Chapter 8

Reba had gone into her house to find her family waiting for her of course. They wanted to know details of her lunch with his mother and such. Reba didn't really want to discuss the details of her lunch with Lexi. The fact that his mother didn't want her in her family or life made Reba already exceptionally nervous and she didn't need her family making it worse like she knew they would. She loved her family of course, no one could deny that but most of the time they drove her nuts and they just wouldn't understand it anyway.

Reba went to bed that night right after dinner. She was completely exhausted and she figured she should rest of she wanted to be awake for Vic's phone call. She could only hope and pray that Lexi didn't interrupt or stop Vic from calling her. She understood that she was his mother first before she was his fiancée but they needed their time alone too. Lexi was going to try and get in the way of that. Reba knew it. She even wondered if Vic's mother had a hand in sending him away from her. Reba had thought about it but quickly dismissed the notion. She wouldn't do that, would she?

Reba was awoken by the ringing of her cell phone on her nightstand. She smiled as she leaned over and answered the phone. "Hello." She said in a tired yet cheerful voice.

"Hello sweetheart. I didn't wake you did I?"

Reba smiled at the concern she heard in his voice. "No, I was just resting."

"Maybe I should call you another time. You should rest. You sound tired and you've been looking a lot tired lately."

Reba frowned. "I am fine. I was just resting. I have been looking foreword to this call. I had just hoped your mother didn't interfere or anything this time and what do you mean I look tired?"

Vic chuckled. "My mother is fast asleep. She went shopping with some old friends she knows in town after she left you."

Reba rolled her eyes. She would have loved to have gone shopping with Lexi. Why did she have to be so mean to her? "I hope your mother had a wonderful time." Reba said, trying not to sound sarcastic.

"She did. She had a great time."

Reba scoffed. "Of course she had a good time, I wasn't with her."

"She likes you."

Reba wished she could punch Vic right now. After the way his mother talked to her right in front of him when she first met and earlier today when she left, how could he say she liked Reba? "Your mother loves me as much as any disease."

"Honey don't worry she will love you once she gets to know you."

Reba sighed. "You say that but…" Reba paused, "I just have this feeling that something is going to happen. Like someone will interfere with the wedding or something."

Vic laughed. "You think my mother is going to go to many lengths to stop our wedding?"

"I don't know." Reba said sounding exasperated. "I don't know your mother. I don't know what she is capable of."

"But I know my mother and trust me when I say this. She will be happy for us. She will not go to great lengths to stop our wedding." Vic stopped and waited for Reba to respond, all he heard was silence. "It's just as you said before. You are taking her baby boy away. She is just jealous of you because I have never been serious about a woman before."

Reba scoffed. "Gee thanks."

"You know what I mean. I haven't been serious about a woman until you. She just doesn't like another woman coming into my life."

Reba rolled over onto her side and relaxed. "I don't know. I just feel it's something more than that."

"Let's talk about something else." Vic said, wanting to change the subject in a hurry.

Reba smiled. "Okay, let's talk about how tired I look."

Vic groaned. "I was hoping you wouldn't remember that. I just meant you look like you're working yourself to death. You fell asleep in the middle of the day yesterday."

"I know." Reba said sighing. She was working herself too hard. She knows it. Her family knew it. Her boss even forced her to take a day off. "Maybe I should go with you tomorrow." She said chuckling.

Vic smiled on the other line. "It would be nice but you have a family and my mother needs you."

Reba scoffed. "Yeah right, she doesn't need me. She doesn't even like me."

"Just give it time honey and even if you were to come with me there really wouldn't be a lot of time for us. This really is a business trip and that's all I will be doing on it, business, no time for any fun."

"I suppose. I just wish we did have more time for us. It seems we never get to spend alone time together because everyone is always around." Reba said with a generous amount of disappointment in her voice.

"Like I said before, once we are married things will get better, I am sure of it."

Reba snuggled into her bed more. "I sure hope you're right." She said with a yawn.

"Maybe I should let you go. You sound tired."

"No." Reba said smiling. "I like our nightly talks. You hang up now and there will be no wedding."

Vic chuckled. "You would call off the wedding because I worry about you and how much sleep you are getting."

"Yup, if you were really worried about me you would know the best medicine for me right now is to talk with you."

Vic gave Reba a nervous laugh. "See if you say that in a few minutes." He mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear him.

Reba did and she sat up in alarm. "What? What is going on? You tell me right now Victor Lee Mariano."

Vic sighed. He knew he was in trouble when she used his full name. "Well…" He paused for a moment. He knew she wasn't going to like this but he thought it might help a bit, "The thing is my mother will be alone at my apartment for a week."

Reba was utterly confused. She knew this. "Yeah, so…"

"So…I was kind of hoping and she actually agreed to it, that she should stay with you until I get back." Vic waited for the blow. He didn't hear anything and that was actually worse than her yelling at him. "What do you think?"

Reba tried to stay calm as much as possible. "No."

"Now Reba just think…"

"No." she said again, not letting him finish his sentence.

Vic sighed. "Reba please, she will be there alone in that apartment and my mother may look young but she isn't young. I would just feel better if she could stay with you. It would be really good for the both of you and the fact that she is willing to agree to this, shows that she wants this to work as well."

Reba sighed. She didn't know if Lexi wanting to stay at her home had anything to do with her wanting to get along with Reba. Maybe if Lexi did stay with her Reba could keep a close eye on her. She still didn't trust her and having her around she would be able to know if Lexi was doing anything that remotely had anything to do with Vic and/or Reba. "All right, she can stay at my house."

Vic smiled. "Thank you so much sweetheart."

"But…" Reba said stopping him before he could celebrate any further. "If she insults me or does anything to family she is out and back at your place."

Vic chuckled. "Honey, don't worry, she will do nothing of the sort. This will be good."

Reba scoffed. "Good for whom?" Reba relaxed back down on her bed. "You still have that sharp pencil handle for me just in case?"

Vic laughed. "She isn't that bad."

"Yeah, that's what they said about little Michael Myers."

"Are you comparing my mother with Michael Myers?" Vic asked a bit shocked.

"No." she said cheery. "I am sure Michael Myers had some sympathy for his victims."

"All right, all right, look there is no need for that." Vic said warningly.

"I know." Reba said suddenly feeling very foolish. She shouldn't be insulting Lexi to Vic. She hadn't done anything to Reba…yet. "I'm sorry. I am just a little irritable.

"It's understandable. Now…" Vic said getting comfortable on his own couch, "You never did answer my question the first night I was back in town, what are you wearing?"

Reba rolled her eyes. "I can't answer that, not with knowing your mother is not very far away from you."

"She's asleep. She wouldn't be able to hear us."

"Vic…" Reba said warning him.

"I know I'm sorry…" Vic sighed and let out a long yawn, "I should let you go. I have to get up at seven tomorrow. I will drop off my mother shortly after I leave my apartment at around eight thirty."

Reba frowned. "Okay, I should be up by then. I have to be at work by ten."

"I love you and I will see you tomorrow morning."

Reba smiled. "I love you too, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Reba shut her cell phone off and turned her lamp off in the process. She snuggled herself deep in the covers and sighed in content and she took in the simple pleasure of being able to sleep again. She was going to need her rest. She had to work tomorrow and she was going to have to deal with Lexi coming to stay with her. Today was turning out to be a crappy day. First she had to go to lunch and deal with Lexi, then Lexi proceeds to try and buy her off, then she learns Vic is going on a business trip, and now his mother had to stay with her. She only hoped she didn't end up doing something to the woman. She could only pray that she could stay calm. Reba could only imagine what this stress was doing to her blood pressure.

Reba awoke the next morning not feeling too rested. She supposed it was because she spent most of the night waking up from nightmares. In these nightmares she was at her wedding and she was approaching Vic. Vic would look up to her smile for just a second but then the smile would fade. Reba would see this disgusted look on his face and then he would run to a car that had his mother in the driver's seat and they would speed off, away from her. She knew it was a silly nightmare but it still scared her. Who knew what Lexi was going to do? She just might actually try to sabotage her wedding.

Reba rolled over onto her side and looked at the clock and her eyes went wide. It was eight forty in the morning. Reba hopped out of bed and ran down the stairs in her pajamas. She had just hit the bottom of the step when the doorbell rang. Reba roughly opened the door and saw Vic and Lexi standing there. Reba smiled. "Hi, I thought I missed you. I just woke up."

Vic smiled. "I can see that." Vic looked her over and chuckled. "I must say you look awfully cute this morning."

Reba looked down at herself and laughed nervously while stepping aside to let them in. She was in her flannel pajama pants and a tank top. Her hair must have looked a mess. "I'm sorry. I was just extra tired. Otherwise I would have been up already, more presentable."

"Tired from what?" Lexi asked, trying to suggest something.

Reba glared at Lexi behind Vic's back and Lexi returned it. They both had gone back to smiles when Vic turned around after setting his mother's suitcase in the living room. "I have to get going. I wish I could have a longer goodbye but I have to catch a plane to New York in two hours and who knows how long it will take to get through security."

Reba nodded and approached him to say goodbye but Lexi got to him first. "I am going to miss you son." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hugged him tightly before pushing him toward the door. "I will see you when you return."

Reba pouted but Vic turned. "I have to say goodbye to Reba mother." Reba gave Lexi a victory smile and Lexi sneered as she walked away. "I will miss you so much." He said bringing Reba close.

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I will miss you too. I love you." She kissed him sweetly on the lips and he returned the kiss happily.

Vic broke the kiss about a minute later and pulled her closer into a tight hug. "I love you too, so much." Reba felt the tears come to her eyes as they stood there in a hug. She didn't want to let go. Sure she would see him in a week but a week she knew was going to feel like a long time. Vic broke the hug and smiled, wiping the tears that fell from her eyes. "Don't cry. I will be back in a week."

Reba nodded and smiled shyly. "I'm sorry. I am just a little emotional." She gave him one last small quick peck on the lips and pulled away before she wouldn't be able to let go. "I will miss you. Now go before I tie you up and never let you leave."

Vic chuckled and pressed his lips to her cheek. He put his lips to her ear and whispered, "If you want to try the tying me up thing when I get back I will happily agree to it."

Reba blushed and smacked him across the chest. "Shut up."

"Bye." He said. He gave Reba one last smile before he shut the door and left.

Reba sighed and turned. She looked up and then realized Lexi was in her home. Reba had forgotten about her. She was sitting on the couch, patiently waiting for Reba to direct her somewhere. Lexi may not like Reba but she knew not to be rude when she was in someone else's home by just going anywhere she pleased. "Where will I be sleeping?" Lexi asked politely.

This surprised Reba because she has never heard anything but disdain and coldness in the woman's voice toward her since Lexi had arrived. "Right, follow me." Reba said picking up her suitcase and walking up the steps. Reba heard the soft steps of Lexi following at a safe distance behind her. Reba led her to Cheyenne's old room where Vic stayed for the month he was here. She opened the door and stepped in, setting down the suitcase in the process. Reba turned to Lexi and smiled. "What do you think?"

Lexi looked around for a moment, pausing every so often as she made her judgment. Reba rolled her eyes as she patiently waited for Lexi to say anything. "It will have to do." She said.

Reba sighed and shook her head, walking towards the door. "If you need anything just let me know."

Reba was about to walk out the door when Lexi stopped her. "I didn't want to stay here." She said coldly.

She turned to Lexi confused. "Excuse me?"

Lexi turned to face Reba with a cold look on her face. "My son wanted me to stay here. I only agreed because he was so worried about me staying alone in his apartment. That is the only reason I agreed to this. I am not here to try and get along with you. There is no reason to because you will not marry my son. I hope you don't think that this will be a lovely mother-daughter type of bonding because trust me…" she said giving a cold sickly sweet smile, "It won't be."

Reba nodded, showing Lexi that her strong words had no affect on her. Reba didn't even say a word as she walked out the door and away from her future mother-in-law toward her room to get ready for work. Lexi's words may have represented hatred and coldness but Reba wasn't affected by them. Reba didn't know why she was so worried. Vic loved her. There was no reason Vic would leave her on their wedding day. He already said nothing would keep him away from her and there was nothing that would change her mind about him.

End of Chapter