Let's get physical - 13
Reba's phone rang. It showed an unfamiliar number. She decided to pick up; it couldn't be Andrew around this time. Even if it was, she would just hang up on him.
"Hello?"
"Miss Reba, please don't hang up. It's Cassandra."
"Hi honey, how are you?" Reba knew she should not let it out on the girl, no matter how mad she was at the girl's father.
"I'm fine, thank you. Miss Reba, can you please pick me up from school? Daddy's at work and Kitty isn't feeling well. And I miss you, I haven't see you for almost three weeks now." The girl sweet-talked.
"I miss you too. Alright, I'll pick you up." Reba had short conversation with the girl. She went and picked up Cassandra from school. She picked her up from school before, so the school didn't have to call and confirm with Andrew if he send Reba to pick up his daughter. Reba just had to show them her photo ID for the school to see if her name was on file before they allowed Cassandra to leave. Reba remembered feeling dazzled by the security, but that was to prevent kidnappings, since most little geniuses in this school were from wealthy families.
"Miss Reba, can you please take me out for an ice cream?" Reba smiled, she missed the girl, and they usually talked on the phone at night for a few minutes before she went to bed. Reba took Cassandra to an ice cream shop on the way to Andrew's house. Reba would drop her off, knowing Penny would be there until Andrew came home from work. "I want to apologize to you about Valentines Day." Cassandra started once they sat down for a bowl ice cream.
"Your daddy told you to call me, didn't he?"
"No, daddy didn't know I called you. I called you everyday but you don't pick up. I had to call you from my school, or you'll hang up on me again."
"I'm sorry honey, I didn't know it was you who tried to call me."
"I called daddy on Kitty's birthday. Kitty was crying. She hated her birthday. She told me she only wanted someone to hug her on her birthday. I felt bad for her. I don't have mommy, but I have daddy; but Kitty doesn't have anyone. She never gets a hug. So I told her I will call daddy." Cassandra confessed. "But Kitty said daddy was with you, and you wouldn't let daddy hug her, so I told daddy not to bring you back. It was all my fault."
"Honey..." Reba petted her head.
"I didn't know daddy would be so mad, he told Kitty to leave. I begged daddy to let Kitty stay but he wouldn't listen. Miss Reba, daddy only listens to you, can you please tell daddy not to let Kitty go back to those mean men who kept taking her money again?" Reba's heart sank, if Andrew kicked her out, she would eventually go back to her nightmares. Reba couldn't be mean enough to let that happen to a young woman.
"I'll try and talk to him." Reba promised. She noticed the girl was playing with her ice cream more than eating it. "Anything else that's on your mind?"
"Daddy asked me if I want you to be my new mommy." Reba felt a warm sensation rush to her heart. "I want you to, but if you and daddy get married, can you just send me to a boarding school? Please don't send me to a foster home." Cassandra wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Reba was shocked by the girl's request. She brought the girl on her lap.
"Honey, why would you say that?"
"That's what mommy did when she was getting married. She left me with daddy. If daddy is getting married too, where will I go?" No matter how smart the girl was, she still had her fears. Her biggest fear was for her dad to abandon her like the way her mom did. "And it happened to Jake too, Dr. Hart got married, he has his new baby and he left Jake with you."
"Sweetie, that's not true at all. He didn't leave Jake; Jake is with me because I want him to. And your daddy will never leave you no matter who he's married to. He loves you."
"Really?"
"Of course. Don't you ever have this idea again that your daddy will leave you." Reba wiped the little tears that rolled down her cheeks. "And I promised I'll talk to your daddy about Kitty, but I can't guarantee his decision okay?" The girl nodded with a smile. She felt better after she confessed, but she would feel even better if Reba would be back at her house on the weekends and some weekdays again.
"Daddy misses you very much," said the girl studying Reba's reaction. She smiled.
"How do you know?"
"He told me when he tucks me in to sleep. He said he wished you would pick up the phone and talk to him. He misses hearing your voice. And he said he misses hugging you too. He would be really happy to see you at home when he comes back from work today." Reba admitted to herself that she too missed talking to him every night, she too missing the warmth of his body that wrapped around hers. She never realized how much they were all over each other before, but Cassandra did notice her daddy never let Miss Reba stay further than his arm's reach. And she grew to used to their little affection and she liked seeing how they adored each other. Her little heart felt warm and complete. Sometime her daddy would sneak a kiss from Miss Reba, thinking that his daughter didn't see them. She did, but she just didn't say anything. "Do you miss daddy too?"
"Yes I miss him too." Reba took Cassandra back to her house. She would stay and talk to Andrew, only because she promised Cassandra. "Cassandra, did you say Kitty doesn't feel well?"
"I'm sorry, I lied. She's doing fine, but I want to see you today so I told her not to pick me up." Cassandra admitted guiltily. Reba had a weird hunch that rushed her to the pool house.
"KITTY! What on earth do you think you're doing?!" Reba brushed the hand that pressed a knife on her own wrist. Cassandra, go get me the first aid kit and call your daddy to come home as soon as he can." The girl did what she was told. "Kitty, why would you do this to yourself?" Reba could smell alcohol from her breath. Kitty had been drinking.
"Andrew asked me to leave and I don't have anywhere else to go. Cassandra has you now, and I'm not needed anymore." Kitty broke down in tears. Reba looked at the girl that was younger than Kyra. She was eighteen. She was just a teenager. Reba did her best wrapping Kitty's wrist with gauze cloths. The cut was deep, but manageable. At first Kitty fought her off, but Reba calmed her down. "No one ever wants me, I'm not wanted in this world." Reba let her pour her heart out. "It was my birthday, all I wanted was a hug from someone who meant something to me. I thought if I could get rid of you, he will reconsider me. But he was so mad at me for making you upset."
"Honey, that wasn't the right way to get any kind of attention."
"I just want him to hold my hand like he holds yours. I want him to kiss me like he kisses you. I want him to hug me like he hugs you. I just want to be in his arms like the way you are. I just want to know how it's like to be made love to." Reba held Kitty in her arms, she buried her face on the crook of Reba's neck. "What do I have to do for someone to love me like the way Andrew loves you? Aren't I attractive enough?"
"Sweetie, you are beautiful. But to love someone it needs more than physical appearance. And 'making love' only happens after you already love the person, or what you got was just passionless sex."
"No one ever loves me." Reba gave Kitty a warm smile.
"You know, only less than a year ago, my ex husband was telling his current wife how much he loves her. I was also wondering to myself if I would ever find someone who would love me like the way my ex told his wife, and then I found Andrew. At the last place I'd ever expect to fall for someone. Who knows? Maybe you could fall in love with somebody in the next car, somebody on a morning train, somebody in a coffee shop, that you walk right by every day." Reba chuckled; she realized that she had begun to quote one of her favourite country songs.
"All men ever want from me is my body. I've used my body in exchange for food, drinks, drugs, and money. Some jerks even made 'commission' from selling my body. But it never brought me love. I thought Andrew would want me too, and I was hoping this time it would be different. Andrew is a gentleman; he never laid a finger on me even if he could. I thought with him, I'd finally know what it's like to be making love."
"Sweetie, you've got it all wrong. You just don't give yourself to someone and think that he'd love you later. Any man that's only attracted to you because of your physical appearance ain't worth getting on your back for. The person should love you just because of who you are, not because of these 'Double Ds'. Do it the other way around. Wait until you're sure that he loves you and you love him, and when it happens, it will be wonderful. Even if Andrew gave in to you; you wouldn't get anything more than just meaningless sex from him because he doesn't love you. He..." Reba didn't finish that sentence. Oh, how could her heart be so blind? It just occurred to her that how much Andrew loved her. He didn't do anything to Kitty because he loved her. The thought that Andrew loved her melted her heart with tenderness. "He..."
"Loves you." Andrew finished her sentence looking straight at the woman who captured his heart. Reba was startled and turned around sharply to find Andrew standing nearby with a grin. Andrew pulled Reba into a hug, and kissed and made up for all those weeks he missed her. He checked on Kitty's wound, it wasn't as deep as he thought. Reba asked Andrew to let Kitty stay.
"May I suggest she go to school full time?" Reba suggested
"She didn't want to, she said the kids made fun of her for being older than they are." Reba turned to Kitty.
"Kitty, I have a daughter who was only seventeen and going to school pregnant. Of course she was made fun of. But she hung in there until she graduated. You just don't let it bother you. It's your future that matters. You gotta get out there and meet with people." Kitty agreed to go to school full time. Andrew and Reba let her rest. Kitty promised she would not hurt herself again. It was time to tuck Cassandra in. The girl went to bed happy now that she got Reba to sing her to sleep again.
"You're not mad at me anymore?" Asked Andrew, leading her by her hand to his room.
"If I am, would I do this?" Reba pulled his face down to accept a passionate kiss.
"I'm not sure, do it again." Well, why not. They had a lot of kisses to make up. They manoeuvred their way to the bed trying not to break the kiss. Their lives were back on track again. Andrew got Reba back in his arms. Cassandra wasn't afraid her daddy would abandon her anymore. However, there was something still missing.
"I'm turning eight year-olds next month," announced the seven year-old during a game of monopoly. A little family time she always looked forward to every Friday evening. Miss Reba would stay with them on the weekend. Kitty got to play with them too. Reba suggested they include Kitty, so she wouldn't feel left out. But tonight, she had a date. "And I want a birthday party, just our family."
"Am I invited too?" Questioned Reba wishfully.
"Here's the list of the people I want to invite. Family only." The girl said firmly, Reba started to frown. But she laughed the moment she saw the list: Daddy, Mommy Reba, Kitty, Dr. Brock Hart, Miss Barbra Jean, Cheyenne, Van, Kyra, Jake, Henry, Elizabeth, and Baby Van. That was the list of her family. Reba grinned seeing 'Dr. Brock Hart'. She remembered the day they were first introduced. Cassandra formally introduced herself to Brock, 'Hello, My name is Cassandra Evelyn Oakley. I'm very pleased to meet you' and as a reflex, Brock formally introduced himself as well. He even included his middle name in his introduction. 'Hi, I'm Doctor Brock Enrol Hart. I am also very pleased to meet you'. Reba remembered laughing at him. Wait! Reba went back to read the list, she wonder if Andrew spotted the discrepancy.
"Did you think of what you want for your birthday gift?" if he did, he didn't comment anything.
"Yes daddy. I want a brother." Reba choked on her saliva.
"Miss Reba, are you alright?"
"I'm... okay... Thanks"
"Honey, do you know what you're asking is impossible. The best I could do is give you a half-Brother, and that's still a long shot. Miss Reba is not healthy enough" Reba chocked again. "Even if she is healthy, you have to give us like year to plan ahead. Maybe on your ninth birthday."
"Hello? Don't I have a say on this?" piped up Reba
"I didn't say I want a little Brother, I want a big brother. I want Jake."
"That's up to Reba, Jake is her son. If she says okay, Jake then could be your step brother."
"You're putting me in a very awkward position here." Reba shook her head with a small smile
"Why?" Cassandra questioned, "You don't want to be my mommy?"
"Did you tell her to ask that?" Reba turned a little pink, questioning Andrew.
"Can you ever tell a CEO to do anything?"
"So you're not a part of this?"
"Not this one."
"Alright then, I'm sorry honey. Not that because I don't want to, but your daddy doesn't want me to." Reba tried to sound normal, but she was slightly disappointed.
"Wait, how's that my fault?" Reba didn't answer.
"But you said-" Cassandra pouted with her arms folded across her chest, looking at her dad, unsatisfied. Andrew messed his daughter's hair.
"You've just ruined my plan. Being impatient is a redhead thing? Go get me the box." Cassandra ran up the stairs to his study. Reba looked at him confusedly. "Asking you to be her mommy, it's her decision, but asking you to be my wife is mine."
"DADDYY!!" Cassandra screamed. Andrew and Reba heard a loud bang as Cassandra cried out in pain.