Reba woke up feeling like a part of her was missing. A familiar feeling that she'd felt during the divorce. Except there was no anger- only an emptiness. She put her strong will to use and brushed it off as she got ready for the day.
The house was extremely quite, she assumed the kids were still at Brock & Barbara Jean's place. Reba missed her kids an awful lot, but her stomach told her "breakfast before offspring"! So she made her way downstairs after throwing on some of her everyday attire.
Reba dug through the pantry for something quick and easy to munch on... And what do ya know, the cabinets were bare. She checked the fridge: empty. She laughed to herself slightly annoyed but more amused. She ran back up stairs to snatch her purse so she could go grab something at a nearby get n' go.
As she started the car the sound of the engine was drowned by her favorite country radio station which happened to be playing "Now That I've Found You"... The very song she'd sang with Narvel not so long ago. Trying to put it out of her mind she hurried to the QT down the road for a snack before heading to Brock & Barbara Jean's to see the kids.
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Narvel had sped back to the cabin just as fast as he dared that evening Reba had departed. He spent the night packing and making calls for an ASAP flight back to the states. It was becoming more and more evident how much he needed that woman. Every time be looked to his side and she wasn't there he felt something was missing.
Knowing his flight wouldn't lift off till the next afternoon. He got lost reminiscing the last couple weeks.
Each time she smiled. It warmed his heart. He chuckled to himself, remembering all the silly things she'd done, stories she'd told while still being so elegant, she could leave him speechless.
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Reba could hear Kyra's guitar playing from the second story room, as she neared the house she also heard cartoons and an occasional 'Elizabeth Laugh', it brought a warm smile to her face. She missed her family so much!
Before Reba even got to the door she saw two little faces of which belonged to Henry & Elizabeth. She hurried to the door, they opened it just as she reached it, huge goofy smiles plastered on their faces. She knelt down & wrapped them both in a her arms, "Oooh I missed y'all so much!" She giggled. "I missed you too, grandma" Elizabeth whispered in her ear, Reba kissed her head, just a little teary-eyed. Henry and Elizabeth beamed as they pulled away. She pulled her purse around so it sat on her knees and pulled out two gifts, a locket she handed to Elizabeth and a small Italian sports car toy for Henry. Both of their faces lit up and they gave a big thank you before running off to inspect their presents. "You're welcome" she called after them as they ran off. "Mommy! Aunt Reba's here!!!" Henry hollered while still staring at the car. Shortly after Barbara Jean was thundering down the stairs, Reba braced herself for the hug that was sure to follow. To her surprise Barbara Jean stopped short at the bottom of the stairs- oh wait, there it is. "Did you get me anything?" Barbara Jean questioned as she squished Reba. "Maybe, if you let me go" Reba said nearly out of breath from the hug. Barbara Jean freed Reba of her signature bone-crushing hug and straightened out the wrinkles on her shirt, Reba gave her a little glare but chuckled. "Here" Reba handed her an Italian themed Beanie Baby. "Oh Reba, I love it!!" She grinned, "I'm gonna go put it with my collection, right now!" She sprinted back upstairs.
Left alone in the living room, Reba made her way to the couch and sat down. She chuckled at the playing cartoon as she turned the Television off. Reba soon heard footsteps coming down the steps, she turned to see who it was, overjoyed to find Kyra, she smiled at her daughter. "Hey mom" Kyra brightened up and walked over to her mother who promptly stood and hugged her. "I missed you darlin'" Reba said patting her back. "Yeah, I think the hug indicated that" Kyra smirked, "I missed you too" she added reassuringly. "Oh I got you something" Reba smiled as she once again dug through her purse, "ah here!" She handed Kyra a tube of rare black lipstick & an also black, leather guitar strap with her name inscribed on it. "Wow this is great, thanks mom! How much did this cost?" Kyra said. "Ah-ah, classified information" Reba responded with a wink. "Well how was your trip?" Kyra asked as they sat down, with their bodies turned toward each other, on the couch. "It was amazing, the food is great, the people are great, the scenery is great! And their wine was perfection!" She smiled. "But how about you? How've you been?" She focused her attention on Kyra. My she was growing up. "I've been really good, the band is getting better everyday! We've been playing every weekend and sometimes 3 or 4 times during the week too." Kyra replied obviously excited. "Thats great, Kyra!" She rubbed her shoulder in congratulations,"How about you and Mike? How is that going?" Kyra tried to hide the big smile that crept on to her face, her eyes twinkled and Reba smiled back. "Well, it's getting pretty serious." Her cheeks began getting rosy as she bit her lip. "Aw my little girl is in love" Reba pulled her daughter into another hug. Soon after a realization hit her and she held Kyra's shoulders at arms length, "My babies in love. With a boy. A young, restless boy" fret began etching her face. "Mom, no worries! He's great, he treats me right." Kyra laughed at her mom. "You two are being safe. I mean I prefer the safest kind of safe but you are being safe? Right?" Kyra once again chuckled at her mom. "Yes! Remember my vocabulary is great" Reba gave a soft laugh but still a bit on edge. "Mom." This time Kyra had her hands on Reba's shoulders, "Once. We fell asleep together. On the couch. Watching a movie. Fully dressed." Reba gave a sigh of relief. "You feel better now?" Reba nodded, "Yes, much better" she winked, "Hey, Where is your little brother & father?" Reba asked looking around. "Oh dad went to the hospital to pick up Cheyenne, Van and the baby & Jake is out back playing on his gameboy- Barbara Jean told him he had to play outside." Reba chuckled, "well I need to go see your brother real quick. Love you, girl" she said hugging Kyra once more.
Reba walked outside, past Brock's tanning bed to the small tree house where Jake was sitting Indian style playing on his gameboy just as Kyra predicted. She made her way over to him and sat on the step going up. "Hey mom" Jake smiled scooting closer to her to give her a hug. "Hey bud" she said patting his back. "Here I got you something" she handed him his gift of a black wrist watch, which he had in fact asked for on his birthday but she couldn't find one that told the time, date, and temperature, and a matching pair of sunglasses. His face lit up when he saw it and he hugged her again "thanks mom!" He said tightening the watch around his wrist. "This is so cool!" She loved seeing her kids so happy, "You're welcome! I'm glad you like it" she kissed his cheek. "Hey I'm gonna go see how much the temperature changes from here to over there!" Reba laughed as her son leaped from treehouse to do his research.
She headed back inside to find Barbara Jean making her favorite sweet iced tea. "Barbara Jean, thanks for taking care of the kids while I was gone" Barbara Jean sniffled a little but and put her hand over her heart, "Oh Reba it was my pleasure." Then she got serious, "That is going in my Reba journal." Reba shook her head with a laugh, "You gonna pour me some of that tea?" Barbara Jean quickly turned to grab 2 glasses, filled then with ice and poured the fresh tea in them, finding one to Reba. "Thanks" she took a sip. "So, what was your favorite part??" Barbara Jean asked inquisitively. "Narvel." Reba said absentmindedly but quickly coughed and said "The wine" Barbara Jean looked at her skeptically. "Did you say... Narvel? YOU MET A GUY?! Is he hot?!" Reba took a long drink and replied quietly, "Yes... And yes." Tapping her glass trying not to make eye contact. "Bow-chika-bow-bow"
"Oh stop it!" Reba whacked her on the arm from across the bar. "Oh come on Reba! I want all the details!" She sat he elbows on the counter ready to listen. "Oh no uh-uh, I'm not telling you anything" just then Brock walked in to the kitchen. "Not telling her any of what?" Reba did a classic palm-to-face.
