"So where are we going?" Reba asked Brock as she settled in beside him and buckled her seatbelt.

"Mom, this is a surprise, we are not going to tell you." Jake said, trying his best to hide the excitement in his voice. He failed to do so, and everyone laughed at him. His mom never celebrated her birthdays like she celebrated her kids birthdays. He liked seeing his mom being all dressed up and feeling excited about something. He knew what dad had planned and Jake wanted to witness how Reba would react.

"Ugh, y'all know that I hate surprises," Reba replied half-heartedly, unable to completely mask her smirk.

"Since when?" Brock bantered.

"Since forever."

"You do not, mom. Stop pryin', we won't tell ya," quipped Cheyenne from the back seat.

They drove for about 30 minutes, listening to music on the radio while the kids were talking, laughing. Everything almost felt like it had before-back when they were still a real family. Reba thought to herself that the scene inside the car wasn't normal. Why are they being so nice to each other?

"You look beautiful tonight, Red, " Brock looked at Reba -who looked a bit worried. She didn't completely trust what was happening. Normally nights like this started out well and devolved into a family-wide fight. That they were all being so... pleasant confused her. She bit her lower lip and Brock couldn't help but see her in a different light. She bit her lip a lot; when she was concentrating, when she was trying not to say something she shouldn't when she was in the throes of pleasure. He knocked the thoughts of Reba, the way she used to look when they were married and he was loving her out of his head. Now was not the time to fantasize about his ex-wife. She bit her lower lip and he almost started to fantasize about her like he was in her bathroom not a while ago. She looked at him and gave him her dazzling smile.

"Fifty really suits you" he pointed out and smiled.

"Oh, stop sayin' I'm fifty. Do I really look fifty to ya?" she questioned him in a doubtful voice.

"You are not a day older than 40." he said with a grin. She always looked younger than she was to him. Her skin was always so well nourished and she exercised regularly. She even ate healthy, opposite to him and his bad eating habits.

"What's up with you and your compliments tonight?" Reba asked him, confused. Brock started laughing and didn't want to answer her. Oh, classic Reba always has the need to be in control and not take compliments just as is, Brock thought to himself.

"Just take the compliment woman and stop being so worried; tonight we are celebrating you, so quit worrying and smile." He said to her quite determined to get her out of her funk - to just enjoy dinner with her family.

She heard a very familiar sound on the radio but was unable to grasp at first what was so familiar with it. And then it hit her. Her eyes switch from looking outside to the radio, and Brock somehow knew what she wanted. He turned the volume up a bit and a small smile graced her lips when she could finally hear the song clearly.

In a millisecond, both of them were hit with nostalgia and the full meaning of the song came back and washed over them. They turned to each other, and Reba saw the flinch in Brock's eyes despite his hardly noticeable smirk. She knew then that the meaning of the song wasn't lost in him, and it made her heart swell with joy.

Of all the years I ever knew

Those finer ones I spent with you

I would give everything I own

Give up my life, my heart, my own

I would give everything I own

Just to have you back again….

As the song was playing, Reba smiled nervously and turned her head to look out of the car window. She couldn't help but reminisce the event that transpired last night..."Was this surprise dinner already his plan before the revelation last night?"

…..

Reba was at the table, eating her dinner when the back door opened abruptly. Brock entered and slammed the door. He looked a little tipsy. He was smiling- Reba couldn't help but give him a funny look. What was he doing in her kitchen?

"Oh hey, Brock. What is it this time?" He looked at her smiling, seeing that she has her glass of red wine on the table.

"Hey, Red. Let's open a bottle of wine to celebrate the last hours of you being young and fun?!" He started walking to the pantry. He knew she had a hidden spot, where she hides the good bottles of wine - red wine she loves. They were hidden behind the pasta. She always had three bottles on the stock, just because you never knew, when she would be in the mood to unwind. Wine was her I-need-to-relax kind of a mood and her favorite whiskey was for her I'm-so-angry-I'll-break-something kind of a mood.

"Young and fun?" Reba was puzzled. He was teasing her - that she knew. She could tell he was a little tipsy because of how bold he was being with her... She took her dinner plate and put it in the dishwasher.

"Yes, tomorrow you'll be 50 and you'll be old and grumpy,..." Brock yelled out of the pantry.

"Old and grumpy? Not spearing me with compliments tonight, I see" She said quietly as he came out of the pantry. He ignored her mumbling.

"So, how are you feeling?" He asked her sweetly while opening the bottle of her favorite red wine. Sometimes just a glass of wine and his touch would make her feel special and wanted. Now it's not the time for this kind of thinking, Reba...she thought for herself as she took one wine glass, as hers was already on the table.

"What?" Reba asked him confused

"The last hours of you being 49; how are you feeling?"

"Oh, 50 doesn't mean anything; it's just a number; and my body is looking like it was 30 years ago, so..." She said a little sexier than she meant but it was fun teasing him.

He laughed and took his full glass of wine, went to the table and sat down. She followed him and sat across from him. She took a sip and sighed. She had so been looking forward to having the house to herself tonight; she needed a moment of peace. Instead, Brock was there, sipping wine and teasing her at her kitchen table...maybe drunk already. Typical Brock- but she didn't mind it all that much. It was kind of nice to see him.

"I miss you, you know?" He said bravely. Her eyes were wide, she was actually blown away by his bold statement.

"Do you remember what we used to say all the time when we were married?" Brock took a sip of his wine when he asked her.

"No, I don't Brock. I washed old memories away with a lot of whiskey, when you left me, remember that ?" She said harshly than intended but he didn't budge.

"Oh c'mon Reba, I know you remember. We said, when Jake moves out and you turn fifty, we'll take a trip- just the two of us."

She sighed "Oh, we were young and stupid."

Brock laughed a little at her snarky comment and said sweetly "No, we were in love; don't forget that Red."

She had enough of his sentimental memories and took a large gulp of her wine, finished it and stood up. "Brock, go home, sober up and stop being so sentimental!"

Brock just ignored her being sassy. "Honey, listen. I know I screwed up, but you know what these last years brought me?"

"What?" Said Reba just to spite him. To hear him maybe finally admitting what he lost.

"The wisdom of what true love is and how do we need a companion in our lives, to share our lives with, and when I went to therapy, we discussed that...and I came to a realization that the best decision in my life was when I asked you out"

Reba laughed "You needed therapy for that?"

Brock stood up and walked to her "Oh stop with your sass. You were and are the love of my life. I always knew that. I needed time to grow as a person. I think it's time we acknowledge that we are meant to be. I know I have a lot to prove to you again, that I've changed and I know now I really will be committed to you. I wanna see you happy and I want to make you laugh again. I want to see that your eyes are sparkly and witty just for me. And your sass and passion when you look at me and I feel your desire. I know you want to be independent and all but life is short and I want to spend it with you. Let me be your rock again, your knight in shining armor, I'll prove to you that you can trust me again. You'll see, I will prove to you that I'm not a mo-ron you are seeing. You'll see, you will fall in love with me again. You are the half that makes me whole."

He gave her his most charming smile as he waited for a response. Instead of returning his sentiments, she stared deep into his eyes. He slowly moved his hands to her face. She stood there, so close to him, frozen from both fear and excitement. His hands were lightly touching her hot cheeks and his eyes were trailing from her eyes to her lips and back again. She bit her bottom lip and suddenly Brock kissed Reba with such passion, as she hadn't been kissed in years. He kissed her and the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. His lips were soft and inviting her to open to him. His hand rested below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breath mingled. He ran her fingers down her spine, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them and she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest. She somehow gave in. She felt like she was walking on air. It was magic, the way his lips connected with hers. His mouth was so warm, the caress of his lips softer than she could have imagined and she opened her mouth with a low moan. Brock smiled. There was a minute of her thinking, she would put her arms around his neck, give in to this feeling of passion and desire but while she contemplated what to do, he ended his kiss and just walked away … Reba was so staggered, she just stood there. She could hardly breathe, her hands were shaking. She put her hands on the counter; to hold onto something hard and tangible and closed her eyes. In her mind, she replayed his last words: You are the half that makes me whole….. and this incredible man really enticed her.

…...

After 45 minutes of driving, Brock slowed down. Reba snapped out of her flashback daydreaming and looked out the window. She saw a beautiful restaurant with huge, almost floor to ceiling glass windows-the place certainly looked very fancy. Brock pulled into the parking lot and turned off his car.

"Here we are! Everybody out," Brock instructed as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Wow, Brock, that looks fancy!" said Reba when she closed her car door, looking at this restaurant.

"Red, we are not going there" he smiled, "our restaurant is across the street. Do you remember it?" Brock pointed his finger to an old sign across the street. Reba finally turned around and saw the sign "Fellini's" her favorite Italian restaurant. She gasped and looked at Brock.

"But it's closed on Wednesdays, Brock,"

"The owner and I play golf together and we made a deal, if he loses his game, he will open his restaurant just for us," he said proudly.

"And you won?" she asked him rather puzzled and worried what would he say.

"Yes, for you," he said proudly.

Reba gave him a small smile, reached for his hand and squeezed it walked across the street to the restaurant. She was amazed how he made an effort just for her sake. She didn't quite know if he was telling her the truth about all this but she wanted to believe him.