Love by Love – 33
Reba woke up in the early morning, before her alarm went off. She had a weird dream again. In her dream, Brock left her to marry his pregnant hygienist; Cheyenne was pregnant during her high school year. The dream felt so real, so real she feared that it would become reality. Reba picked up her phone and dial Brock's hotel number. He was at a dental convention in Hawaii. He had asked her to go along, but she had to take care of the kids.
"Hello?" Brock sleepily spoke into the receiver.
"Brock..." Reba murmured "Are you alone?"
"Honey, it's..." He glanced at the clock "2:46am who else will be here?"
"I had a strange dream again," confessed Reba. "And I woke up without you here, I thought 'is it true? We are no longer together?' So I have to call you. To make sure that we are still married."
"Honey, we are still married. Happily married. In fact, I was just thinking about you today about the last time we came to Hawaii together. Remember when you swung your hip dancing with the kids?" Brock sat up leaning against the headboard recollecting the time they came here together. Reba did the same at the opposite end of the line. Listening to his voice made her feel better.
"I better let you go back to sleep. You still have convention to attend tomorrow," said Reba after they had talked for a while.
Chucking, he teased, "What, I was about to talk about our flight back home and you're going to hang up?"
"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" Reba twirled her finger around the phone cord.
"Well, since you will not let us repeat the action and renew our membership, I'll just have to live with the memory. Speaking of that, let me close my eyes and picture... Hmm..."
"Stop that!" Blushing, Reba yelled into the speaker trying not to be too loud. She didn't want to wake the kids, especially when the conversation started to heat up. Brock had made her forget about the nightmares: the strange dreams that he left her. He was still married to her and still loved her with all his heart. She knew, she could sense it in his voice.
"Are you feeling better now?" Brock questioned after Reba seemed to be at ease.
"Yes I am. Thank you honey."
"Now remember, I love you. And baby, I'm so crazy about you. So, erase the crazy idea that I'll ever leave you from that sexy little red head of yours, okay?"
"Okay." Reba smiled into the receiver. "I miss you."
"I miss you too. Three more days and I get to hold you again." Brock blew her a kiss before saying good night and resumed what left of the night trying to get some sleep. He wasn't sure why Reba had those strange dreams, and it seemed to happen a lot lately.
They had been married for six years now; sure they had a few disagreements like every normal couple had. But they worked it out, no matter how silly the fight was about; Reba wouldn't let them go to bed angry. Besides, Brock loved her too much to let her slip through his fingers.
"Honey, I'm home!" Called Brock loudly the moment he swung the front door open.
"Dad!" Jake ran over to him and leaped into his open arms.
"Honey, you're back?" Reba rushed downstairs with the dustpan. "I thought you wouldn't be here until later tonight."
"I took an early flight back. Come here. Give me a hug. I miss you." Brock put Jake on his feet accepting a hug and kiss from his wife. "Can't you put the dustpan down first before you hug me?"
"Sorry. I was cleaning the attic just before you arrived." Reba tossed the dustpan aside and threw him a hug. Brock swept his gaze to the spotless living room and dining room. Reba had done excessive cleaning every time she had a lot to think about. It seemed like she had been thinking a lot when he wasn't here.
"Where's Cheyenne and Kyra?"
"Cheyenne went to the mall with her friends, and Kyra has her clarinet lesson."
Brock handed Jake a bag he brought with him. "Jake, here's some toy I bought for you from Hawaii, can you go play in your room and leave your mother and I alone for few minutes?"
"Cool!" The boy took the bag and ran to his room.
Brock took his wife's hand and sat them both down on the couch. "Honey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, why do you think something wrong?" Reba avoided his eye contact and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans.
"Honey, the house is spotless. You are allergic to dust and you're afraid of spiders, yet you're cleaning the attic. The nightmares have been bothering you again?"
Reba let out a long heavy sigh as she lean against his shoulder. "I felt like Cheyenne and I are growing apart. Kyra is tormenting Jake. She kept telling him he's adopted. And every time I have to tell Jake he's not adopted, Cheyenne would stomp out of the room. I don't know what's matter with her."
"Cheyenne is a teenager now. You know what they say about teenagers?"
Reba perked up, her eyes widened. "They are demons?"
Chuckling, Brock rested her head back on his shoulder. "Well, they are hard to deal with, but I wouldn't call them demons. I'm sure Cheyenne will come around. She loves you." Reba sighed and did not argue with her husband. She sure hoped he was right. "I don't know if this is just me being away from you for so long, but you really look beautiful today." Glancing at his lovely wife, Brock changed the topic of the conversation.
"What? In this rag?" Reba examined herself on a washed up overalls and a bandanna tied up around her hair. "I might have gained a little bit of weight."
"Well if you did, you gained it in the right places, and I love it. Besides, you're glowing. New moisturizer?"
Reba giggled when Brock sweep her cheek with his thumb. "No, maybe I'm just delighted to see you're back." Reba murmured against his lips. She sure was glad to be in his arms again.
Every since he came back from the dental conference, Reba seldom had the strange nightmares. But her relationship with Cheyenne still was something to work on.
"Cheyenne, it's 10:30"
"So?"
"Your curfew is at 10!"
"Lighten up mom, I'm only half an hour late. It's not like I'm a day late or something."
"Alright, next time you go out with your friends, I want you home by 9:30" Reba said firmly.
"Mom!"
"Lighten up, I'm only punishing you for half an hour, it's not like I ground you for a day."
"That's not fair!" Cried Cheyenne.
"Do you think it's fair that I sit here worry about where are you? Do you think it's fair that I don't know if you're in some kind of trouble out there in the dark?"
"I'm not a kid anymore. I don't have to tell you where I am and what I'm up to!"
"Oh yes, you do young lady. As long as you still live here, I have to know where you are and what you are up to. My house, my rule!"
"I hate it here!" Cheyenne yelled and stomping to her room. Reba flopped down on the couch and buried her face in the palm of her hands.
"Mom..."
Reba lifted her head up looking at her 12 year old. "Kyra honey, shouldn't you been in bed?"
"I was. But it's hard to sleep when your roommate stomps into the room and turns on every single light, smashes her purse on the floor and curses."
"Oh honey, I'll go talk to her."
"That's okay mom. I'm not too tired anyway. Where's dad? He's not home yet?"
"He's out with his friends. He should be home any time now. Do you need anything sweetie?"
"No, I'll keep you company until he comes back."
"That's nice of you honey, but you should go to bed. You have piano lessons tomorrow, don't you?"
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Kyra showed her concern. She noticed that her mother didn't feel so well lately. Reba was constantly tired and she vomited too sometimes.
"I'm sure, baby. Good night." Reba kissed Kyra on the top of her head when she gave Reba a hug. Reba turned her head to the stairs when she saw Cheyenne's shadow disappeared to the top of the stairs. She wasn't so sure what's the teenager wanted. Reba glanced at the clock and it was almost 11 and Brock wasn't home. Reba was tired and she decided that she wasn't going to wait anymore. She went to her bedroom, took a shower and lay down. Soon she fell into sleep with a drop of tears in her eye.
Did her family start to fall apart? Did Brock still love her? Did he have an affair? Where was he?
"Brock!"
"Yes?" Brock was woke up from a deep sleep by Reba's scream.
Throwing herself at him, Reba mumbled, "You're here. When did you get here?"
"I came home at around midnight. Saw you asleep, I didn't want to wake you up. Are you alright honey? Having a nightmare again?" Brock wrapped his arms around her trying to comfort her. "Honey, you've been having these kind of nightmares, should we look for some help?"
"You're saying I need therapy?"
"I might help you feel better. I don't like seeing you like this. I love you honey. I don't like the fact that you keep fearing that I'll cheat on you. I would never do that." Brock stated kissing her lovingly.
Reba agreed to go see a therapist. Brock made an appointment with her family doctor for him to recommend a specialist. Before sending her to a specialist, her doctor made a thorough check on her since she was due for her physical.
"Well?" Brock questioned the doctor once he returned with the test result.
"Mrs. Hart's physical health is in perfect shape. However, her anxiety could have been caused by her hormones." The doctor then turned to Reba "I don't think you need a therapist right now, you just need to rest and relax. Although it is common for woman to feel depress during her first trimester, but should you feel your depression worsen, we will then send you to a specialist because depression could seriously harm the baby."