Chapter 5
Reba was still lying on the couch when she heard Vic say mom. She froze in place. His mother was here? I thought he said Reba shouldn't meet him yet? Why is she here? Why were they interrupted again? Why was she still lying down on his couch? She needed to get up. Reba stood up quickly and looked toward the door where Vic stood, blocking the woman who was standing outside of it.
Vic couldn't believe his mother was here. He was happy she was. He loved his mother but he wanted her to meet Reba under better settings, not here, not now. He gave her a strained smile. "Are you just going to stand there honey or are you going to invite me in?"
Vic shook his head. "Yes, come on in. There is someone you need to…meet." He said the last part a little strained. He had no clue how this was going to go.
Reba smiled and approached his mother with her hand held out. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Vic's mother stared at the redheaded woman's hand but didn't take it. Reba, embarrassed, pulled her hand back. "Vic has told me a lot about you." She said cheery.
"Has he now? What has he said about me?" she asked coldly.
Reba stuttered. "J…ju…just that you were once married to his father and now you're not and…"
The woman continued to glare at Reba. "So nice of you to bring up my divorce, my mother died twenty six years ago. Would like to discuss that as well?"
Reba didn't say anything more because she didn't feel very comfortable with his mother looking at her the way she was. She was looking at Reba like she was dirt she had just wiped off her shoe. Reba tried to smile and be as pleasant as possible but you could definitely feel the tension between the two women. "Shall we all sit down?" Reba asked.
His mother eyed Reba and raised an angry eyebrow. "What if I didn't want to sit down?"
"Well…it was just a suggestion. You can stand." Reba said looking to Vic who was trying to stay out of it but Reba wanted him to help.
"I have just come off a seven hour flight. Why would I want to stand?"
Reba decided to not say anything and she looked to Vic as to tell him to help her. He saw her plea and Vic finally came to her rescue. "Mom, lets sit down on the couch."
It was the first time his mother shown a sign of any happiness since Reba showed her face. "All right sweetie." She said smiling sweetly. "I am quite tired from my flight."
"This is quite a surprise." Vic said following his mother over to the couch. He turned to Reba and motioned her to follow. She walked over and sat down in the chair next to the couch where Vic and his mother planted themselves. "What brings you here?"
Reba sunk lower into the chair as she seemed to disappear from their sight even though she was sitting right there. "Well…" his mother said happily. "I heard from you're father that you were married and then I get a call from you saying you're not married but getting married." She chuckled. "I am just so confused. What is going on?" she asked politely. Reba finally got to get a good look at the woman who was going to be her future mother-in-law. When she wasn't look like she had a stink under her nose she was quite pretty. She now saw where Vic had inherited his thick black hair. She had beautiful thick shiny black hair cascading down her back with just a hint of grey. She had a small straight pointy nose, full pink mouth, and beautiful olive skin. She didn't seem to have one wrinkle on her face. If Reba hadn't known any better she would have said this woman was Vic's older sister.
Reba was so engrossed with wondering how Vic's mother stayed so young that she didn't hear his mother when she turned to talk to Reba. Reba shook her head. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you."
His mother gave her a sickly sweet smile. "I suppose that happens with older woman."
Reba frowned. "Older?"
Vic patted his mother's shoulder and laughed. "Mother stop messing with her, she is barely two years older than myself."
Reba gave a strained smile. She was beginning to dislike this woman already. She only hoped she wouldn't be another Liz. "So…" Vic's mother said leaning back against the couch. "What do you do for a living?" Reba was about to respond but his mother said something that made Reba truly angry. "Unless you don't work, do you plan on living off my son's and ex-husband's money?"
Reba frowned once again. So much for her not being another Liz. "Reba is a successful real estate agent Mom."
She turned to Vic. "I'm sure Reba can speak for herself." She turned back to Reba. She sat there and Reba wasn't sure if she should start talking or wait. "Can you talk?" Vic's mother asked sounding a little annoyed. Reba cleared her throat but before she could talk his mother interrupted her once more. "Are you sick? I can't get sick." She put her purse up to her mouth and moved back a bit. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest." She said trying to sound concerned.
Reba sighed. She was being kicked out by his mother. Maybe it was for the best anyway. They could meet on better terms some other time. "I am just getting over the flu. I should go home and rest." Reba stood up quickly and she noticed Vic's mother victory smile. Reba returned the smile. "Vic will have to take me home. He drove me here."
His mother opened her mouth but Vic stood smiling. "I would be happy to."
They walked towards the door but were stopped by his mother. "Why don't you just call a cab or you could take Vic's car. I mean I don't mean to be rude but I just arrived and I would love to visit my son a little longer." She said giving sad eyes.
Reba rolled hers and she smiled when Vic didn't fall for the sad eyes. He just smiled sweetly. "I won't be long Mother. I just want to make sure she gets home ok." He kissed her cheek. "I will be home soon."
He opened the door for Reba. "It was nice meeting you." Reba smiled widely and walked out the door. They walked to the car in silence and it was finally broken by Vic's laughter. "What's so funny?" she asked sliding into his car.
He just shook his head, laughed and went around to his side. "You and my mother." He said sliding in on the driver's side. He continued to laugh as he started to the car and eased out of the parking lot. "This is going to be so much fun."
Reba pouted. "I don't think it's very funny."
Vic patted her knee. "It will be fine honey. We will all get together for dinner sometime, get to know each other better and then I know she will love you. She just needs to get to know you first. She will see what I see."
Reba smiled and took his hand that was resting on her knee. "I sure hope you're right. I don't know if I can take another day like today, even if it was only a few minutes."
Vic nodded and shook his head in confusion as he pulled into Reba's driveway. "I don't know why she is acting like this. She is normally so nice and courteous to others."
Reba removed her seat belt but didn't leave. "I'm taking her baby boy away. It's hard for a mother to imagine another woman coming into her son's life that is almost, maybe even more important than her."
Vic shrugged and got out to open her door. Reba was faster and shut the door when he rounded the door. "Hey…I always open your door."
Reba leaned up against the door and sighed. "I just wish we had more time together."
Vic pulled her close. "I know its hard now but once were married it will be great."
He pecked her lips and Reba wrapped her arms around his middle, leaning against his chest. They stood there for a moment, just holding each other for as long as possible, savoring the moment they had. It was truly frustrating to not have anytime alone, not only for just…well…you know but to just be alone once in a while was nice. Her family seemed to be there all the time but in even if she and Vic just wanted five minutes alone together, they were there. "I think you should move in." she said breaking the silence.
She didn't look up and she braced herself for what he would think but when he didn't say anything she started to get worried. She looked to his face and she had no clue what he was thinking. "What?" he finally said.
Reba sighed and stepped away. "I knew you would think it was a bad idea."
Vic shook his head. "No, I think it's a great idea but what would your kids think?"
Reba chuckled. "It was actually their idea." She smiled and looked into his beautiful green eyes. "They thought since you were over all the time it only makes sense. When we get married I just assumed you would move in anyway, why not move in now. Plus…" she said smiling bigger and stepping even closer to him, "With you moving in that would mean more time for us."
He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled. "I love that idea." Reba giggled and was pulled into a kiss. These were the moments she loved, when it was just him and her. There were definitely sparks and Reba didn't understand why she hadn't felt them before, even when they didn't kiss there was electricity between them. She supposed she was just what Stacy said, too stubborn to notice.
They instantly pulled away when they heard a voice. "Mom, where is my basketball?" Jake asked as he came from the house.
Reba sighed and looked to Vic. "How do they do that?"
He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I will call you later." Reba nodded and she watched him get into the car and back out of the driveway. He blew her one last kiss and drove off down the street.
Reba stood there for a moment until his car was nothing but a speck in the distance. She was so happy with him. She didn't know why she didn't see how great he was before. Reba was excited she was marrying him and she loved him dearly. She couldn't imagine where she would be right now if she had been truly afraid of the relationship and hadn't told him she loved him. She would probably be still miserable, watching everyone else around her find love or being in love, even her own son had a girlfriend without her knowing it.
She was brought out of her thoughts by a voice behind her. "Mom?"
She turned to her son. "What?" she asked
"My basketball, do you know where it is?"
Reba stared at him for a moment trying to think. "In the garage." She finally said. Jake nodded but he still didn't move a muscle as he watched his mother turn back to the street her fiancée just drove down.
"Are you all right mom?" he asked a little concerned.
Reba turned and gave him a genuine smile. "I am perfect." She walked over to him and draped an arm loosely around his shoulders.
Jake gave her a look. "Are you sure you're ok?"
Reba chuckled and nodded. "For the first time in a six years I think this is the happiest I have ever been."
Jake smiled. "Good." Jake paused and Reba watched as he was deep thinking. She knew he was because he made the same face she did when she would think about something concerning her. "I have a question."
Reba smiled. "Go ahead." She said as they walked towards the back door.
"What do I call Vic once you two get married?" he asked walking in through the back door with his mother.
Reba paused as she shut the back door behind them both. "What do you mean?" She was a bit confused. What did he expect to call him?
"Well…" Jake said sitting on the stool. "Vic is more than just a boyfriend to you. He is going to be my new step dad. What is going to happen once you two get married?"
Reba nodded now understanding. It was a little weird. The family never touched on this subject yet. Sure, they thought she was married for a month but they all thought it was just until the month was over and then everything was going to go back to normal. Now, mom was getting married for real. She loved this guy and she expected the family to accept him when they truly knew nothing about him. It was definitely harder for them to see Reba married than it was for them to see Brock get married because Brock wasn't the family rock. He was a great dad but Reba was the caregiver to everyone and to see someone else come into her life that would be more of a priority would be a big thing.
Reba stepped up to her son and sat down on the stool next to him. "You will call him Vic. You don't call Barbara Jean mom and she is like a mom to you as well. You already have a dad you see everyday." She sighed and turned to face him. "Look, I know this is strange." Jake nodded finally admitting how weird it truly was. "I know just a couple of months ago I wasn't even seeing anyone and then I come home married." She chuckled and Jake just stared at her funny. She stopped laughing. "Nothing around here is going to change. Yes Vic would be moving in but you like Vic, don't you?" Jake nodded. "There is nothing to really worry about and I know you don't know him that well but you will get to know him and you'll like him just as much as Barbara Jean." Jake nodded but he still didn't move. "What's wrong now?"
Jake stayed silent, not sure if he wanted to admit it. He figured he should. It was his biggest concern. "What if I end up liking him better than my own dad?"
Reba was a bit taken aback. Sure, Jake and Vic had spent a lot of time together in the past few days but that didn't mean anything other than they were great friends. "Honey I know you love you're dad. You have a different relationship between your dad and Vic. You might end up liking Vic more but you will never love him more."
Jake nodded. "I know that. I was just thinking about how Vic is way better at sports than my own dad."
Reba chuckled and pushed him a bit. "Go find you're basketball."
Once Jake left Reba rolled her eyes at Jake's concern, liking Vic more? Why would he like Vic more? Sure, it could happen but that was nothing to be concerned about. It then got Reba to thinking about who planted this idea in his head. Was it Brock? Was it Kyra? Were they all concerned about how weird it was, her getting married? They all say they love Vic and they acted like they welcomed him with open arms but was that their true feelings? She had to admit, this wasn't exactly the picture perfect way she thought she would meet the man she was going to marry. She didn't even know she loved him until someone had to show her. Reba chuckled and shook her head. She was just being crazy. They all liked Vic, didn't they?
End of Chapter