~ Mine ~

Why Haven't I Heard From You?

"Argh! What is with the light?" Reba groaned as she turned over, on her big plushy couch, in an attempt to shield herself from the blinding light that was suddenly now seeping in from the living room window.

"You lied to me." Chassidy announced, the agitation very evident in her voice.

"About what?" Reba groggily questioned, slowly sitting up, her arm still sheltering her eyes as they tried to adjust to the morning light.

"About meeting me at the café."

"And apparently about being better too." She added, growing even more annoyed with her step-mother.

"That was today?" Reba questioned guiltily as she removed her arm, squinting up at her daughter, who was standing stiffly in front of her.

"Reba please don't shut us out." Chassidy pleaded discouragingly, her stiff stance relaxing a bit.

"Honey that's not at all what's going on." Reba sincerely assured her, quickly rising from the couch. Wishing she hadn't as a wave of dizziness came over her.

"Then what is it?"

"It's been a week since you said you were better and I have to hear from Brandon that you called into the office sick the last three days?!" She asked growing a little frustrated. She already had to deal with the fact that she was moving to Texas just after her parents' divorce, the last thing she needed was Reba pulling away when she wasn't around to help her.

"I've just been tired and the last thing I wanted to do was worry you." Reba promised as she reached out and grabbed Chassidy's right hand, intertwining it with her own.

"Good! Then you'll have no problem by reassuring me at the doctor's office." Chassidy challenged, as she felt Reba's hand suddenly slip limply from hers and drop to her side.

"Chass." Reba began to protest in a whiny tone.

"I don't even have an appointment and I hate the doctors." She continued to groan in an insolent manner, as she pouted at her amused daughter.

"Then how convenient is it that you have a super caring daughter that set up an appointment for you in just thirty minutes?" Chassidy mused in a mocking tone, smiling widely back at Reba.

"Thirty minutes?" Reba questioned through her gritted teeth; she needed to shower, change, eat, and function all in thirty minutes?!

"Well I was going to tell you at the Café, but someone stood me up." Chassidy continued to taunt as she batted her eyelashes innocently.

"Point taken." Reba muttered as she pulled down her raggedy USA sweatshirt and rubbed her tired face once more.

"Shelby has a race at Nashville Speedway today." Reba stated suddenly, trying desperately to get out of this surprise doctors appointment.

"Shelby has hundreds of fans cheering him on today, he'll make do." Chassidy continued, still hell bent on not letting her step-mother wiggle her way out of this one.

"Fine." She mumbled reluctantly.

"If I go to the doctor will you leave me alone once and for all?" Reba compromised. If she had to go to the doctors, then she at least wanted to get her kids to stop worrying about her.

"Scouts honor." Chassidy said raising her right hand.

"Only boys are allowed in the Scouts." Reba mumbled while raising her right eyebrow skeptically.

"Red, who do you think sells all those Girl SCOUT cookie's?" Chassidy questioned back, slightly dumbfounded. Laughing a bit, Reba's face began to turn as red as her hair as she tried to wrack her brain around a quick response.