enjoy this next chapter! Hurricane Irene is very close, so if I don't update friends, there's the reason ;)) ~Hannanball13
Reba was exactly six months along, progressing "beautifully" as the doctor put it... She spent most of her time on the couch, enjoying the time with all of the kids, even if she had to watch "SpongeBob" with Elizabeth or a game of football with Van she still thought it was worth it...
J.V was finally on speaking terms with her, and BJ was still no where to be found around the house, Brock now came over on a regular basis, even though Reba didn't know why... When her parents had finally left, Brock made it more of a point to show up, picking Jake up, fixing the sink, shuffling upstairs with Van, working out in the garage, which, really she couldn't believe, but didn't feel like showing Brock she was actually curious about him...
It must have been nine o' clock at night, Elizabeth and Ryan were fast asleep, Cheyenne was upstairs reading, and Van was fiddling out in the office, doing some last minute paper work or something to finish out the day she assumed. Brock knocked on the back door two or three times and let himself in, but Reba didn't realize when he was standing beside her, usually, she didn't care for Lifetime Original Movies, but lately she couldn't help but get lost in them.
"Hey." He greeted quietly,
"WHAT THE-" She jumped up onto her feet, startled out of her slippers.
"Woah, calm down, don't upset the baby.."
"What do you care?" she replied bitterly, covering herself in her robe, suddenly feeling self concious for no reason.
"I care."
"You certainly have a strange way of showing it."
"I know." he said truthfully, "I'm jealous Reba."
She looked at him,
"What could you POSSIBLY be jealous about Brock Hart?" she questioned agitated.
"That that baby isn't mine."
"Remember that time where you had three kids with me, then knocked up your dental hygenist?"
"Yeah... That was the biggest mistake of my life..."
"Sure it was! Does BJ know where you are? Dontchya think she'll get suspicious with you being over here every waking moment?"
"No, and no..."
"What's wrong with you!"
"I signed the divorce papers yesterday, Henry is with me every other weekend..."
"BROCK I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!"
"It wasn't my idea, BJ wanted to, I had nothing to do with it!" he put his hands up defensively.
This was too much for her, she sighed letting her self slouch on the couch, closing her eyes,
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't be, you have nothing to be sorry about, I do,about everything in fact, for my midlife crisis, for BJ, for Henry, for divorcing you in the first place... All of these years I've been fooling myself, thinking I was better off without you, but I was wrong, I love you Reba Nell Mckinney and I always will, and one day, one day you'll take me back..."
"Are you sure about that Brock?"
"You're unhappy."
"I have almost every reason to be."
"Van said you haven't gotten off the couch in weeks."
"He's exaggerating, I leave-"
"Besides going to the bathroom and eating." he said as a matter of factly interrupting her before she could say the same thing.
"It doesn't matter."
"In three months you'll have a baby.."
"Yes Brock, I'm aware of that."
"And you haven't thought about a nursery?"
"No-There's no room.."
"Yes there is, don't make excuses..."
"I'm not-"
"You are, come here!"
He grabbed her hand and she didn't pull away,
"Brock-"
"Please.." The way he said it was so desperate that it practically broke her heart.
"Okay fine, but nothing funny-"
"Nothing funny-" he smiled.
He pulled her up the stairs, she huffed at over exertion and he suddenly felt guilty, for being so rough with the woman he loved...
He opened the door to Van and Cheyenne's room,
"What?"
"If you haven't noticed, Cheyenne, Van, Ryan and Elizabeth have been living in Kyra's room.." She was amazed, shades of blues and greens, and some yellows covered the room, the crib was set up in the corner, bedding and all, the changing table across from it. She looked at the Teddy Bears painted on the wall, the closet which was almost full, arranged from sizes, newborn to twelve months.
"It's-It's a boy?" she asked breathless..
"Yeah I had the doctor tell me..."
"How did- How did you?"
"We snuck everything up when you were asleep, in the bathroom or at one of your appointments, it was hard to do- but we managed." He had his hands on his hips, a triumphant grin spread across his tanned face.
"Where's Kyra?"
"Van set her up the garage, I payed for an air conditioner, it's practically a one room apartment, nicer than our first house in fact.." he reminisced.
"Oh-" She ran her fingers through the soft blankets, plush, expensive...
"You like it?"
"I- I'm speechless.."
"That's a good thing right?" he asked.
"Y-yeah..." she turned around, "He likes it." She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her middle.
"Wow- it's amazing everytime I feel it.." He grinned.
"I do love you Brock.."
"I love you too..."
She closed in on his lips, tenderly pressing against them.
"You have a place to stay tonight?"
"The motel a couple of streets over.." he said, keeping her in their embrace, never wanting to let go.
"Well, you should stay here - tonight..." she added, trying not to sound pushy.
"I wouldn't want to put you out..."
She kissed him again, and again, feeling it more each time, and before she could stop herself, they were headed to her bedroom, what was about to happen was inevitable, and so wrong, it was right. She locked her door,
"I forgot how-" he tried to finish but Reba wouldn't allow it.
"Shhh-"
She woke up, in his arms, her body pressed up against his she felt the baby move under the blankets and thats when she realized Brock was awake, feeling the same thing-
"Why couldn't this have happened six and a half months ago?" she asked.
"It won't make him any different from Jake, Cheyenne or Kyra, he'll have you, which is the best thing he could ever have... and it won't make me love him any less..."
"You don't have to do this Brock, please, I don't want the baby to be the only reason-"
"I love you, that's the reason.." he whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine.
"How could you love me after all of these years?"
"I think the question is, How you ever love ME after all of these years?"
"That's a good question-" she chuckled.
"Marry me?"
"Brock?"
He got out of the bed, kneeling down on one knee,
"Marry me?"
"Again?"
"Yes... Again?"
"But-"
"Except this time, I'll do it right, I'll love you, do anything to make you happy, this baby will never know what was, he'll grow up with a Daddy... "
"Oh Brock... of course I want to marry you again, but I don't want to get hurt, I'm done with that..."
"Reba- I'll never be able to live with myself if I hurt you again..."
Maybe it was the hormones that were fogging her memory of those many nights crying herself to sleep over Brock, those many years dealing with his mistress just down the street, those days where she just couldn't help but hate him, but after all of these years, and all of the lies she responded,
"Yes."