The Life of Reba McEntire Blackstock

Part 13

Reba's P.O.V.

Narvel and I drove home in silence, hands intertwined. Every once and a while, he would move our hands over to my leg and draw small circles on my knee. I would look up, only to meet eyes with him and witness a grin appear on his face. This grin though had strings of sadness stitched without. I rebutted with a grin of the same sort. He then squeezed my hand and looked back towards the road. We drove in silence again until he put the car in park in our garage. Narvel turned towards me and asked, "Do you want to use your crutches or me to carry you?" He knew that I hated him doing stuff for me, but at this moment in time, I needed to feel his arms around me. Before I could even reply, Narvel showed up on my side of the car to carry me inside. As he worked on opening the front door, he looked at his watch and questioned me, "Its 8 o'clock, babe. Do you want to sit and watch television or go straight up to bed?" I countered quickly, "I want to watch TV and cuddle with you." He said, "I wouldn't dream of leaving you alone on that couch," with a wide smile appearing on his face. We snaked our way through the house to the living room and he set me on our brown leather sectional and took a seat next to me. Narvel handed me the remote while he wrapped his arm around my shoulder pulling me close. I was scrolling through the channels when I saw that a Reba marathon was on. That was exactly what I needed right now. I needed a whole lot of Barbara Jean jokes to cheer me up. The episode was The Blond Leading the Blind, so I knew I was in for a good treat. The TV screen showed me stumbling into the kitchen with the plastic optometrist sunglasses on trying to get a glass of water. I grabbed a plant instead of the glass and ended up getting a face full of dirt. I threw my head back in laughter, forgetting that my head was nuzzled into Narvel's neck. I felt the top of my head hit his jawline and he laughs harder than he already was. I look up at him nervously, hoping that I hadn't hurt him too badly. When he concluded his laughing session he looked down at me, with a smile on his face. He asks with a giggle, "What?" I continue looking at him, confused by his reaction, but finally manage to ask, "I didn't hurt you? I hit you pretty hard." He looks back at me and answers, "You did hurt me, but seeing you laugh like that made me forget all the pain." I looked him deep in the eyes and whispered, "You continue to amaze me every day Narvel Wayne! Oh, babe. It's already starting to bruise! Let me kiss it to make it better!" I kiss on the bruising spot then give him a tender kiss on the lips. Narvel lays down on his back, taking me with him. I lay on my stomach with my head on his chest. I turn my head back to the TV and feel Narvel kiss my temple. I smile as he runs his hands through my hair and whispers, "I love you so much Reba Nell." With those words fresh in my mind, I doze off to sleep.

Narvel's P.O.V.

I put the car in drive and grabbed for Reba's hand, intertwining our fingers. We drive in silence, both replaying the day's activities in our heads. Images of Shelby with Reba and our brunch filled my mind, then, the movie kept playing through Reba' appointment. I brought our hands over to her knee, silently checking that she was okay, then rubbed small circles over her knee to capture her attention. My eyes met hers as I displayed a sad grin across my face. Reba returned it, her smile just as sad as mine. I squeezed her hand then turned my eyes back to the road. Once again, I consumed myself with thoughts as we drove silently. I snapped out of my daydreamish state when I had to put the car in park in our garage. I knew it was best to ask Reba if she wanted to use her crutches because of her independent ways, but I really didn't want to. I wanted to feel her body in my in my arms, safe and strong. I eventually asked her, "Do you want to use your crutches or me to carry you?" I knew what her answer was going to be, but my needs were strong, so before she could answer I opened her door and scooped her out of the seat. I expected her to squirm and try to get out of my embrace, but instead she snuggled in tighter. I reached the front door and had to do a balancing act to unlock it. As I reached for the key, I glanced at my watch to see the time. It was 8 o'clock, late enough to go to bed, but way earlier than we usually do. Whatever we did, I was staying right next to Reba. I asked her, ""Its 8 o'clock, babe. Do you want to sit and watch television or go straight up to bed?" She responded very quickly, saying, "I want to watch TV and cuddle with you." She and I were connected on such a deep level that we usually thought the same thing at the same time. I replied, "I wouldn't dream of leaving you alone on that couch," and a large grin spread across my face. I kicked open the door and shut it with my backside, then worked my way through our maze of a house to our living room. I set Reba on our large brown leather sectional then took my spot close next to her. I grabbed the remote and handed it to Reba while laying my arm over her shoulder and pulling her tight. She scrolled through the channels, passing Reba multiple times before finally clicking on it. Honestly, I REALLY wanted to watch it. I loved watching Reba act and Melissa Peterman as Barbara Jean was absolutely hilarious! Reba laid her head in the crook of my neck and I placed my chin on her head. The TV showed Reba stumbling into the kitchen set right after she had laser surgery on her eyes. She attempted to get a glass from the shelf to fill with water because she was thirsty, but instead grabbed a small potted plant. She filled her "cup" with water then brought it to her mouth, obtaining the fiber from the plant instead of quenching her thirst. I was cracking up laughing, and Reba was too, because all of a sudden I felt something hard strike my jaw. I must've been her head because she stopped laughing and gazed up at me nervously as I continued laughing through the pain. After I finished my uncontrollable laughing, I looked down at her and at her and asked with a giggle, "What?" She continued looking at me with concern lacing her eyes. She finally broke from her coma of silence by saying, "I didn't hurt you? I hit you pretty hard." I answered as truthfully as I could. "You did hurt me, but seeing you laugh like that made me forget all the pain." When Reba laughed, you could break my leg and I wouldn't notice the pain. She made me numb to all worldly ailments. She looked at me deep in the eyes with a grin appearing on her lips. She spoke quietly, "You continue to amaze me every day Narvel Wayne!" Her gaze shifted to my jawline, "Oh, babe. It's already starting to bruise! Let me kiss it to make it better!" She kissed the forming bruise then kissed me tenderly on the lips. I laid backwards on the couch bringing her down with me. I was on my back with Reba on her stomach, head lying on my chest, on top of me. Reba continues to watch the television, giggling at the scenes. I would too, but her hair entices me more at the moment. I play with her hair and brush it off her temple. I crunch forward to kiss her temple and whisper in her ear, "I love you so much Reba Nell." She dozes off to sleep and turn off the TV. I watch her rise and fall on my chest until I too fall into a deep sleep.