I sat there and cried for a few more minutes before I stood up and walked into the bathroom. My face looked like a mess, my mascara was running like crazy, and a black eye was starting to form under my left eye. I sighed.

I washed my face and headed back into the kitchen to get an ice pack. I went upstairs and laid on my bed with the ice pack up against my face.

I have lost my husband, a friend, and have been punched, all in a matter of just a few days.

I started to tense up when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I feared it was Ronnie. I have never in my life been hit by someone the way he hit me. He is the last person in the world I thought would do that to me, and he was the last person I wanted to be around at the moment.

I had my eyes closed tightly, the pack still on my face, when someone came into my room. Whoever it was walked over the side of my bed. "Reba?"

I opened my eyes at the sound of his voice. I smiled at him and sat up in bed, setting the ice pack on the bedside table. He sat down next to me on the edge of the bed. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would come over and see how things were. What happened to your eye?" Kix started to gently rub against my eye with his finger, I flinched, it was sensitive. He put his arm back down.

I looked everywhere but at Kix. "Reba what's wrong? Did Ronnie do that?" Kix sat straight up and tensed up when he asked that.

I still wouldn't look at him and wouldn't respond. He gently grabbed my chin and turned my head to look at him. I started to cry again. Kix pulled me into a hug and I cried onto his shoulder.

"What happened?" Kix asked. I got out of his grip and leaned back up against the headboard. "I went to bed after you left last night, and when I came into the kitchen this morning Ronnie was sitting at the table eating breakfast. I told him we needed to talk about last night. He got angry and asked me to drop the subject but I refused. He tried to leave the room but I followed him, and I told him I wasn't going to drop it and that he needed to discuss it. He got angry and threatened me, so I told him to leave, he refused. Well I got mad and said he was acting like Narvel. That was when he came up to me and punched me. He left right afterwards, haven't seen him since."

Kix looked at me with shock, anger, and hurt in his face. "That's not like him to do something like that."

I stood up and started pacing the room. "I know, that's why it scares me so much. I never thought in a million years that Ron would ever do something like that." Kix stood up and grabbed me to stop my pacing and turned me to face him. "He's changed Kix."

Kix sighed. "I know."

"What do we do? I can't let him stay here anymore."

"We will figure it out together. I promise."

I smiled at him and hugged him, thanking him.

We went downstairs and sat down on my couch. "So, how did it go with Barbra last night."

"She was up waiting for me when I got back. I told her what happened and she was in shock. I guess she was going over to Janine's today to check on them."

"I feel bad for Barbra." I laughed.

"Me too." he laughed also. "Just remember this, no matter what happens, we will always be there for you."

"Thank you Kix."

We both looked up when the front door opened. Ronnie.

Kix stood up and walked over to him. Ronnie just stood by the door. "What the hell has gotten into you? Are you going to punch everyone around you now?" Kix was almost yelling.

Ronnie looked at me. I was still sitting on the couch. "I'm really sorry Reba. I don't know what got into me. I would never mean to hurt you, you know that."

I looked away. "You're right. The old Ronnie would never hurt me, or anyone he loves for that matter." I looked back up at him and made eye contact with him. "But I feel like I don't know the man standing in front of me anymore." Kix was still standing in front of Ronnie as I said this.

Ronnie walked over to me Kix following close behind. "I'm still the same person you know. I just have so much going on." I stood up and walked closer to him.

"In case you forgot, I am going through it too." I sighed. "I feel your pain Ronnie, but you keep bottling your feelings up, and it's not doing any good, last night and this morning was a great example of why."

"You need help Ronnie." said Kix.

"I know." Ronnie looked to the floor. I could tell he was hurting. I went to him and gave him a hug. He started to cry.

"We will get through this. Somehow, someway. I promise you." I said.