Chapter 11

It has been a few months since everyone found out of Reba's pregnancy. Things have been a little calm since then, except for a scare they had. When Reba was five months pregnant she almost fell in the supermarket from pain. She was rushed to the hospital. She was ok but she was put on bed rest for the last four months. The last doctor's visit they went to Reba was finally convinced by Brock to find out the sex of the baby, a boy! Brock was excited but no one could be more excited than Van. When they told the family the sex of the baby, Van's smile widened, he stood, put his fists to his sides, puffed out his chest and did a manly kind of walk around the living room while saying in a deep voice, "I can feel the testosterone shifting." That comment surprised everyone; they were surprised he knew what testosterone was and that he used it correctly in a sentence. Everyone laughed at it though.

Things with Barbara Jean weren't improving, two weeks after Brock left, he was served divorce papers. He knew that would be coming of course. That wasn't a surprise. It was the fact that she wouldn't talk to him. He couldn't blame her but he wanted to apologize and she never gave any indication that she was listening. The only time he heard anything about her was through her lawyer. Brock hated the fact that she wouldn't talk to him. Every time he went to pick up Henry, the only other person there was the nanny. The only time he did see Barbara Jean was when they had meetings with their lawyers and even then she wouldn't look at him. He begged and pleaded with her to forgive him but she always stayed silent.

It was a beautiful Mary day when Brock walked into his home. Van and Cheyenne were sitting on the couch watching cartoons with Jake and Elizabeth. Kyra was sitting quietly doing her homework in the chair. Everyone looked up when the door slammed shut. "How is she?"

Van laughed sarcastically a little and gave him thumbs up. "Oh she's great. Thanks for getting her that bell by the way. She has been such a delight all day!"

Brock rolled his eyes. "You know this is hard on her. She hates being in bed all the time."

Van snorted. "Then how did she get pregnant?" Cheyenne immediately slapped Van for that comment. He mumbled a sorry.

"Thank you Cheyenne." said Brock as he walked over to the vacant chair and sat down. "Now come on guys she isn't that bad." They all gave him you've got to be kidding me look, even Elizabeth had a funny look on her face even though she was just a baby. Brock had to give in. "All right! She's driven me nuts. Brock this is no the right kind of toppings I wanted. You got the wrong kind. I've changed my mind I want this and this and this. Brock can you make waffles instead of pancakes this morning and she tells me all this after I get it or make it!" Brock sighed. "I'll tell you all now, I'll be happy when this baby finally shows up. When did you last hear from her?"

Van shrugged. "Couple of hours ago."

Brock's eyes widened and he shot up from the chair and walked towards the stairs. "And you didn't think to check on her?"

Van head his head down in shame and shook it. "We didn't want to risk it."

Brock let out a huge frustrated sigh and practically ran upstairs to see how she was doing He opened the bedroom door to find Reba sitting up in bed, a magazine in her lap, and she was fast asleep. He quietly shut the door and went over to the opposite side of the bed. He tried hard not to wake her as he scooted up close to her. He laid a hand and kissed her swollen stomach, then kissed her on the cheek.

Reba jolted awake when she felt his lips on her cheek. She smiled when she saw Brock. "Hey. How'd it go?" she asked meaning his meeting with Barbara Jean and her lawyer.

Brock shrugged. "Same old, same old. She just sat there quietly. She didn't really listen to me at all."

Reba nodded. She knew Brock was trying his hardest to square things away with Barbara Jean but she also knew how Barbara Jean felt. When she was divorcing Brock there were many times she just didn't want to talk or see him at all. Of course that couldn't happen. They had three children together. She wanted to make it easier on the kids. Brock's voice broke her train of thought.

"The final divorce papers will be in soon."

Reba didn't seem surprised. She knew the process. "How soon?" she asked.

"Couple of weeks."

She nodded and sighed. She was tired but not tired tired. She was tired of sitting in bed and tired of all this stuff going on with Barbara Jean. She knew she was being selfish but that's just the way she felt.

"How's he been today?" Brock asked while caressing her stomach.

Reba shrugged. "He kick's me to much. I think he's going to be like Kyra."

Brock chuckled. "I wouldn't mind. Kyra is strong, independent, smart, and…"

"Stubborn and a huge pain in the butt." Reba added quickly.

Brock nodded. "Yup. Just like her mother.

Reba glared. "Excuse me?"

"What? Don't tell me that's the first time you've heard that?"

Reba face softened and she shook her head.

Brock smiled and held his arm open so Reba could scoot into his embrace. She sank into his arms and felt immediately relaxed. Her eyes were closed and she felt the soft caress across her stomach from Brock's hand. She was ready to fall asleep again. That's basically all she did anymore, sleep and read. She couldn't help herself to the bathroom and she couldn't eat downstairs with her family. Brock always made her dinner and sat with her while she ate but that was before anyone else ate.

"So what do you want for dinner?"

Reba opened her eyes and turned her head. Thinking for a moment she responded with, "I want to eat downstairs tonight."

Brock glanced at her with a worried look on his face. "Reba, are you sure you want to do that? I meant he baby…"

"Brock I know all about the baby ok. I know there's a risk being on my feet but I'm not going to be on my feet. You've been carrying me around. I can eat mine on the couch." Reba gave puppy dog eyes that she was always good at and that usually led to getting what she wanted. "Come on Brock. I'll be right on the couch I hate being up here while ya'll are downstairs talking and chattering it up."

Brock sighed. He tried to resist her big blue eyes but he never could. "All right. You should be ok with just sitting on the couch." Reba smiled and gave him a pretty heated kiss on the lips. Brock didn't mind this but he had to stop now because of course they would not be able to continue. Brock pulled away but Reba tried to pull him closer. "Reba you know we cannot continue with this."

Reba nodded and sighed in disappointment. About a minute later she perked up a bit and held her arms out to him. "Take me downstairs my personal express train."

Brock gave her a sly smile because of her silly comment. Brock got up and walked around the bed, he slowly pulled her into his arms and walked downstairs. Once in the living room Brock stopped at the couch to where Van was sprawled out on the couch. "Van…" said Brock.

"Hmmm?" he asked without taking his eyes off the TV.

"Van could you please sit in one of the chairs?"

Van scrunched up his eyebrows together and asked, "Why?"

"Please Van." said Reba getting a little short of breath even though she hadn't even walked downstairs or anything.

Van's head snapped up and he quickly moved and straightened up the couch pillows for Reba. "Anything I can get you Mrs. H?"

Reba smiled. "Not hanks Van."

He nodded and sat down in one of the chairs.

Brock laid Reba down gently and propped her feet up with one of the pillows. "I'm going to start dinner." said Brock as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Already taking care of Mr. H."

Brock turned to Van shocked. "You guys cooked?"

Van nodded and then saw Reba's look and shook his head. "Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake went to get Chinese."

Reba's eyes practically danced when she heard Van say Chinese. She loved Chinese, a lot more now since she's been pregnant. Just as Van had said that, Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake walked through the front door with two paper bags. Reba sniffed the air as the smell of the yummy food floated her way.

Cheyenne smiled when she saw her mom downstairs. "Hey mom, feeling better today?"

Reba smiled and nodded. "I feel much better now that I'm out of that room. I'm sick of being in bed all the time."

"But mom you…"

"Have to be. I know. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize this child's life but I'm tired of being cooped up in that room all day all alone."

Cheyenne patted her mother's back in sympathy. "Don't worry mom. That baby will be here in no time. Then you'll wish you had all that time to spend in bed."

Reba nodded in agreement. Cheyenne went into the kitchen to get the dinner plates and brought them in to set on the dinning room table. Reba scrunched up her nose and thought for a moment before saying, "Come eat over here with me."

Everyone looked at her strange. Reba never liked anyone eating in the living room. "Mom, you never let us…"

Reba nodded. "Eat in the living room. I know but I want you all to eat with me. I feel lonely over here."

"Mom, we will be right at the table. "

"I know but it would be really nice to eat together. Unless you want me to come to the table." She said starting to get up.

"No!" everyone said at once.

Cheyenne grabbed the plates from the table and set them on the coffee table. Kyra came in from the kitchen and forks and gently laid them next to the plates. Cheyenne dished out the food and Brock took his position as Reba's new foot stool. He didn't mind of course. The only thing he did have to watch out for was when he would mess with her feet. That was her most ticklish spot and when he tried to get a laugh out of her by tickling them, al he received was a tick in the stomach.

They were all laughing and carrying on when Reba felt a sharp pain in her side. She made a wince, which Brock noticed immediately.

"You ok?" he asked

Reba nodded only because the pain went away as soon as it had come. Reba didn't think about the pain again and she put her plate aside and demanded desert. Brock nodded and brought out a bowl of her favorite ice cream, mint chocolate chip. Reba had just taken a small bite when she felt the sudden need to use the bathroom. She set her ice cream aside.

"Something wrong with the ice cream?"

Reba shook her head. "Bathroom."

Brock nodded and set his plate of rice on the table. Brock then head a gasp come from Reba. Joking he said, "What happened? Went to the bathroom already."

Brock laughed until Reba looked up to Brock with a look of panic on her face. She shook her head and said in a panicky voice. "My water broke."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and slice filled the room.

End of Chapter