-- 26 --

As hard as they tried, the baby was not happening. They never stopped trying, but they stopped keeping their hopes up high. God would give them one when they were ready. Reba still continued to save some funds aside, for whenever their prayers would be answered. Brock continued on his studies. He took every course possible, hoping to graduate as soon as he could. He couldn't bear to see his lovely wife handle two jobs any longer. Sometimes the students at school gave her a hard time, she came home exhausted and still had to work at the bar. Sometimes when his mom came for 'a surprise visit', that made her even more tired an exhausted: physically and mentally.

"Mom, can you please leave Reba alone? Just because there is a patch of dust in the attic doesn't mean she's a bad wife. She's handling two jobs and has a house to take care of. And if you could kindly get off her back, I'd really appreciate it." Brock finally stood up for his wife, after Reba spent a whole day of searching for the right kind of barbeque sauce for his mom's dinner. She showed up unannounced when Reba and Brock were planning to have a barbeque in their backyard. Reba had her evening off and wanted to spent time with her husband, but Liz decided to drive three hours down just to 'drop by' to see how her son was doing, and Reba, being civil, invited her for dinner. Liz agreed to stay for dinner but she insisted on cooking because, according to Liz, Reba was a bad cook. And when Reba would let her cook, it seemed like Reba didn't have the barbeque sauce she preferred. She sent Reba out so many times to the grocery store to find the one she liked. Once she found it, Liz would send her out again for other missing ingredients. Reba started to fume. Why couldn't she just gave her the list of what she needed? Brock said he would go, but Reba would rather go and leave Brock with his mom.

"Why do you always take her side? I'm your mother!"

"Mom please, I'm not taking sides. I just want her to relax, she hardly had any time off, and when she does, you come and make her day off even busier than when she had to work."

"Oh, am I not welcome here? She told you I bug her, didn't she? Fine I'll leave! I drove three hours to see how you two were doing, and this is the kind of welcome I get?" Liz stomped out of the house getting in her car. Brock went after his mom. She was lonely at home, John D had to go out of town again and she came to see her only son, and he didn't welcome her. It was the same time that Reba came back from the grocery store for the third time.

"Ahh!!" Reba screamed when Liz's car went brushing past her very close, she almost got hit. Good thing she was quick to jump out of her way or she might get run over. "What the heck is wrong with her?!" Reba cried, falling into a bush. Brock helped her up.

"I'm sorry honey. I told her to leave you alone and let you relax, she was upset thinking that she wasn't welcome here. Did she hit you?"

"She almost ran over my foot!"

"I'm really sorry for her behavior." Brock really didn't know what to say. Reba was so mad, but it wasn't his fault, she didn't want to take it out on him, but she couldn't help it. She started to cry and pour out everything that had been bottled up about Liz. Brock carried her into the house. "I'll make it up to you. I'll cook dinner and draw you a nice warm bath, how's that sound?" Reba still had a long face. "And I'll give you a body massage too." he still tried to butter her up.

"You know that always leads to something." she smiled

"That's my plan." his gave her a meaningful grin. While Reba was taking a bath, Brock cooked steak on the hibachi and set the table in their backyard, he lit a few candles and turned off the patio light, he chilled a bottle of white wine. She came out to enjoy a romantic dinner and watch the sunset with her husband. "Honey, would it be okay if I go golfing with some of my friends this weekend?"

"I thought you don't like golf."

"Well, I'm picking it up as a socializing sport. But if you have other plans, I'll tell them I won't go." Reba smiled, he was such a loving husband.

"Go have fun with your friends honey. You've been studying hard, you deserved to relax. I'll go hangout with Lori-Ann." Reba let him go with his friends, and she went and spent some time with her friend. Lori-Ann got married right after she graduated. Robert wanted her to stay home, but Lori-Ann was more outgoing and would be bored just staying at home doing nothing, so she got an office job. They were still best friends and Reba tried to divide her free time evenly between her friends and her husband, who started to grow apart. Lori-Ann thought Reba gave up a lot for Brock. Brock thought Lori-Ann should mind her own business. But the two tried not to make Reba, who stuck in the middle feel awkward.

"Honey, you look at those earrings every time we come here. Why don't you just buy them?" commented Lori-Ann seeing Reba staring at the diamond stud earrings too many times.

"You're kidding me? Those are real two-carat diamonds. It's expensive. I can't afford it."

"You could, if you don't have extra weight to carry."

"Lori-Ann, when Brock finished his school, he will be working, it's not like he's staying at home and doing nothing. We talked about this many times. He's a great husband, give him a break."

"Alright, I'm sorry, I shouldn't judge him. Let's go have lunch, my treat. Robert gave me a credit card."

"Isn't that thing expensive to use?"

"Who cares, it his money."

"It's your husband money."

"He'll make some more. C'mon, let's go. Just a lunch is not going to bankrupt him." Lori-Ann took Reba to lunch, and having girl-time like they used to. After lunch they went to see a movie. Although she loved to spend every minute with Brock, it was also nice to have a little time apart. When she came back, Brock was still out with his friends, Reba prepared dinner for when he came back.

"Hi honey, how was your day?" Reba gave him a quick peck to greet her husband.

"It was great! I've never though golf could be so much fun. I mean when John D taught me, I thought it was the most boring sport, but when I went out with a bunch of buddies today, we really had great time. I just wonder, would it be okay if I go again next Saturday?" He held her upper arms and gave them a little massage.

"Alright, but make sure you mow the lawn before you go." Reba made a deal with him. "But Sunday is our day. Don't make any plans okay? We hardly have a whole day together."

"Of course honey" Brock planted a big kiss on her cheek. He told her more about his day of golfing and even showed her how to swing a club. Reba didn't care about golf, but she was glad Brock had a great time. "Honey, are you okay?" questioned Brock seeing Reba feeling lightheaded.

"I'm fine, just heat stroke I guess." the house didn't have air-conditioning and it was a hot summer day. She gained her control back and continued to make dinner. Brock continued to talk about golf when he saw she was fine.

Reba darted out to the washroom so early the next morning, and threw up everything she ate.

"Honey..." Brock got out of bed to check on his wife.

"I think the salmon steak I made yesterday did not agree with my stomach." and the thought of food made her throw up again. Brock helped her hold her hair and patted her back. Good thing she didn't have to go to work today since it was summer break. But she still had to work at Terry's bar at night.

"You want me to call Mike tell him that you're sick?" questioned Brock, worrying that she had thrown up everything she ate, and still continued to throw up when there's nothing left in her stomach.

"No Brock, I don't have to work until later in the evening, I should be fine then."

"But you looked pale and exhausted, I'm taking you to see doctor."

"I said I'm fine, would you just leave me alone!" Reba snapped, for the first time in their two-odd years of marriage. Brock was stunned.

"Honey, there's no need to yell, I'm just right here."

"Look, Brock, I'm sorry I snapped, but I'm tired and I need a rest. But you keep bugging me. I said I'm fine, just let me sleep okay?"

"Okay..." Brock was hurt, Reba snapped at him when he didn't do anything wrong, all he did was be concerned about her health. He decided to leave Reba alone and go out to see his friends. When he came back Reba was crying on the front porch.

"You jerk, you left me!" she pounded on his shoulder the moment she saw him.

"You told me to leave you alone."

"I didn't mean for you to leave you mo-ron! I woke up and was looking all over for you!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm here now what do you want?"

"I don't like your tone of voice! Go away!" Reba stomped back in the house leaving Brock scratching his head. Did she want him to stay or did she want him to leave? "Why aren't you following me in?" shouted Reba seeing Brock still standing like a dummy at the door.

It was like that for a few days, whatever she ate, she would vomit. If he showed concern, she would chase him away, but if he didn't ask if she was alright, she would cry and said he didn't love her anymore. Brock became frustrated the way Reba behaved.

"Honey, what do you want from me, whatever I do lately always upset you. Did I do something wrong?"

"If you don't know I'm not gonna tell you!" the truth was she didn't know why she kept being mad at him too.

"That's it, I can't deal with a hysterical woman!" and with that he stomped out of the house to go see Mike. "Reba is insane!" cried Brock drinking a beer at his friend's bar. "She's driving me nuts!"

"Yeah she's kinda moody lately." Mike agreed "She came to work yesterday so upset about something and when I asked if there's something wrong she was mad at me for asking."

"Yeah! And if I don't ask, she says I don't love her anymore, what's with that?"

"And in the middle of a song, she ran to the bathroom and threw up. She said someone ordered smelly food. It was just chicken wings. We serve that all the time."

"And hear this, last night, she woke me up at two a.m. to tell me she wanted a pickle. I thought she was being funny and referring to, you know, but nope, she literally wanted a jar of pickles. So I had to go to the kitchen and get it for her, and she said she wanted some ice cream with it too. But when I came back to bed with ice cream and no pickle, she yanked me by my chest hair" Brock shivered rubbing his chest, still feeling the pain "and she said 'go get me some pickle, now!' Man, I have to drive all over the place to buy a jar of pickles. At two! And I here's the kick, she never like pickles! That's why we don't have it in the house!" The two men shook their head "Woman!" After he came back from Mike and Terry's bar, Brock saw Reba asleep on the couch, he carried her up to their bedroom.

"You stink, have you been smoking?" complained Reba. Brock felt like dropping her back on the couch.

"No I didn't smoke, but I went to the bar." stated Brock in frustration. He sure could use a cigarette right now.

"Brock... what's wrong with me?" Reba buried her face in the crooked of his neck. "I can't keep my food in, and I can't control my temper. Am I being crazy?"

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but I'm taking you to the doctor tomorrow. You throw up everything you eat, that's not good."

"But I'm fine."

"Oh for the love of God! No you're not fine. And if I have tie your hands and feet and carry you on my shoulder to take you to the doctor tomorrow then I will."

"But I don't know what to wear!"

"You have plenty of clothes"

"But I wore them ten times, they are old," pouted Reba. Brock rolled his eyes.

He almost had to tie her hands and feet when Reba kept saying she was fine and didn't want to see doctor, yet vomiting. The doctor asked her symptoms and he grinned, he asked for a urine sample, and once the examination was over. He told them the good news.

"I'M GONNA BE A FATHER!" Brock roared with happy tears escaping his eyes.