Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Reba stared back at herself in the long mirror. She felt more beautiful, loved, and scared than she'd ever felt in her life. Her white chiffon dress fell to her knees, and her hair (A.N. – in this story, by the way, Rebas hair is about halfway down her back. She styles it similarly to the show.) was spiraling down her back in rich color.

I can't believe I'm getting married…again…Reba thought. She knew she should be nervous, but she found herself almost calm. But scared. Like she knew what she was facing…and that the best was yet to come.

There was a knock at the door. Cheyenne and Van entered, both with upset looks on their faces. When she saw Reba, Cheyenne immediately started tearing up.

"Mom…Mom…you look…beautiful!" she wept in Van's shoulder. Van's chin started trembling and he put his arm around Cheyenne.

"Thanks…but what's wrong?" Reba asked, concerned.

Van and Cheyenne exchanged a nervous look before the former spoke. "Your Mom and Dad just called. They…can't make it."

"What?" Reba shrieked. "But they promised! Why aren't they coming?"

Cheyenne started to cry harder. Van bit his lip.

"They're hurt?! Oh no!" Reba gasped.

"No…no! It's nothing like that!" Van assured her.

"Than what?"

Van stared at his polished shoes. "Your Dad said he won't come and watch you get married to Mr. H again."

"I thought he was okay with Brock, he said it himself, he can't stay mad at him!"

"Mom," Cheyenne finally spoke, wiping her eyes. "Grandma says she's re ally sorry and that she's trying to cool him down. And she will – she's the only one who can. She will," she repeated, more to reassure herself more than anything.

Reba, who felt as though her heart had a knife through it, nodded sadly. "Okay…"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now, go ahead, go on down. I'll be there soon."

They gave her one last smile and turned to leave. Before they left, however, Van looked back at Reba.

She was standing in front of the mirror again, breathing deeply, squeezing her eyes shut and clutching her stomach.

After whispering something to his wife, Van closed the door behind Cheyenne and stayed in the room with Reba.

Opening her tear filled eyes, Reba saw that he was still there. "What, Van?" she managed.

"Um…Mrs. H, was your dad gonna do that whole 'give away' thing?" Van asked uncertainly.

"Yeah."

"Do you still need someone to do that?"

Realizing what that meant, Rebas face lit up as she turned to her son-in-law. "Oh, Van, would you…?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Van smiled and held out his arm.

A few minutes later Reba, Van at her arm, walked down the steps to the small congregation of family and friends. Brock stood there as well, staring at her as though he'd never seen anything more beautiful. Which, by the way, he hadn't.

Cheyenne's face glowed proudly at her husband with her mom. Jake shrugged and looked at Kyra, who rolled her eyes but was smiling big all the same. Barbara Jean held up a camera and clicked five pictures, beaming.

Reba smiled at Van, who winked. She looked down at her family, then Brock, and suddenly it was as though everything she'd lost had been a gain, everything she'd missed was returned. For the first time in years, she was happy.

Later that night, when Reba and Brock were at their hotel in Hawaii, they sat on the balcony in each others arms.

"Brock," Reba said.

"Hmm?"

"I'm happy."

He kissed the top of her head. "So am I."

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Brock?"

"Hmm?'

"Are we really here – is this really happening to me?"

"I was just about to ask that same question," Brock asked, laughing. Reba smiled.

"Really, Reba, it's not gonna disappear. Ever. I won't let go this time."

"I know." She looked up and smiled then looked back across the ocean again.

"Can you believe what we would have missed?" Brock sighed. "If we had just acted like we didn't care anymore and had forgot about each other..?"

He stopped himself with a shudder. He couldn't think about that. After not hearing anything from Reba, and worried that he may have upset her, Brock looked at her face and saw that she was, once again, asleep in his arms.

Kissing her softly, Brock held her a little closer and fell asleep listening to the rhythm of her finally happy heart.

THE END

Hope y'all liked it! Thanx for all the reviews - love ya 4ever! My next Reba should be up soon.