January 2007

Her phone beeped twice, making Reba open her eyes and pick it up. She had a text message from Cheyenne. She knew the subject matter even before she opened it. Her and Brock were supposed to eat at her daughter's house tonight and it had completely slipped her mind.

Mom, where are you? Dad's already here…

She texted back: Got tied up. Be there in twenty.

After the walk in the park with Brock and Elizabeth, her granddaughter had suggested the small get-together and brought it up again when Cheyenne came to pick up Elizabeth later that evening. Cheyenne thought it was a great idea and Elizabeth had been so excited. She kept saying over and over how she wanted Reba to see her new dollhouse.

"I've gotta go," She mumbled, rolling out of the cheap, motel bed.

The man beside her, her therapist, Jack Morgan, sighed. "What for?" He grabbed her around her middle. "Aren't I giving you a good enough time?"

She shook her head and flung his hand off her. "It has nothing to do with that. I'm eating over at Cheyenne and Van's house tonight. I completely forgot and Brock's already there." She picked up her clothes from the floor and hurriedly put them on, Jack watching her every move.

He leaned back on the pillow. "So, are we going to set up a counseling session?

Reba rolled her eyes. "I told Brock I'd go to counseling, however I have no intention of actually doing so."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I'm sleeping with the therapist!" She smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt. When she had told Brock therapy wouldn't work, she hadn't been kidding. The therapist would be on her side and she knew that if she went and played along and acted as if she had no feelings for Dr. Morgan, the marriage would most likely end in divorce. The whole session would be a big joke, and Reba was not going to waste her time with it.

"You're damn Skippy." Jack smiled. "Although, we're not doing a whole lot of sleeping."

Reba sat on the edge of the bed and slipped her heels on. "Yeah," She mumbled.

The affair had been going on for six months, about the time she stopped letting Brock near her. Even though she was mad at him and ripped him a new one every day, she still wouldn't allow herself to sleep with him. She thought it wouldn't be fair to him. Which was ridiculous because she was cheating on him. No matter how many times she tried to straighten her thoughts and justify her actions, everything got mixed up and she couldn't organize her emotions. There had never been another a time where she had been so confused. That was also why she had cried when he kissed her. She did love him and part of her regretted the affair. As soon as he found out, it would crush him, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"We still on for tomorrow?" Jack asked, putting his hands behind his head as Reba stood to gather her purse.

"I don't know. I'll text you." She leaned over and gave him a kiss before running out.

The whole affair had started because Brock wouldn't pay any attention to her. Their first therapy session with Jack had resulted in him flirting with her and it all escalated from there. Jack noticed all the little things about her that Brock neglected to see and that was why Reba let it continue. She didn't love him, but it was nice to hear how beautiful she was and have someone place all their attention on her. It wasn't a feeling she wanted to end soon.

xXx

She arrived at her daughter's house with one minute to spare. When she knocked on the door, Van answered and announced she finally made it.

"The party can start!" He yelled as she walked in the living room. "Grandma's here!"

Elizabeth came running from the kitchen and jumped into Reba's arms.

"You came!" She squealed

"Of course I did." Reba kissed her forehead before setting her down. Cheyenne came in with the baby on her hip.

"Hi, Mom," She greeted, hugging Reba. "Are you wearing a new perfume?"

"No, why?"

"You smell different."

Reba's cheeks went red, knowing it was Jack's cologne, but Cheyenne seemed not to notice the oddity as she set Kasey in his play-pen. "Dinner's almost ready," Cheyenne announced, heading back into the kitchen. "Don't wander off."

Reba went and sat down by Brock on the couch. Or, she sat down on the same couch as Brock, as far away from him as possible, rather. Brock, Jake, and Van were playing some racing game on the Wii and it bored Reba to no end. She didn't get the concept of video games and she was always nagging Jake to stop playing them so much.

"Wanna come see my dollhouse?" Elizabeth asked, walking up to Reba with her hands behind her back.

Reba smiled, knowing the question was coming, and stood. "You bet I do."

The two went off to Elizabeth's room which was at the end of the hall and painted a beautiful lavender color. In the corner near the closet, was a three foot tall pink Barbie dream house.

"Wow, Lizzie. That's real nice."

Elizabeth unlatched the hook in front and opened it, showing Reba how big was. "It has three bedrooms and a kitchen and an elevator," Elizabeth explained, pointing to each room as she named them off. Reba knelt beside her.

"Your mommy always wanted one of these when she was your age," She said.

"Did you get her one?"

"Well, when she was seven, me and Grandpa didn't have a whole lot of money, so we couldn't afford one. But we got her a smaller version and she loved it just the same."

"How come you didn't have any money?" She picked up a Barbie with blonde hair and a pink dress and began to brush its hair.

"We were just starting out in life. We didn't have much until your mommy was about ten."

"I can't wait to be ten," Elizabeth said. "Older kids have more fun."

Reba smiled sadly. "Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. It's really no fun being a grown up."

"Yes, it is."

"How do you figure?"

She shrugged. "You get to play poker."

Reba laughed. "Me and Grandpa used to play poker a lot when we were younger." She sat back on her hands, crossing her ankles in front of her.

Elizabeth gasped and threw the Barbie across the room. "You have to finish the story!" She scooted closer to Reba and leaned her elbows on her knees, putting her chin in her hands.

By now, Reba knew what she meant and thought a second about where they had left off at the park yesterday.

"Alright," She said, remembering. "We didn't see each other for about a week…"

xXx

June 1979

Friday night was when all the kids went out to the drive-in movie theater. Reba always went with a couple girlfriends and tonight was no different. An old Western was playing and Roy Rogers was in it, so Reba was sure not going to miss it.

About halfway through the movie when the sky had darkened and everyone ran out of candy and soda, Reba offered to go get more during intermission. Four of the girls in the car had been gossiping and joking around the whole time, but Reba had actually been interested in the movie, and she wanted more snacks for the rest of the film.

With ten dollars in hand, Reba got out of her friend's car and weaved through the parked vehicles until she made it to the concession stand. The light of the enormous screen helped guide her to it. When she arrived, she placed her order then stood a few feet away while she waited.

"Reba?"

She turned to her left and saw a figure coming towards her. When the person came into the light, she saw that it was Brock. Her spirits brightened at the sight of him.

"Hey, Brock."

"What are you doing here?"

Brock realized what a stupid question that was and they both shared a laugh before Reba answered, "Just watchin' the movie."

Brock put his head down and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. It's a good one, huh?"

"Sure. I like Roy Rogers."

"Who doesn't?"

There was a silence between them before Brock said, "I'm here with my uncle. I didn't know this theater was even here."

Reba nodded, shifting her gaze to the screen every so often, as the movie had come back on. "It's been here for as long as I can remember. Since I was a baby, at least. Or longer."

"It's a cool idea."

"Do they not have drive-ins in Texas?"

"Not that I know of."

"That's too bad. I love a good movie."

Gunshots fired on the screen and screams resounded through the air. "Great speakers," Brock said with a smirk.

"Old speakers."

They both watched for a minute then the person who was running the concession announced that order number five, Reba's number, was ready. She excused herself from Brock for a second, paid for the food, then walked back over to him.

"Let me help you carry that," He said, taking the drinks from her before it all went crashing to the dirt.

They both began walking towards the car Reba had arrived in. "Listen," Brock said. Reba wasn't sure, but she detected a softness, a nervousness in his voice. "Would you like to go out to dinner sometime? I mean, I know there's not many places around here, but we could go into McAlester or something. Get pizza or…something."

"I'd love to." She tried to act cool, and she thought she played the part, but inside, she was screaming. She had never been on a date before, much less asked out. And by a college guy, at that! She couldn't wait to get back to the car to tell her friends.

"Great," Brock said. "How's tomorrow night?"

"I'm free."

"Cool. I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven?"

She nodded as they reached the car, but stood a ways away for a little privacy. If her friends saw her talking to a guy, they'd be hanging out the window, trying to hear every little word.

"I have to ask Mama and Daddy first."

"Oh. Right."

"But I'm sure it won't be a problem. And Mama will want to meet you. So, I'll see you at seven, then." She grabbed the drinks from him, making sure to swing her hips a little more than usual as she walked away. She figured she was getting good at the whole flirting thing.

xXx

January 2007

"Do they have drive-in movie theaters here now?" Elizabeth asked Reba as they walked out of her room after Cheyenne had called everyone to dinner.

"I don't think so, honey. But they sure were fun to go to." She put an arm around the girl's tiny shoulders. "If you ever get to go to Oklahoma with me when I visit Mama and Daddy, I'll take you."

"Ok!" She clasped her hands together and Reba wished she could go back to the time when the littlest things made her happy.

Everyone sat down to a lovely dinner that Cheyenne had prepared under Van's watchful eye and talked about various things such as work and school. Reba was angered that she had to sit next to Brock, and that his elbow kept touching hers. It was all she could do to not scream at him, which angered her more that the simplest things made her upset. Several times throughout the dinner, she almost got up and walked out. But, thankfully, half an hour later, the men and Jake had retreated to the living room and hooked up the Wii again while Reba helped Cheyenne clean up.

"You don't have to help, Mom. I've got it."

Reba waved her daughter off. "You cooked. It's the least I can do. Those lessons at the college really are helping, huh?"

Cheyenne nodded excitedly. "They are! Plus they're so fun! Who knew cooking could be fun?"

"I always told you it was. You never believed me."

That statement struck Cheyenne as odd. Her mother had been talking in a different tone and saying things she wouldn't normally say lately. When the two were in the kitchen after clearing the table and Cheyenne was loading the dishwasher, she brought it up.

"Is there something wrong, Mom?"

Reba looked up from wiping down the counters. "What do you mean?"

Cheyenne shrugged, trying to keep the conversation light. "You just seem a bit off, that's all. Just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Everything is okay, right?"

Reba shrugged. "I guess."

"I wasn't going to say anything, but when Elizabeth stayed the night last night, she said she heard you and Dad fighting after Dad put her to bed."

"Yeah."

"Have you been fighting a lot again?"

She shrugged again. "When do we not fight?" She threw the dishrag in the sink and leaned against the counter, folding her arms. "We fight when we get up in the morning until we go to sleep at night."

"Maybe you should try counseling again."

Reba scoffed, for more than one reason. "Counselors are good for nothing, don't understand a dad-gum thing, money seekers. They can't help because they don't know the whole story." She pushed off the counter. "Your dad and I are fine. It'll straighten itself out. It always does."

xXx

He had gotten a decent night's sleep and therefore was able to get up at seven o'clock and make it into the office by eight thirty. Him and Reba hardly talked after they had gotten home from Cheyenne and Van's. No surprise there.

Sitting in his office later that day, thinking over all the work he had to do and all the patients he had to see, all the problems at home, Barbra Jean knocked on his closed office door. He ran a hand over his face and told her to come on in.

The perky blonde strolled in holding a fast-food bag and a to-go cup. "I brought you lunch," She said, setting the stuff on his desk, next to a picture of his family that had been taken in 2000.

"Thanks, honey," He told her, immediately regretting the words. They felt criminal coming out of his mouth. Barbra Jean found nothing wrong with it and made her way behind him to rub his shoulders.

"Has she been giving you trouble again? She asked.

"It's not just her. It's the both of us."

"Since when are you on her side?"

He didn't answer, partly because he didn't know how to respond. He wasn't sure which side he was on; his mistress's side or his wife's side. Or even his own side.

His affair was the result of a time when he felt weak and unworthy and helpless. Barbra Jean had been working late with him one afternoon and Brock was still feeling ill effects of a fight with Reba over some stupid thing. Barbra Jean was single, looking for a man as always, and Brock was fresh meat. Not to say that she was the only one at fault. Brock had let her take advantage of him because he felt feeble, and after it had happened, he suddenly felt like a man again. He began sleeping with Barbra Jean to regain that masculine feeling, the feeling of overpowering someone when Reba constantly shot him down.

"You want to…" Barbra Jean asked, leaving the rest of her sentence hanging as she kissed his neck.

"Not particularly." He didn't feel like doing anything today. Friday, when he had kissed his wife for the first time in six months, it had made all sorts of guilty feelings run through his heart. He was guilt-ridden at the fact that he was cheating on the woman he had promised and swore up and down that he'd stay faithful to and always be with. He had no idea why he didn't stop things with Barbra Jean and focus on fixing things with Reba.

That was a lie. He knew exactly why. He didn't want to feel alone. He knew Reba was the most stubborn person on the planet, and if she didn't want to do something, such as fix a marriage, nothing could make her do it. So, why didn't he break it off with her and just be with Barbra Jean? Because he loved her and no matter how much he hurt her, he couldn't just abandon her. He wanted to have his cake and eat it, too.

Love was a crazy and confusing thing. He figured that out the first night he took Reba out.

xXx

"I'm home!"

No matter how many times he said that particular sentence, nobody ever really cared. Nobody came running to greet him like they did years ago. Used to, when he came home, Reba met him at the door and all three kids would come storming in, showering him with hugs. How he missed those days.

He walked into the kitchen and saw Jake doing homework at the table. The teenager had been quiet a lot lately. At least around his parents.

"Hey, bud."

"Mom said she's working late tonight."

Brock went to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. "Okay. Thanks." He popped the top off, throwing it on the counter and taking a drink. "Did she say when she'd be home?"

Jake shook his head, not looking up from his binder and textbook.

"I'll text her, then." He whipped out his phone and sent a quick message, asking what time Reba would be getting home. "What are you up to?" He went and sat down by Jake.

"Just homework."

Brock glanced at the paper and saw a series of numbers, letters, and symbols. "Algebra?"

"Geometry."

"Ah. I had a time with that in school."

"Everybody in the class is failing."

"Even you?"

Jake nodded and Brock wondered how many other classes he had low grades in. He couldn't help but think it was because he was up all night listening to him and Reba fight.

"Just study every chance you can," Brock said, squeezing his son's shoulders. "You'll pick it up. I eventually did."

Jake didn't respond and Brock leaned back in his chair just as the phone in the kitchen rang. He jumped up and grabbed it off the hook.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Grandpa!"

"Lizzie, what's up?" He smiled when he heard his granddaughter's voice.

"I asked Mommy if I could call you."

"You did?"

"Mm-hmm." "Did you have a specific reason for calling?" He knew. She wanted to hear more of the story. He backed up against the counter and leaned against it, waiting for her answer. He couldn't help but let his mouth form a grin.

"Yes. I want to hear the rest of the story!"

"Make sure he's not busy," Brock heard Cheyenne say in the background, and before Elizabeth could ask, Brock said, "I'm not busy, honey."

"Okay! So, what happened next?"

"Well, let me see…"

"Wait! Grandma told me some last night!"

"What did she tell you?"

"Um…you asked her out for pizza at a drive-thru movie."

"A drive-in movie, yes. That I did. Okay, well, the next day…"

R&R? (: