"Dayna I'm home," Reba called walking into the house. Brock and his kids followed silently behind her. "I've got a surprise for you. Come on down."
Dayna came walking down the stairs. "What is your surprise?" She asked absentmindedly. Her eyes glanced to Hannah and she let out a squeel. "Hannah you're here!" Dayna turned to Reba. "Does this mean we can hang out?" Dayna asked.
Reba pretended to think as she glanced to Cara. Cara held back her laughter as she made her way to the couch. Joel followed closely behind her. Brock watched the scene unfold before him from the comfort of the doorway.
"I suppose you can. You two only have a few more weeks before the big move."
Dayna turned to Hannah. "You guys are moving?" Megan and Terry began making their way down the stairs.
"I'm not moving yet, you are." Hannah stated.
"What?" Megan asked stoopping in her tracks.
"You guys are moving in like four weeks. Didn't you know?" Hannah asked.
"Mom!" Dayna yelled spinning around to face Reba. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean Dayna?"
"Is it true that we're moving in four weeks?" Dayna asked. Megan and Terry watched Reba closely to hear her answer.
"Yes," Reba glanced at her kids. "I thought I told you that." Reba took a sip of her water bottle.
"But why mom?" Terry asked.
"Because I've met someone who I really like and we decided that we're going to get married," Reba replied. Hannah, Cara, and Joel were having a hard time controlling their laughter.
"What's he like?" Megan said moving all the way down the stairs.
"Who cares," Dayna replied with an attitude. She walked over to a chair and collapsed into it.
"Alright Dayna I can tell you're not happy about this. Let's at least talk about it. I can tell you all about him and his family."
"I don't want to hear anything about him from you."
"Fine then I'll tell you about him," Brock said in a firm voice.
"Who've met him?" Dayna quipped.
"Yes," Brock replied sitting on the coffee table. "He's very nice. He has three children. Two girls and a boy. His wife passed away a few years. The girls are in high school and the boy is just about to enter first grade. Can I tell you their names?" Brock asked.
"Who the kids or the guy?"
"The kids."
"I guess so."
"Hannah, Cara, and Joel." Dayna's face dropped.
"As in them?" Dayna asked pointing in the direction of Hannah, Cara, and Joel. "They are going to be my new step siblings. Wait that means that you are marrying my mom."
"Yes and there isn't enough room for all of us to live here and you've been to my house. You know there isn't enough room there either. So we're going to buy a new house that's large enough for all of us to live together. You guys are moving first because I have to live in my house for at least six months before I can sell it again." Dayna had a smile spreading across her face as Brock explained the situation. Reba glanced at Megan and Terry. They were both so quiet. Just then Terry started to laugh as he began to understand. Megan was still quiet though.
"Megan are you alright?" Reba asked. Megan looked at Brock and then to Reba.
"Are you guys going to have a baby together?" she asked. All the laughter had stopped. None of the other kids had thought of that. Reba looked to Brock.
"Well we hadn't really discussed that yet," Reba explained.
"But you might," Megan stated.
"Maybe," Brock volunteered. "We really don't know yet. Would you guys be ok with that if we did?" Megan looked to Cara who looked to Hannah who looked to Dayna who looked to Terry who glanced at Joel just as he began to speak.
"Would that make me a big brother?" he asked. Reba couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes she forgot how little Joel truly was.
"Yes Joel that would make you a big brother."
"Then I want a baby to come. I can share my toys with it," Joel said proudly. "And we can watch movies together and play hide-and-seek and color together and-" The kids became more animated as Joel made his list of things to do with the new baby.
"Joel a baby wouldn't be able to do all that just yet. It would be too little when it is first born."
"Oh," Joel said a little disappointed. "I can wait for the baby to get bigger."
"Yes you can," Brock smiled.
"Daddy how will the baby get here?" The girls stopped talking. How were Reba and Brock going to explain this.
"Well you see sweetie, um-uh-" Brock stammered.
"Mommy Reba and Daddy have to get married first. Then after we get married, we can make a special wish together and if the angels in the sky are listening then they will bring us a baby to love."
"Oh," Joel said pretending that he understood. The girls tried not to laugh at the story.
"Ok I think it's time for everyone to get ready for bed. We've had a very long and eventful day today," Reba announced.
"Oh man, I guess this means you have to go home now," Megan mumbled to Cara.
"Who said anything about them going home?" Reba asked. "They're sleeping over."
"Really?" The kids all piped up.
"Yes now go get ready," Reba smiled. All the kids ran up stairs. Brock walked over to Reba and wrapped his arms around her.
"We're finally alone now," He said kissing her neck.
"Yes I know," Reba smiled at his kisses. "But before we get carried away down here, let's go say good-night to our kids."
"Our kids? I like that, it has a nice ring to it." Brock smiled as they walked up the stairs together. They tucked all the kids into bed. Brock walked out of the last bedroom and began to walk towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Reba asked leaning against her door.
"I was going to go downstairs," Brock said pointing to the stairs.
"Oh no you don't," Reba said in a seductive voice kicking her door open as she smiled at him. She walked backwards into the room and perched herself on the edge of the bed waiting for Brock. "Are you coming?" Brock didn't need to be asked twice as he made his way down the hallways to her room. He closed the door behind him and the sound of the lock twisting was all that was heard in the silence of the house.