(Haven't had ANY time whatsoever to work on this...Or any of my writing for that matter, so here is chapter 10, spelling and grammar issues to be expected for I am using wordpad for the computers I had been using were reformatted, which is yet another reason I haven't updated, but oh well... HERE IT GOES!)
CHAPTER 10
"Hahahaha, more than a little!" He turned on the light, "Look at that baby bump!" He pointed. Van realized he had made a mistake when Reba's face turned that familiar shade of red to match her hair,
"Oops." He muttered under his breath, JV McKinney stood there with a furious look on his face, now Van knew where Mrs. H got it.
"REBA NELL MCKINNEY I SWEAR, DID YOUR NO GOOD EX-HUSBAND DO THIS TO YOU?"'
"No Daddy, it wasn't Brock..." Although, even though it didn't seem that way now, it would have been a better situation in her opinion.
"HOW DID YOU GO OFF AND-" Van stepped in front of him as he screamed at his daughter,
"I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, DON'T BE YELLIN' AT MY MOTHER-" he stopped himself saying "in- law" Reba wasn't his in law, she took him in when his parents wouldn't have anything to do with him, "SHE CAN'T TAKE IT AND THE BABY CERTAINLY CAN'T TAKE IT!"
J.V stepped back even though he wasn't at all intimidated, just shocked that stuttering Van stood up to him...
"Van- why don't you go up stairs, set my bedroom up for my parents..." Reba suggested, standing there looking down at her feet; this would be the last month she would be able to see them...
"Reba? Where will you sleep?" Her mother asked stepping forward to break the awkward silence they were heading in the direction of.
"The couch will be a nice change Momma, I've been closed up in my bedroom for what feels like years now.."
Van stopped making his way up the stairs, turning back to the group convened in the living room,
"You're NOT sleeping on the couch Mrs.H. you can sleep with Cheyenne, I'll sleep on the couch.." He continued up the stairs as Cheyenne finally made her way out of their bedroom, Elizabeth at her side and Ryan on her hip,
"What's going on?" she asked Van sleepily, while Elizabeth rubbed at her tired eyes.
"Nothing, let's get y'all back to sleep, we can talk about it in the morning."
Cheyenne ignored everything Van said,
"Is that Mee-Maw and Pop?"
No one cared to answer her and she finally realized the tension in the room, and turned around quickly mumbling "Good night" in the process following Van back to their bedroom.
"I know, it's not what you wanted to see, it's not what you wanted to hear, I've had this boyfriend Brian for a while now, and just when it starts getting serious and I start getting serious back, this happens..." She pointed toward her stomach.
"Oh honey.." Her mother consoled, stepping forward to embrace her daughter as J.V stepped out the door.
"Momma, I never wanted to disappoint you..." Reba found herself bawling like a little kid who brought home a failed math test, she cried into her mother's shoulder,
"I love Brian, I do, but I screwed up, I just feel-feel like a, a MO-ron!"
"Oh honey, you're not a moron, we all make mistakes excuse your daddy, he just needs to get some fresh air, cool down a little, he's got a temper and you know that, Van shouldn't have blurted it out like that-" Reba looked up
"DON'T BLAME VAN!"
"Well if he hadn't gone off and-"
"And what? Innocently showed off my belly, be sweet about it, unlike EVERYONE else, Van means well, he just- well he's Van! And he knows everyone else is being apprehensive, so he's gonna support me, that's just the way he is..."
"Okay fine." she replied stubbornly, "I get it."
Van tapped his foot at the top of the steps,
"Umm- I hate, I don't want- please don't be mad-"
"SPIT IT OUT VAN!" She urged.
"!" he yelled.
"What?"
This time he mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear,
"You're not supposed to be on your feet this long..."
"Sorry Van..."
"Don't apologize, just remember- you've got my little brother or sister in there..."
"Oh Van..."
Van wasn't like anyone Reba had ever met, a jock with the biggest heart, and just enough pride, he wasn't arrogant, he may have been a little dumb at times, but, it just made him all the more special. He cared, maybe too much at times, she always noticed how he referred to her baby as his brother or sister, no in law following afterward like most son-in-law's make it a point to say. He was genuinely excited for her, he understood the way she felt, even though thats hard to believe cause it's Van- it was the truth.
"Okay, umm- I'm gonna go talk to .." Before Reba could utter a word to stop Van from his suicide mission he was out the door, greeting J.V ont the porch swing, Reba and her mother both listened at from their places on the sofa, too shocked to save Van from gettin hit with a switch,
"Mr. McKinney, she didn't deserve that-"
He didn't respond-
"Your daughter Reba is one of the most amazing people I've ever met, there's not a day goes by where she doesn't help me out, doesn't support me, not a day goes by where she doesn't spend time with Elizabeth and Ryan, even when we were gone, living miles down the road, she still made a point to see us... She helped me through one of the toughest times of my life, one of the toughest times of Cheyenne's life, when my parent's weren't there, she was... She made me feel like I was loved again..I had no one, and she was there."
"Your point?" he spat.
"What's your daughter gonna say when your grand child asks them why Pop pop scowls in their direction when he visits, what's he or she gonna have to say when you aren't there... And Mrs.H will always remember how you weren't there, believe me, she NEVER forgets! You have to take into consideration that your daughter has given so much, why can't she get another beautiful child in the process, to make her life better..."
"She's gonna be miserable, there's no dad in the picture, no one but her! And you goofy bum."
"The only reason she's miserable, is cause everyone else is, she doesn't "feel" her own feelings, she's happy if everyone else is..."
"I was raised in a home where religion is a strong basis, this is against what I've been raised to stand for, what I've raised Reba to stand for..."
Van was getting anxious and irritable, he couldn't understand why J.V didn't know how amazing his daughter actually was,
"You clearly don't know your daughter, she doesn't do a thing for herself, and when she finally does, this is what happens, and she's not ashamed, EVERY day she wakes up proud to be herself, loving the child living inside of her, it doesn't matter to Reba if the father can't live up to what he's expected to do, Reba is gonna be the best mother she's can be! And because she doesn't EXPECT EVERYONE to live up to her expectations, your not proud of her?" Van questioned his irratability clearly showing in his tone.
"I RAISED her to respect herself, to respect me, I raised her to live up to MY expectations, to have my values."
"Well maybe that's what makes her such a great person, she's NOTHING like you... and that's for the better!"
Van slammed the door coming in, while Reba sat stunned in her spot on the couch as he stomped into the kitchen. Reba got herself up, with much effort,
"Did you really mean all of that?" she asked him as she walked to the counter.
"Most of it, you don't deserve to be treated like that Mrs.H!"
"I'm treated like any child is treated by their parents... It's just the way it works, they expected more from me, and I understand, but I think that's why I'm happy now...far away, cause I can be happy watching my children grow up to their expectations rather than my own.."
"What are your expectations?"
"For my kids to be happy, for them to know what love feels like..."
"Well- I am happy, I love Cheyenne, Ryan and Elizabeth, without them, without you-well I wouldn't be living up to your expectations.."
Reba wiped a tear from the corner of her eye,
"Love you Van" She held him in a tight hug.."
"Love you too Mrs. H."