Chapter 38

Reba and Barbara Jean both were now roughly eight months pregnant. Vic and Brock tried to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Brock did his best but Vic seemed to go beyond what was needed. He massaged Reba's back, painted her toe tails, helped her dress…and undress, whenever she needed the help, and went to every imaginable frozen yogurt place in the Houston area and even doubling back to the grocery store when he forgot the chocolate syrup she liked or when he didn't get the right one. She was on maternity leave now and so she was home a lot. She was slowly driving, not only Vic, but everyone else nuts.

A very pregnant Reba walked into the living room with a bowl of frozen yogurt in one hand and an empty chocolate syrup bottle in the other. "Vic, can you run to the store to get some more chocolate syrup." She flopped onto the couch and balanced the bowl on her stomach. She turned to Vic and gave him her puppy dog eyes. "Please."

Vic sighed and got up. "I know the doctor said that your weight was okay and that it was all right to have a treat once in a while but I just bought that chocolate syrup this morning, I think you should slow down a bit." Reba turned to him and glared. Vic knew better than to argue with that glare. "Maybe not, I'll be back in a little while." He said walking towards the door.

Reba frowned and tried getting up. "Vic…" she said rocking back and forth, trying to get up.

Vic turned around and helped her up. "You should just sit. You need your rest."

Reba rolled her eyes and shoved his hands away from her. "I wish you wouldn't hover. Why do you always hover?"

"I am just…"

"Concerned, I know. You don't have to go get the syrup." Reba said sadly. "I'll just have plan frozen yogurt."

Vic smiled and rubbed the small of her back "Its okay. I'll go get the chocolate. I know that's the only treat you get."

Reba sniffed and started bawling. "That is sooo sweet." She set her bowl of frozen yogurt down and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, pulling him close as best she could but her stomach seemed to be getting in the way.

Vic had to hold back a chuckle. Her hormones had been making her so crazy lately and if she heard him chuckle she would take it for something completely different, like she did before. "What is sweet?"

Reba sniffed and let a few more tears fall. "You, getting chocolate syrup for me, I know I have been a pain and I just think its so sweet of you to still want to do things for me and actually have me around."

Vic smiled and rubbed Reba's back gently. "I will always want you around. Now I am going to get the chocolate syrup and then maybe we can get back to yesterday's discussion of the color of the baby's room."

Reba frowned. "That discussion didn't end well."

Vic smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry honey. How about you come with me to the store? It will save me from making another trip of getting the wrong thing. It will get you up and out."

Reba stopped sniffling and turned to him with a glare. "What? You think I have nothing else to do today besides sit around, eat, get bigger, and watch television! Because I have a lot to do today ya know!"

Vic shook his head and tried to come up with a fast excuse to make her feel better even though he really didn't mean anything by it. "I just thought we could spend some time together." He said with a smile.

Reba stopped glaring and a huge grin spread across her face. "Oh, okay, well let me get my shoes and then we can go." Vic shook his head as she waddled away and up the stairs. Her hormones were going all over the place. He just wished she would go into labor soon. "Okay, I think I need you to put on my shoes." Reba said walking carefully down the steps a few minutes later with a pair of black slipper like shoes in her hand. She had switched from heels and running shoes to ballet like shoes because her feet had become swollen shortly after she entered her sixth month.

Vic smiled and Reba flopped down on the couch. Vic sat in front of her and pulled her feet onto his lap. "Your toe nails need painting again." He said looking at her red chipped toe nails.

Reba nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe I should try a different color this time."

Vic smiled and set her shoe covered feet on the floor. "Maybe, all right big mama. Let's go."

Reba frowned and rubbed her huge stomach. "You think I'm huge don't you." She said as fresh tears began falling down her cheeks.

In his head Vic was giving himself a good a** beating for that comment he made, even if he was just joking around he should have known she would take it badly. "Honey I didn't mean it like that. I think you are gorgeous and I love you." He said giving her a sweet kiss on the lips.

"Am I driving you insane?" she asked sniffling.

Vic chuckled and rubbed her knees that were in front of him sympathetically. "Awe, honey...of course you do."

Reba pouted. "Well…" She burst into tears again and Vic pulled her close to him as best he could. "Why did you tell me that?"

"You asked and don't worry. I know that it's the baby okay. When the baby is born you will be back to normal and then we can resent the baby for all the trouble he or she is causing."

Reba laughed a bit and wiped away the tears. "I'm sorry. I know I am a mess. Let's just go to the store."

Vic stood and helped his wife stand. "We will get you some chocolate syrup and then you will feel better."

"I would feel better if I had a calzone to go with it." She said with a smile.

Vic shook his head and smiled. "All right but you have to watch what you are eating now." He said warningly.

Reba nodded and waved him off. "I know, I know. Today is my day to treat myself. I will be back on the health kick by dinner. I have a nice salad with light Italian dressing planned."

Vic opened the front door and led her out of the door, shutting and locking it behind him. "What happened to ranch dressing?"

Reba cringed and shook her head. "Please don't mention that stuff."

Vic chuckled as they walked to the car together, Reba waddled really. "You had enough of it already?"

Reba nodded. "I think I ate too much of it."

Vic had to nod in agreement as he opened the door and helped her into the car. "I have to agree with you there. You put ranch dressing on everything." He shut the door and walked around to get into the driver's side of the car. "Now you just switched to chocolate."

Reba shrugged. "The baby wants it."

Vic chuckled and started the car. "You know…" he said checking for cars and pulling away from the curb. "Once the baby is born you can't blame your cravings on him or her."

Reba frowned and pulled the seat belt as far as it would go over her big stomach. "Once the baby is born I won't have the cravings. It's your fault I am so nuts about all of this anyway." She said angrily.

Vic rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know. It's my fault." He turned a corner and mumbled, "It's always my fault."

Reba raised an eyebrow at him. She had heard. "It IS your fault. You are the one who made me go out with you. You're the one who made me drink. You're the one who took me to the motel/wedding chapel, whatever that place was!"

Vic laughed. "Excuse me! If I recall you could have said no. You were the one who got the tequila and you were the one who suggested going to the motel."

Reba crossed her arms and knew he was right. "Well, you were the one who put the moves on me."

Vic smirked. "I remember parts of that night quite well and if I recall you were the one who made the first moves and took advantage of me."

"Well I don't remember much but I am also positive you didn't complain." She said smiling.

Vic stopped at a red light and turned to her smirking. "I have flashes from time to time and I know I enjoyed it." Reba giggled. "I also know for a fact that you enjoyed it as well."

Reba blushed. "And how would you know that? You said it yourself that you only remember parts."

"I remember the good parts." He said smiling. Reba blushed but couldn't help but smile. Vic saw her smile and grinned. He pulled through the green light and they continued on their quest to the grocery store. Their conversation died down a little as they pulled into the parking lot of the store.

Reba had been lost in thought, rubbing her stomach and thinking about the baby. They had yet to agree on a name yet. Reba liked Victoria very much for a girl and Logan for a boy but Vic liked Eve for a girl and Dominick for a boy. They have tried comprising on names but they couldn't agree. And don't get her started on the color of paint for the baby's room. They couldn't paint the room blue if the baby turned out to be a girl and they couldn't paint it pink if the baby turned out to be a boy. Reba was never partial to pink anyway but they had to decide on something and they couldn't do that.

"Honey…" Vic said interrupting her thoughts. Reba turned to find Vic at her door, waiting to help her out of the car. "Are you going to just sit here and stare at your stomach?" he asked with a chuckle.

Reba put her hand into his and shifted her feet to ground outside the door. She glared as he helped her into a standing position. "And what if I wanted to? I can do whatever I want ya know! I don't have to listen to you." She then slammed the car door and stomped, well, waddled, toward the automatic doors of the store.

Vic shook his head and pushed the alarm button of the car as he followed his wife inside. "I didn't mean it like that. You take my words and twist them lately." He said grabbing a cart, he knew with Reba with him a small basket just wasn't going to do.

Reba rolled her eyes. "I don't twist anything. Now let's go." She said waddling away.

Vic followed her down the isle that held her chocolate syrup. Reba looked for the special chocolate she liked and put four jars of it in the cart. Vic chuckled. "That should last you till tomorrow." He said jokingly.

Reba stuck out her tongue playfully and moved down the isle. There was really nothing else she needed down here so she waddled as fast as she could toward the fruits. She piled in strawberries, apples, and bananas into the cart. Vic just shook her head as she continued on away from the fruit and to the frozen pizzas. That also seemed a favorite of hers lately, adding chocolate to pizza now. It made Vic cringe every time she ate it but she liked it, why he didn't know.

"Reba!" A voice yelled across the grocery store. Vic turned and saw Barbara Jean and Brock making their way towards them.

Reba's eyes widened and she turned sharply around. "Act like you don't see them." She hissed. Vic chuckled as she tried running away and he followed her.

Barbara Jean, for once, out smarted Reba by backing up and going down the isle Reba hid. "Hey!" Barbara Jean said as she suddenly jumped in front of them as they turned the corner.

Reba pouted. The woman was fast. "Hello Barbara Jean."

Barbara Jean smiled sweetly. "I guess you didn't see me when I first called you." She said sweetly.

Reba rolled her eyes. The woman was also so oblivious. "Yeah, I guess I didn't. What are you two doing here?" she asked, glancing at Brock who was now pushing up a full cart.

"Just a little shopping." Barbara Jean said smiling.

Reba glanced at the cart and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you guys go grocery shopping a few days ago?"

Barbara Jean looked shyly down at her feet and Brock nodded. "Yeah we did but now were out." He said glancing at Barbara Jean.

"I'm eating for two." Barbara Jean wined.

Brock rolled his eyes and moved right up next to Barbara Jean "You mean you two are eating for the whole state of Texas." Reba and Vic chuckled while Barbara Jean pouted. "What are you two doing here?" Brock asked.

Reba raised an eyebrow. "I don't know Brock, what could we possibly want in a grocery store?"

Brock made a face. "You don't have to be mean about it."

Vic smiled. "She's been mean to me all day." Reba glared and smacked him in the chest. "Ouch." He said, rubbing his chest. He turned to Brock. "You see what I mean."

Reba glared even more. "Quit telling them lies." Vic just rolled his eyes and let it go.

"How's the baby?" Barbara Jean asked sweetly and her voice evident with concern.

Reba snapped her head toward her and smiled as best she could. "The baby is fine." Reba was about to say something else when she saw a sign of free samples and started waddling toward it. Barbara Jean saw where she was going and quickly followed her.

Vic shook his head and looked at Brock, who had an amused look on his face. "Did she really go through groceries in just a few days?" Vic asked.

Brock nodded. "Yeah and then she had gone to your guy's house to eat with Reba when we ran out." Vic chuckled a bit and they both began to make their way toward their wives. "So…" Brock said as they walked side by side down the isle. "How is Reba?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Everyone knew how Reba was a high risk pregnancy and they were always concerned but they didn't dare ask Reba. She was very sensitive about the subject. Reba loved to think that everything was okay and it was okay but she still had to see the doctor every two weeks to make sure she was able to have the baby. Barbara Jean had been very brave to ask her about it but then again Barbara Jean never really had much tack.

Vic shrugged and smiled. "She's doing all right." He turned and chuckled as he watched her add a drop of chocolate to the free sample of mini-franks. "She could cut down on the chocolate sauce a bit but the doctor said her weight is all right, just as long as she doesn't go overboard with it."

Brock nodded. "I hear you. Barbara Jean's thing is popsicles and they have to be the right ones, right shape, and they have to be the singles, other wise I have to go and search all over for the single popsicles."

Vic nodded. "I can only hope the worst is over." Vic sighed with content. He then saw the look on Brock's face. "The worst isn't over?" Vic had asked Brock a few questions before on how Reba was during pregnancy because he would obviously be the only one who would know. Reba wasn't going to tell him. He tried asking her what she needed and she just replied with that he should already know exactly what she needed.

"Has she gone through her jealousy streak yet?" he asked curiously.

They slowed down so the ladies didn't hear them. "Well, she has asked me where have I been and such but you've seen that. She did that thing with Dr. Parks. She's okay with Dr. Parks now."

Brock chuckled and started walking a bit faster. "That was just the beginning. As she gets closer to her due date, she gets even worse with the jealousy. Once…" Brock said shaking his head at a memory that just popped into his head. "While she was pregnant with Jake, she made me sleep outside because she swore she saw me at our neighbor's house earlier that morning, having a good old time but I was at work and she knew it but she could have sworn she saw me with the neighbor who was a ninety year old happily married woman and then the next morning she proceeded to yell at me because I slept outside but she had ordered me too."

Vic chuckled nervously and looked at his wife who was waving him over with a smile. "Oh boy." He said as he walked towards her like he was taking his last walk before he would be executed.

They arrived home after an hour at the grocery store. They didn't even really get anything but chocolate, fruit, and pizza. Reba just kept changing her mind and it was when she thought Vic was checking out some soccer mom did she decide it was time to leave. Vic had to shake his head at her jealousy. She glared at him and smacked him up side the head out of the blue. He didn't even know why she hit him until she told him in the car and the only reason she let him in the car was because she was too big to fit behind the wheel and she couldn't drive herself home.

"I don't understand though. I didn't look at any woman. I didn't even notice any woman near us." He said as he put away the fresh fruit they just had to get.

Reba frowned and flopped herself in a chair. "You did too. You said here ma'am as you handed her the box she dropped."

Vic had to hold back an eye roll. "Honey I was just being helpful. She dropped the box right at my feet."

Reba crossed her arms. "You could have just kicked it away and let her pick it up herself but I am sure you would have loved to see the woman bend down right in front of you."

"I couldn't kick it away, it would have been rude and the only person I like to watch when she bends down is you." He said smiling as he approached her and sat down across from her. "Although you can't do much bending anymore, I still like to look." Vic made a big mistake by saying that lame joke.

Reba's tears suddenly started. "You hate me. You think I'm fat. You can just leave me. I can raise the baby on my own. I am better off alone." She said sobbing.

Vic tried to take her hands but she pulled away. "Honey…"

"No!" she said through tears. "Don't say I am not fat because I am. I'm fat, ugly, and I want this thing out of me!" she said sobbing even more.

Vic chuckled and brought her into a hug. The hormones were really taking over her emotions. "You are carrying our baby and it's a good thing it stays in there. I know the doctor said you could go into labor anytime now and it would be safe but I would prefer you to go into labor on your due date. Now just relax. I am not leaving you and I am not leaving you to raise the baby alone…even if you insist on it. You can't get rid of me."

Reba sniffed and wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry." She said tears falling down again. "I am a complete mess and I am just so tired. I am always weepy. I don't know how you can stand me."

Vic shrugged. "Drugs help." Reba sobbed even harder. Vic chuckled. "I'm sorry honey. I know I make lame jokes. Now calm down." He said taking her face into his hands. "How about this…" he said with a smile, "How about we go away for a little while. We can have some last minute time alone before the baby comes. We can relax. It would just be me and you. We can take a nice drive some where for the weekend or something. It would be far enough away from everyone but not far enough from the doctor." He said smiling.

Reba's face lit up with a smile. "I like the sound of that."

Vic gave her one small nod. "Good." He kissed her lips and stood up to put the rest of the groceries away. "I will make the arrangements." He put the last chocolate sauce jar into the refrigerator and turned to her. "Now let's go watch some television and relax before Kyra and Jake get home." Reba started sobbing again and Vic sighed wondering what in the world she could be crying about now. "What's wrong?" he asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

"All those girls are skinny on TV!" she said, tears still running down her cheeks. Vic just wanted to bang his head on a brick wall over and over again until the pain was worse than what he was going through at the moment.

End of Chapter