Love by love – 34

"You are pregnant? Oh honey, why didn't you tell me?" Brock was beaming; he had always wanted another baby. They were in haze walking from the doctor's office to the car.

"Urrm… Surprise!?" Brock glared at her sarcasm. "I didn't know that I'm pregnant. I just found that out too." Reba sighed and pat her belly.

"How could you not know?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you dropped the bomb and then were gone for three weeks. Leaving me dealing with a teenage daughter and two kids. Geez, wonder why didn't I have time to take care of myself?" Reba began panicking.

"Honey…"

"Our house is too small for another child. Cheyenne complains every day that she has to share a room with Kyra. She still hates me. We're not ready for-"

"Reba, I'm happy we're having another baby together. Aren't you?"

"I should be, but-"

"We'll buy a new house. You are one of the best real estate agents in town, I'm sure you can find a five bedroom house at a reasonable price. And as for Cheyenne, she doesn't hate you. She's just a teenager."

"You think so?"

"Yes I do. Remember what the doctor told you? Relax. I'll never leave you. I won't let you raise our kids all by yourself. Now, shall we celebrate?" Brock beamed from one ear to another when Reba smiled and nodded. He picked her up, held her tight and spun her around in circle and said loudly "We're gonna have another baby!"

"Sh… not too loud!" Reba shushed him when people turned their head and giggled at them since they were still in the doctor's office parking lot. "Brock… Do you think our kids would be happy that they're gonna have a new sibling?" Questioned Reba putting on her seatbelt while Brock put the car in gear.

"They will be. Why wouldn't they? I'm sure Jake would want a little brother to play with. Kyra, I think she would like another brother to pick on. And maybe Cheyenne would want a little sister so she could use her as a doll to play dress up. Remember when Jake was a toddler and Cheyenne wanted to play dress up and dressed him in her old skirt?"

"Yeah" She giggled. "You freaked out."

However, Brock was wrong about the kids' reaction. Kyra said she didn't mind having another brother or little sister; she could torment them just the same. Jake wanted a little sister so he could be a big brother and protect his little sister. Cheyenne didn't care for either.

"Honey, you're not happy that you're going to have another sibling?" Reba questioned concernely

Cheyenne shrugged "Can I go to see my friends now?" With that, she took her backpack and left, leaving Brock and Reba exchanging glances.

"Oh well, let her be. Hey why don't we order take out so you don't have to cook tonight?" Suggested Brock with a big smile, still feeling joyful about having another baby with the love of his life. But Reba returned his smile with a dry one, she looked at the door where Cheyenne just left, worried. Brock ignored her, he thought she was just being a teenager.

"Daddy..." Cheyenne came behind his back and squeezed his shoulder sucking up in one afternoon. "Can I borrow your car?"

"Where are you going?"

"Oh I'm just going to the mall with my friends."

Before Brock responded to Cheyenne's request, Kyra came in the room. "Dad, where's mom?"

"She has an open house, honey. She won't be back till late afternoon. Do you need something?"

"Yes, can you give me a ride to the bookstore?"

"Cheyenne can take you," told Brock to Kyra.

"What?" Cried Cheyenne.

"Yeah, you're going to the mall anyway, so take your little sister with you."

"No way! I didn't get my driver license so I could chauffeur anyone around!" She whined.

"You're going to the mall, take my car and your sister with you, or I'll drop both of you off at the mall." Brock stated firmly. Cheyenne annoyingly snatched the keys from Brock and violently grabbed Kyra's wrist. Brock looked at them and sighed.

Cheyenne tried to avoid being with the family and spent most of her times with her friends. She loved Reba and she loved her family. However, she felt like she didn't belong there. Especially now that they were about to have a new baby, maybe they would kick her out of the house to make room for the new member. Cheyenne had a boyfriend: Jimmy. She was crazy about him. Reba and Brock knew she was dating him, but they just didn't know how serious she was involved with him.

"Brock. I have a headache. Can we please go home?" Reba rubbed her forehead with her eyes squinting. They were in the middle of an event at Brock's country club. She was sensitive to sounds and smells due to her pregnancy. She also had her morning sickness too, but not as bad as when she had Jake or Kyra.

"Sure honey, let me say good bye to Ralph then we can be on our way." Reba nodded in response. Brock said good-bye to all his friends, telling them that Reba didn't feel well and they had to leave. Some of their friends were worried if she was doing all right. Brock took that opportunity to tell them the good news.

"I thought we would never get to leave." Reba mumbled getting into the car.

"They just want to congratulate us," stated Brock with a grin. Reba was only ten weeks along and her belly didn't show. Unless she or Brock told them, no one would ever suspect that she was with child. She looked gorgeous in a form-fitting spaghetti straps Y-neck emerald green evening gown that advertised her every curve and cleavage. Her boss, Dolly, helped her pick out this dress with the mission to lure a few clients to their firm, knowing that there would be a good number of business men in the event. Reba used to have an argument with her boss, that she was selling somebody else's properties, not her own 'property', she didn't have to put herself on display. Not that Dolly ever listened. Well, mission accomplished, she turned quite a few heads. But Reba wasn't sure if that would help any, since Brock proudly and loudly announced that she was taken, by him.

Brock was so proud to have such beautiful wife that he could show off how lucky he was to be with this heaven sent and she was carrying his child. That was a double dose of pride!

He let Reba close her eyes and rested on their way back home. Reba didn't have nightmares since she found out she was pregnant. Plus, Brock was a very protective husband when she was pregnant too. With all the attention she got from him, it helped erase her fear that he would leave her taking care of the kids alone. However she was still stressed from time to time. "Honey, we're home." Brock suggested brushing a strain of hair off her cheek. "Cheyenne parked half your car on my side of the garage again. So why don't you get in the house first, while I redo the parking." Brock could tell it was his daughter's parking job, because Cheyenne wasn't so good at backing in. Reba nodded and got out of the car. She opened the front door and was in complete shock with what she saw.

"Mom!" Cheyenne pushed Jimmy off her. Reba caught them in a compromising position and they wore very little clothing.

"Mrs. Hart!"

"GET OUT!" Reba hollered at Jimmy who quickly pulled his pants over top of his boxer shorts and ran out of the house before Brock came in.

"You're early. I mean… it's not even ten o'clock." Cheyenne sputtered

"And I'm glad I'm back early. What in the heck do you think you're doing? You're only sixteen!"

"I..."

"Your little brother and sister are just upstairs. They could have come downstairs any minute. Have you no shame?"

"We haven't done anything!"

"Oh yeah you haven't, but if I were to come here a few minutes later I would have seen more than you just sitting here half naked!" Reba picked up Cheyenne's T-Shirt from the floor and tossed it at her. Cheyenne threw it over her head, putting it on very quickly.

Reba glared at her with disappointment. They stood in silence, staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Finally Reba broke the silence. "Cheyenne, I trusted you. But you're making me forbid you from seeing that boy again!"

"Forbid me? You have no right to tell me what to do, you're not my mother!"

"I am your father, and I command you to apologize to her immediately!" Brock came in just in time to here what his daughter had just said, and he didn't like what he heard. Reba was at a lost of words. She never expected for Cheyenne to lose her respect like that. Reba knew Cheyenne wasn't her biological daughter, but Reba loved her as much as her own children. She was crushed when Cheyenne shouted out those words. Tears poured down her cheeks like a broken dam.

Brock tried to comfort Reba. Although she wouldn't tell him what she walked into, because she knew Brock would be furious if he found out that his daughter was making out with her boyfriend on the couch and they almost went all the way if Reba hadn't walked in on them. If he knew, Cheyenne would be in even more trouble. All Brock knew was Cheyenne was yelling at Reba to mind her own business and leave her alone.

Ever since, the relationship between his daughter and his wife became astray. Cheyenne was grounded until she apologized. Reba was too hurt to speak to Cheyenne. She was so stressed. She couldn't eat. She couldn't sleep. She became ill.

Cheyenne reluctantly poked her head into Reba's room to see if she was asleep. Reba spotted her and allowed her to come in.

"How are you feeling?" Cheyenne asked hesitantly but with genuine concern.

"Not too bad. Doctor just told me to take a break. I got a short-term sick leave letter to give to Dolly. But I think I'll go back to work next week." Reba replied casually.

"Look, I just want to apologize for what I said…"

Reba pat the other side of the bed gesturing Cheyenne to sit on the bed next to her. "Why did you say that?"

"Kyra is your daughter, Jake is yours and dad's. And now you're going to have another baby. Where do I stand? I'm the only one that isn't your biological child. I-"

Reba wrapped his arm around Cheyenne's shoulder, and pulled her close to her chest. "You know, Lori-Ann and I we were best friends since we were in a primary school. We grew up together on the range. We love each other like sisters. Even though she's in Jamaica, and we hardly see each other, we're still considered best friends. I was there for her when she was pregnant with you. I saw you when you were just a tiny little girl. I've always loved you. Especially now that I married your father. I've alway thought of you as one of my own."

"But you always ground me, I don't see you ground Kyra as much as you ground me."

"Well, I hate to compare both of you, but Kyra is a straight A student while you barely get a C. Kyra spends her weekends taking music lessons while you're out with your friends doing what I don't know and missing your curfew. I would ground Kyra too if she doesn't do her homework and misses her curfew. And honey, I keep an eye on you and keep you in line, because I care. Raising you to become a lady is my pride."

"You really love me as much as you love Kyra?"

"Yes I do, I love you as much as I love Kyra, Jake and this little one." Reba took Cheyenne's hand and rested on her middle.

"Will you kick me out of the house to make room for the baby?" Cheyenne questioned with a frown.

"Where did you get that idea?" Reba perked up, then something just dawned on her. "Kyra isn't it? Well looks like you'll get to see me ground her as soon as she comes back from her piano lesson!"

"Well, it wasn't entirely her fault. I was complaining about how tired I was sharing a room with her and she said now that you have a new baby, if it's a girl, she will be sharing a room with her, but if it's a boy, he'll be sharing a room with Jake. But if it's a girl that's mean since I'm the only one who old enough and isn't your real daughter, I should move out and find my own place."

"When did that happen?"

"When you went to the annual event with dad." Cheyenne confessed. "Do I have to move out when this baby's born? I can stay in the attic if you need room, but I don't want to move out."

"Honey, no one is moving out. Well, all of us are moving out. Your daddy and I we're looking for a new house with five bedrooms. As a matter of fact, we found one. We're going to look at it together tomorrow. You can come along if you want." Reba flashed her a beautiful smile. Cheyenne threw her a hug. Now that she knew she wouldn't be kicking out of the family, she was happy to have a new sibling.

"I want a baby sister. I want to be a big sister." Cheyenne mumbled.

Chucking, Reba remarked, "Kyra wasn't the type of little sister you expected her to be, isn't she?"

"Are you kidding? She's acting like she's my big sister sometimes! I want a little sister that we can hang out, play dress up and have a tea party. I tried that with Jake and dad freaked out." They both laughed at the incident and how Brock freaked out coming back home from work and his three year-old son ran to his arms wearing a tiny little skirt that Cheyenne put on him.

"Mom..."

"Hmm?"

"Jimmy broke up with me." Cheyenne sighed. She lay down next to Reba and rested her head on her shoulder as she made her confession with sorrow in her voice. "He said I'm wasting his time."

"He pressured you, didn't he?"

Cheyenne nodded. "To tell you the truth, I don't think I was ready. I was scared, but he said if I want to move out with him I should sleep with him."

"Move out with him?"

"Well, that was when I thought you guys are kicking me out. I thought we could stay in his parent's basement together."

"Honey… You're only sixteen. There's plenty of time for that. And the first time only happens once. It should be something memorable, something you do out of love. Not from pressuring from a needy boyfriend and sneaking around behind your parent's back for just a little quickie on the couch. It should be something romantic."

"Like yours and dad's?"

"Well… Not exactly… Let's just say our wedding night was much more romantic."

"You were pretty lucky that you got Jake, considering that you can only get pregnant one day each month."

Reba sprung upright "Pardon me?!"