'Cause The Heart Won't Lie – 05
Tomorrow would be another Valentines Day that Reba would spend 'the day of love' all alone. Even though she wasn't crazy about the day, she still couldn't help but feel a little lonely knowing everyone else had someone to celebrate with. She thought back when she was with Brock: their first Valentines. He was so sweet for recreating the first night they walked hand in hand along the beach. Although, every year after that he kept apologizing for not be able to top that, Reba always told him she was just content to spend some romantic time with him.
"Grandma... Grandma!" called Elizabeth waving her little hand in front of her grandma.
Waking up from her daydream, Reba gave her attention to her granddaughter, "Yes, honey?"
Elizabeth handed her the card she made from her preschool to Reba, "Happy Valentine, Grandma."
"Aww," Reba cooed, "Thank you sweetie, but Valentines isn't until tomorrow."
"But our teacher let us make cards today. I have one for Grandpa too."
"That's because tomorrow is Saturday and you won't be going to school tomorrow. That's why your teacher let you make the card today," explained Reba. Elizabeth nodded in understanding, but encouraged Reba to still open the card. Reba pulled the card out from its envelope and examined it, she grinned. On the card, there were two heart shapes like a four year old could draw. Below the heart was two stick people, one with a triangle skirt and the other with square pants. They looked like they were holding hands. Under the one with the skirt, Elizabeth wrote 'Gamma' and under the other one was 'Gampa'. "This is so adorable. Thank you honey." The girl giggled when Reba kissed her cheek. Reba looked at the card again before she stuck it on the fridge-door to display.
"Where's Grandpa? I want to give him his card too."
"He'll be back soon, baby. Why don't you put the card on the coffee table? He'll see it when he comes home."
"How come Grandpa doesn't have his own room?" questioned Elizabeth.
"We don't have any room left, honey. We have four bedrooms in this house and they are all taken. Your parents are in one of them, then Uncle Jake. And your room used to be Aunt Kyra's old room."
"How come Grandpa doesn't stay with you?" The girl continued to ask questions. "Mommy and daddy share a room. How come you don't share your room with Grandpa?"
"You will understand when you are older, honey," concluded Reba. Elizabeth frowned but did not attempt to ask any more questions. She grabbed the card she made for Brock and headed to the living room. "Elizabeth..."
"Yes?" The girl stopped and looked back at Reba.
"Would you like to go to the park with me tomorrow?" Elizabeth jumped up and down happily in response. Reba beamed, she didn't have to spend her valentine alone after all. She got to spend it with her granddaughter that she loved with all her heart.
Returned home from a hard day at work, Brock flopped down on the sofa thinking how long it gonna be before he could afford a place of his own, so he wouldn't have to sleep on this so uncomfortable couch anymore. However, he also had second thoughts about getting a place of his own because he didn't want to be by himself. It was too quiet being in an apartment alone. He found that out when he separated from Reba. He didn't like that at all. So many times he was tempted to ask her if he could move back home, but his stupid ego was pulling him back. Now he was back home, not quite the way he expected, but at least he was in the same house with her again, and she didn't chase him away. Maybe he should be happy about it, a little back pain wouldn't kill. Brock told himself.
Reaching for the remote, he saw a red and pink card with his name on it. He smiled reading the card from his granddaughter. Elizabeth was such a sweet little girl. She reminded him of Cheyenne when she was young. He couldn't help but think back when Reba told him she was pregnant. 22 years had passed as quickly as a blink of the eye. How he missed those wonderful old times. Rested the card up right on the coffee table to display on his little area, Brock got up to grab a beer, wondering where Reba was. He spotted a similar card stuck on the fridge door, so he decided to put his card next to hers. As he was admiring the cards, he heard the sound of laughter came from the backyard. He decided to take a peak. There she was, with her granddaughter, watering the plants.
"I want to help, Grandma!" The girl demanded.
"Alright, here hold on to this." Reba gave her granddaughter the hose. She then walked over to the tap to turn the water on.
"No water coming out, Grandma," said Elizabeth looking into the sprayer.
"You have to squeeze the handle, baby." Reba instructed. Elizabeth screamed and laughed when she squeezed the handle and the water sprayed her face. Reba was laughing along with her, Elizabeth turned around and sprayed the water at her grandmother. "Ah! You're suppose to water the plants!" cried Reba. However, Elizabeth found it was amusing to play with her grandmother, so she ran away with the garden hose. When Reba tried to reach for it, she turned around and sprayed Reba a few times causing the both of them to laugh.
"Uh hmm..." Brock cleared his throat, getting the attention from the granddaughter and the grandmother. "What are you guys doing?"
"Oh, nothing. We're just watering our garden." Reba replied sheepishly hiding the hose she eventually took from the girl behind her back. How adorable she looked with her eyes sparkling amusingly. Brock was taken aback. It had been so long that Reba looked at him like that. She might not realize it, but she eyes shone brightly at him. Elizabeth took this opportunity to steal the hose back from Reba and she started spraying Brock with it.
Brock jumped back a little startled from the girl's action. She giggled and began to run away when Brock chased her around Reba. Reba laughed and attempted to protect her granddaughter. So she stood there between them. Brock decided to take a step forward by pulling Reba into his arms instead of running around her. Before Reba had a chance to react, Brock was sprayed again so he turned Reba lose and ran after the girl who was laughing and giggling. The two adults and a little girl were having so much fun with their water war. They didn't notice Cheyenne and Barbra Jean were staring at them at a distance. They exchanged quizzical glances before walking into Reba's kitchen. Cheyenne saw the two cards that her daughter made for her grandparents side by side.
"Cheyenne, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" questioned the tall blond still looking at Reba who was currently locking Brock in her arms so Elizabeth could spray water at him. Brock didn't look like he was trying to get out of her embrace. He would probably stay there forever if he could.
"Yeah, where's my card?" Cheyenne mumbled disappointingly, glancing at the cards.
"That's not what I meant!" Barbra Jean gritted, "I mean your parents!"
"They keep saying that have nothing but friendship." Cheyenne replied. She had been observing them since the day Brock moved in. Reba might not reveal her feelings toward Brock. However, nobody could really tell what was on her mind anyway. But for her dad, he showed that he cared. Even though, Reba seemed to be indifferent toward Brock, but she never appear to want him to leave. She might complain about extra load of laundry she had to do, but she still made sure he had clean clothes to wear. She might complain about extra dinner she had to cook, but she sometimes asked him what he would like to eat. Cheyenne confronted Brock, to see if he still loved Reba, but he said he respected her as a mother of his children, he adored her as his best friend. He admired her kind heart for forgiving him and accepting him for who he was. However, he did not say that he still loved her. When Cheyenne asked Reba with the same question, she almost got the exact same answers.
"Oh phuleeze! Do they look anything like 'friends'? I'd say they look more like a young couple with their first kid!"
"But that's my kid! That's so unfair. Elizabeth loves them more than she loves Van and me. If they want a kid, they should make their own." Cheyenne grumbled jealously forgetting the fact that they already had three and she was one of them.
"Maybe, they should." Barbra Jean determined. Cheyenne stared at her like she had grown another head.
"Are you serious? But, you and dad..." Barbra Jean had accept the divorce graciously as if she had been prepared for it to happen. Thus she was no longer related to Reba's family, but they still treated her just the same. Although, Reba avoided her less for she understood the pain of divorce. Although, she still wouldn't admit that she liked Barbra Jean and thought of her as her best friend. Barbra Jean didn't mind for she knew, deep down, Reba liked her.
"We are divorced. I'm way over your dad. And as you and I know, he still loves Reba. Although, we're not sure how your mom feels, but I believe she still has feelings for him. So if we can get them back together then why not?"
"Well if you don't feel weird about it. I think they are kinda cute." Cheyenne said looking at the backyard again. "Let's try getting them back together."
"That's the smartest thing you said today!" remarked Barbra Jean.