turned it off. She wasn't fast enough she guessed because she saw Terry groan and move in his sleep. He then opened one eye and sat up a bit, groggy. He looked around for a moment, not really knowing where he was and yawned a moment later. Even from where she was standing she could smell his morning breath. He turned to her and smiled. "Hey baby." He said, finally noticing her standing next to the bed. He quickly pulled her into his lap and kissed her before she could even protest. Reba almost threw up when his tongue forced its way into her mouth and she could taste his nasty morning breath. She pulled away and turned her head from him. "What's wrong? I thought a repeat of last night would be so great." He said trying to sound seductive but it only sounded gross and pigheaded to Reba.

She rolled her eyes and quickly got up. "Yeah, last night." She said with a slight scoff in her tone of voice. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth to try and brush away the taste of his tongue out of her mouth. She was gargling with mouth wash when her husband appeared in the doorway butt naked with a huge smile on his face. Reba clutched at her robe and wiped her mouth off. She approached the door and tried to move him out of the way. "Please move."

Terry didn't move. Instead he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body as close as he could. She felt his hold body. His sweaty pot-belly stomach pressed into hers and it disgusted her to no end. "Last night was a great night." Reba tried to turn but he only held onto her from behind and pulled her even closer, pressing himself into her back. "What is wrong with you this morning? Everything was perfect last night. Let's recreate it."

He began to kiss her neck the same way he did last night but this time it was different. She could still smell his morning breath and it was definitely a turn off. Plus, after what happened last night she wasn't sure if she even wanted him to touch her again. She pushed him away and quickly stepped out of the bathroom. "Take a cold shower Terry…" she said walking to the closet and pick out what she was going to wear on the trip. She paused and turned to him. He was still standing in the doorway. "And brush your teeth." She added quickly.

Terry scoffed and before slamming the door he said, "I guess the ice queen is in full force today huh."

Reba just ignored him. She didn't understand how he didn't understand her. He expected so much from her but she was only one person and she didn't know how much more she had to give before she just went crazy or did finally up and leave. She went through her clothes and picked out tan slacks and white blouse. When Terry finally got out of the bathroom she was able to take a shower and get ready for their long drive to Houston Texas.

"Why do I have to go?" Reba's daughter Kyra said when she arrived home an hour later. Reba was putting their suitcases in the car when Kyra pulled up. She had asked Reba what she was doing and Reba had to break it to her daughter that they were leaving…and that she was going to have to with them. "You do realize this is my last year of school? I can't miss a week! Senior year is an important year mom."

Reba nodded knowing her daughter was telling the truth. This was an important year for her daughter. She had just been filling out college applications and prepping for the SAT's and Reba was just starting to get well known in the real estate business and began taking on bigger clients. She didn't want to take off work now but Terry of course didn't understand or care about that. "Honey…" Reba said turning to her daughter after she had just put Kyra's bag in the trunk. "If I had a choice or vote in this we wouldn't be going."

Kyra shook her head. "Why do you do this? You are a grown woman. You don't have to listen to him. You don't ever stand up to that man!"

Reba looked at her daughter with an angry expression. "Excuse me? That man is your father, you show him some respect."

Kyra rolled her eyes and stomped toward the house. "I will gladly show him respect when he starts acting like a father!"

Reba put her head in her hands. She knew her daughter shouldn't be talking about Terry like that but she only spoke the truth. He never acted like a father or a husband. She sighed and put the last of the bags in the trunk. She closed it and put the snacks she had put together in the kitchen in the front of the car. As she was getting into the passenger seat she saw Kyra stomping out of the house, armed with her iPod and her very heavy looking book bag that would probably keep her busy the whole trip. Terry came out a short while later with a pillow and a book. Reba looked confused. "How are you going to read and drive?" she asked when she saw him.

He set the book in the backseat followed by the pillow. "Well, I thought you could drive first and I will take over eventually."

Reba sighed and got into the driver seat and she saw Kyra get in the front passenger seat. "Dad thought it would be better if we bonded." She then rolled her eyes, turned on her iPod, and buried her nose in a book.

Reba turned the car on and eased the car out of the driveway. It wasn't very long that Reba heard the snore of her husband who was spread out in the backseat. She shook her head. How did she get talked into this? After about three hours into the trip she was the only one awake. She would take a quick glance at her daughter from time to time. She seemed so engrossed in that book when she was reading it. It reminded Reba of herself, during her school days and college years she always had her nose in a book. It still amazed her how much her daughter was like her. She really didn't see Terry in her at all and for some reason Reba felt that it might be a good thing. She didn't know why it was a good thing but it was.

Reba finally saw a sign for a rest stop and she quickly changed lanes to make it down the drive. She put the car in park and got out stretching a bit. She smiled and leaned her head into the open window. "Hey sleepy heads, time to get up." Kyra groaned and sat up sleepy. "If you need to go to the bathroom now is the time to do it." She glanced at Terry who was still asleep. "Terry, wake up!" He shot up and he hit his head on the ceiling. Reba held back her laughter and walked to the rest room area. She was happy for the break, she was sure she would burst if she didn't get to a bathroom soon. She stood by the car as she waited for her family to come back. Kyra went back to her book when she came back. Terry came back a short while later, still yawning. "Are you ready to take over the next three hours?" Reba asked trying to hand over the keys.

Terry shook his head and got into the backseat again. "Drive for a little while longer. I'll take over soon." He fell asleep almost immediately and Reba threw her hands up in the air as she climbed back into the front seat.

"Door mat." She heard next to her.

Reba turned to her daughter and glared. "No more out of you." Kyra shrugged. Reba turned on the car and made her way back onto the expressway.

Reba made a couple of more stops before realizing her husband wasn't going to drive at all. She couldn't believe she had driven this long without a break. She was tired and was ready to take a nap herself. Her daughter offered to take over for her but Reba told her to just worry about studying the books she brought with her. Reba wanted the best for her daughter. She wanted her to have a great career. She didn't want her daughter to throw her life away. Reba didn't feel she threw her life away but she knew that she could have gone to a better college. She could have been a singer like she wanted to if she had the guts to take the chance. That's why she was also so supportive of Kyra's music. Reba wanted her daughter to go for her dreams.

The thought of Kyra actually making it made Reba smile and she knew her daughter would because she excelled in everything. That was probably the one difference Reba and Kyra had. Kyra was determined to live her life to the fullest, while Reba was a real estate agent whose marriage was falling into pieces. She felt the tears coming but she held them back. She wouldn't, not with her daughter in the car and not now when they were about to see an old friend. Reba was going to make this a good week, even if it killed her. Reba sighed and when her brain registered with the road she looked up and her breath caught in her chest when she saw the sign that said Houston, next five exits.

End of Chapter