Surprise!

Chapter twenty-one

Narvel hadn't been feeling well, causing even more stress on him, due to Reba not being cared for properly. She had attempted to take care of him several times, but he would always threaten to call her mother which led to her threatening to call his as well.

"Reba, go get your ass back in the bed, you'll get sick," Narvel struggled up from the couch, taking the thermometer out of her hands. He was growing frustrated with her, not feeling well and having to constantly keep her in like was getting old.

"Call my mama, I don't care anymore," stomping her little foot on the floor like a child.

"Alright, I will," Narvel headed for the phone seeing as Reba was not going to back down from this one.

"You ass, Im just trying to help you," going on a rant; Narvel just rubbed his temples, feeling a migraine coming on.

"Hey Jackie; listen, can you come over here? The baby and Reba are fine, but I'm not feeling well and I can't keep her in bed anymore," he explained, Reba slapping him on the shoulder as she walked past him to the kitchen. "Ouch! Sorry-she hit me," running his arm. Jackie sighed on the other end of the line. "Y'all probably haven't had a decent meal in a while so I'll fix something and head over there," Marvel caught Reba glaring at him through the doorway, "Thanks Jackie, we'll see you then."

Narvel turned to Reba, "Uou have twenty minutes to get back in bed and stay there," he warned.

"I want on the couch," Reba stated.

"But I'm already settled in on it," Narvel sighed, she wasn't going to make this easy on him.

"Then it looks like you'll have to resettle in the bedroom."

Narvel began to protest, but of course she used the excuse of "the baby ways it."

"Reba, shut up!" Narvel yelled when she began to ramble about how he didn't care for her or the baby's needs.

Reba stopped in mid-sentence and stared at him, jaw dropped to the floor. Narvel had never spoken to her like that before!

"Now sit your ass down on the couch and wait for Jackie." Narvel pointed to the couch, which she immediately took a seat on. He sat down on the other end and rested his arms on his head to block out the light that was killing his head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you that way," Narvel spoke up, reaching for her hand, "and don't you ever say that I don't care about you and our baby. Both of you are the most important things to me and you will always come before anything, I really don't feel well and us fighting is just making things worse." Narvel rubbed his thumb over the back of her delicate hand. "I appreciate your apology and I am also sorry for being so damn difficult to live with right now. The hormones bare making me crazy and miserable, and the affair didn't help either- I'm just sorry," scooting towards him and clinging to his side. Narvel just held her against him and kissed her head, not realizing how much this pregnancy and his affair was affecting her. "Baby, I'm sorry, I didn't realize how much this was still bothering you. I'm struggling too right now."

"Maybe we should call it quits, I'll go back to Mama and Daddy's, you can go back to your parents house. I will let you see the baby whenever you want to...you can even keep them for a weekend when they are older," the whole time she spoke, he was sitting there in disbelief, shaking his head.

"No Reba. No one is going anywhere," finality in his voice.

"I don't want us to fight all of the time, which is exactly what we are doing. Our child cannot grow up in that, they'll be here in a little over three months. Reba rubbed her five and a half month bump.

"We'll fix this, I promise. It is going to have to be okay, because I won't let you leave me," leaning down to kiss her head.

"I don't want to leave you. But we need to shape up before this baby gets here!" She stood up frustrated. "We can't seem to a go a day without an argument!"
He sighed and mumbled. "Have you ever thought that maybe it's you..?" She heard him and almost flipped out. "Excuse me?!" He looked up wide eyed, then chuckled. "Reba, I meant it's you. It's the baby in you and all the hormones that come along with having it! It's not us! We're fine." He laughed a little bit. "It's just our baby."

"It is so not our baby!" She huffed. Narvel pulled her back down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Your mama just showed up," he whispered. "Crappppppp!" She sighed as Jackie came in the door. "Reba Nell!"

"Mama!" Reba jumped up from the couch

"Mama!" She tried to protest but Jackie wasn't going to have it. "Nope! No back talking little missy! I'm here now and for the time being I'm going to take care of you two so everyone can be happy and healthy again." She huffed. "Mama I'm a grown woman!" Reba yelled.
Jackie turned on her heels to stop her. "No you're not. You're just a baby having a baby!"
That stung. Reba wasn't too sure what else to say so she just let herself become speechless. "I-I'm sorry. Excuse me.." She quickly exited the room before anyone could see her tears. Jackie shook her head, feeling slightly guilty knowing that hurt her.

Narvel and Jackie heard the bedroom door slam. Jackie sighed and approached the room, "Reba? Honey, I'm sorry can you open up?" She knocked softly.

She was met with silence, and tried again. "Red please. I'm sorry."

Reba opened the door, "come in." She opened the door wider, returning to her bed to sit down.She untucked her hair from behind her ears to hide her face a little more.

"Baby, I'm sorry," Jackie reached across and patted her knee.

"Mama," she started crying, "I want to go home."