-- 25 --

Lori-Ann went to visit her friends after New Years. She wanted to see how Reba was in married life.

"How was school?" Reba asked her friend setting up a chessboard. They hadn't played a game together in ages.

"Boring as always. Especially now that I don't have you to note the lectures for me, I couldn't party all night and fell asleep in class the next day. I even had to quit cheerleading because time is really hard to find," answered Lori-Ann "You miss college don't you?"

"Sometimes I do. But I wouldn't change anything. I love my life the way it is now."

"You are happy, and that's what matters. You know I'm thinking about getting married myself." said Lori-Ann with a little blush.

"Is that shyness I detect? And you blush? My Gosh you never blush! Okay, spill it, who's the lucky guy?" Reba almost squealed

"Robert"

"Robert? Our English professor Robert?"

"Yeah, why? What's wrong with that?"

"Isn't that inappropriate?"

"Why not? He's not my teacher anymore, and I graduate this year, we'll get married after I graduate. He proposed to me on New Years."

"You've said yes?" Reba was excited for her friend.

"Not yet, but I'm thinking I might."

"I call maid of honor!"

"No matter who I get married to, that position's yours, honey."

"Oh this is great! And when we have kids, our kids would grow up together."

"Kids? I haven't even thought of that! Are you...?" Lori-Ann glared at Reba in silence.

"No, not yet. I want to though, Brock also wants to have kids, but we're not financially ready. I think I'll look for a part time job."

"Working at school ain't hard enough for you?"

"I want to make more money, so we could start having a baby." Although Brock hadn't been pressuring her, but she knew he also wanted one. And her parents were also looking forward to their first grandchild.

"Well, Mike said he and his Brother are opening up a bar, you want me to ask him if he'll give you a job singing?"

"I'd love that! Thanks Lori-Ann!" Reba brought the news to her husband when he came home later that night. She told him that she would work at the school day time, and at night she would sing at Mike's Brother's bar. She was hoping maybe by the time he graduated, they would have enough money to start a family.

"I feel bad already sending you off to work every morning, and now I have to see you working at night too? Honey, wouldn't you be too tired?"

"Nope, I want to do this, please..." Reba pleaded, "I want to have some money saved up for our 'little' future." well that put a smile on Brock's face.

"I'm picking up a few courses during the summer. The sooner I graduate, the sooner you get to stay home with the kids, and I'm really looking forward to that day." Brock kissed his wife lovingly. He didn't know what he did to deserve her, but he sure glad he did. Reba went to audition at the bar and Terry gave her the job. Brock was annoyed that she had to work on Valentines, which was supposed to be their first valentines together as husband and wife.

"We'll have plenty of Valentines together, honey. And I wouldn't be gone all night. I'll be back at around 11. Don't be upset okay?"

"Alright, but make sure you come home before midnight." Brock had prepared a surprise for her. Reba came home a few minutes past eleven. The house was dark. She thought Brock was probably in bed. She almost jumped when he came behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He covered her eyes with his hand, and led her to the backyard.

"Okay now, I'm going to help you take your shoes off, but no peaking okay?. Reba nodded. Brock helped her take off her boots and socks and Reba stepped on what felt like sand.

"What is it?"

"Happy Valentines honey." said Brock kissing her cheek, letting her open her eyes, which opened wide, and her jaw dropped.

"What did you do to our backyard?"

"I want to take you to the beach, where we went to on our first valentines, but since you had to work, I'm bringing the beach to you." Reba was so overwhelmed she was speechless. "Remember this?" Brock showed her the piece of driftwood he took from the beach that night.

"Of course, we almost..." Reba examined the little piece of the driftwood; Brock pulled her down to sit on the sand.

"You were killing me that night, but tonight, I'm not going to stop."

"And I sure hope you don't" said Reba accepting his kiss passionately. They recreated that night, but nothing could stop them: no pressure but just pure pleasure this time. Reba woke up the next morning looking at her backyard from the bedroom window. Brock wrapped his arms around her, enjoying feeling the warmth of her body against his chest. "That's very sweet of you."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it, it's sure is a valentines to remember. And I'm not just talking about the beach in the backyard too." she gave him a seductive smile that could easily bringing him down to his knees. "I love you, Brock." Brock looked deep into her eyes, telling her exactly how he felt before planting a kiss on her lips, the feeling of wildfire rushed though their veins. Every kiss they made, felt just like a first time. "Now, have you thought of how you'll clean that up?"

"Errmmm nooo..." admitted Brock guiltily.

"Oh you mo-ron." Reba smirked, and pecked his lips adoringly. "C'mon, let's pick up whatever we could and take it to the park, dump it in the kid's sandbox." Reba used an empty wine bottle and kept some sand as a souvenir, before she closed it Brock put a roll of paper in it. "What's that?" she tried to get the paper out to read what he wrote. 'iloveyou' that was what he wrote. Reba smiled and she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote 'iloveyoutoo' and rolled it and drop it into the bottle before she closed it tightly with a cork. She tied a bow on the bottle's neck and hung a tag with 'our first valentines' written on, and displayed it in their bedroom.

Year flew by so quickly, the lovebirds slowly built their nest, their lives moved in a slow but steady pace. Reba still worked as substitute teacher daytime, and a singer at night. Brock focused on his studies, he'd eventually be Dr. Hart.

"Honey, where are you taking me?" Reba was confused. She came back from singing at the bar and Brock just picked her up and put her in the car. He wouldn't say a word, but he kept on smiling. Reba recognized the road. She quickly learned what he had planned. "You're kiddin' me!"

"Nope." he parked his car in the university parking, and they went to the pond. They found their way to sneak into the country club. "This is where I proposed to you. Remember? It's our anniversary."

"How could I ever forget? Told ya, a woman would never forget her first time." Reba ran her finger along his shirt collar. "But I hope you don't have anything in mind, because honey, making love on the ground is sure not comfortable."

"You didn't complain last year, and you seemed to enjoy it," said Brock with a grin.

"I was young and I was caught up in the moment. Besides, we -" and when his lips touched hers, comfort wasn't something they care about after all. Brock brushed a strand of hair that stick on her cheek and tugged her bang behind her ear. She was so beautiful under the moonlight.

"I knew you'd cave," said Brock showering her with kisses.

"Since when can I say no to those puppy dog face of yours?"

"Well..." Brock was about to list the time that she did say no before they were married.

"Did you hear that?" Reba sat up straight looking for her clothes

"Someone's in the golf course!" Brock too looked for his clothes, and they both quickly got dressed and ran back to the secret pathway they found. Reba dropped herself on the ground the moment they went far enough.

"Good lord, we almost got caught!"

"Exciting isn't it?" Brock started to laugh sitting next to her.

"Oh no, you're not taking me to the golf course during the night again!" Reba pouted, it would be such embarrassment if someone saw them. Some of their friends were still in college, they would never let her live that down if they were caught. Brock took her back to their home and continued the rest of the night in the comfort of their own bed. It was hard to believe it was a year already since he proposed. And he sure glad he did.

"You mother called again to check if you're ready to leave me." commented Reba with frustration "She said we've been married long enough." said Reba starting to prepare for dinner.

"We only been married over a year. Not that I'm implying that I'm going to leave you later. But I mean why would she say that?"

"I don't know Brock, why would your mom do anything? Why would she walk around the house running her finger in every corner to find any dust? Why would she keep criticizing my housekeeping when she showed up at the same time as I came home from work? Why would she keep telling you that she had friends who had daughters who happened to be beautiful and single, and who happen to have a lot in common with you?"

"Calm down honey. Mom keeps asking when are we going to have a baby, I don't think she means to set me up with anyone, maybe she just did that to just get you worked up. Why don't we just go ahead and have a baby, so she would leave us alone and stop trying to make me interested in her friends' daughters?"

"Again with the baby, she can't keep manipulating us, we are going to have kid when we're both ready." Brock wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her close to his chest.

"You're not ready yet? Because I kinda want one." Brock tried to butter up.

"You're ready for a baby?"

"Mentally, physically ready, but I'm not sure if we are financially ready or not, but I sure want one."

"Well, we could try and make some cuts. We could go see less movies, cut down the entertainment cost."

"I'll keep you entertained."

"I could stop buying makeup and hair spray, or buy cheaper stuff"

"You're naturally beautiful, you don't need those"

"Maybe I could stop buying new tops and shoes."

"I wouldn't complain if you're going to walk around the house wearing nothing." Reba elbowed him.

"We could also cut the cost of your beers." Reba pushed with a little smirk.

"I'll make my own beer."

"Boy, you really want a baby. I thought most of the time it was woman that wants baby."

"I want to have a big family." Brock held her even tighter, keeping his fingers crossed.

"Okay, let's have a baby."

"Really?" Brock was excited "You're ready?"

"Mentally, physically ready since the moment I said 'I do', but we'll have to cut down a lot of costs, but I'm willing to give it a shot."

"YES! We're going to make a baby!" Brock was so happy scooping Reba up heading to the bedroom, he forget about dinner, he wanted to have a baby. However, month after month she was disappointed.

"Honey, it took us almost seven years before we had you. And in my generation, we didn't have birth control. The only form of birth control we knew was to tie my knees together, and believe me, we didn't do that a lot." Reba's mom chuckled

"Oh gross, mama. This is a very awkward mother daughter moment." cried Reba preparing for Christmas eve breakfast, waiting for the boys to come back from fishing.

"Oh grow up. I'm just trying to tell you that God will give you a baby when he know that you're ready."

"Thanks mama" Reba gave her mom a hug.

"But keep trying, I wanna be a grandma."

"I'll try harder," commented Brock hearing the conversation. He gave Reba a kiss on her flushed cheek, turning red at Brock's innuendo statement. Helene was going to say something, but Reba glared at her mom, so she just chuckled, shook her head

"You may wanna try faster too, cause none of us are getting any younger." She couldn't help it. She laughed and left the two kids in the kitchen.

"Still worried that you haven't got pregnant?" asked Brock putting his arm loosely around her shoulder.

"A little, it's been almost half a year now that we tried, and we still don't have any luck. Should we go see a doctor?"

"How about we just wait a while longer? I'm not a religious person, but maybe you mom's right. God would give us a baby when he know that we're ready."