~ Mine ~

There's No U In Oklahoma

"Ronnie for the last Godblammin' time I don't want to walk around in a dirty field taking pictures with you!" Reba could hear Janine holler as she quickly swung her front door open. Her angry facial expression immediately diminishing when she saw Reba's tear stained face standing in front of her.

"Honey! What happened?!" She exclaimed as she grasped Reba's arm and pulled her forward towards the foyer of the barn-like home. Reba just shook her head as a sob escaped her and all of the tears that had just stopped falling began to well back up in her eyes. Janine's heart instantly broke for her friend, in all the years she had known Reba, she knew she'd never been one to moan and groan about her problems, no matter how big or small they may be. Reba being hormonal and pregnant was more than likely the reason for her sudden distressed visit but that didn't diminish the severity of the situation. Without saying a word Janine pulled Reba into a protective side hug, closing the front door and leading her down the hallway into the house.

"I love my husband and I'll love my dream house but I can't wait until this clutter is gone," Janine grumbled as they passed through the hall, stepping over a few open boxes that were strewn in front and to the left of them, various samples of carpet and paint colors also left carelessly on the crystal coffee tables nearby. Ronnie had surprised Janine for their last anniversary in telling her that he had a bite on a huge piece of acreage nearby. He had further explained that once the sale went through, Janine and their designer would turn her dream house into a reality. Little by little the couple had been in the process of fixing up their current home for the market. Snickering slightly at her friend's comment, Reba rested her head on Janine's shoulder as they continued to make their way to the back of the house where the kitchen was located. She hadn't even been trying and already she felt secure and taken care of.

"Sit here while I make you some warm tea," Janine instructed once they'd made it to the entrance of the kitchen. Guiding Reba over to the large wooden table that had deer antlers extending from the bottom end and onto the floor as legs, she quickly sat Reba in one of the matching chairs, making sure she was seated comfortably before jogging over to the corner counter and setting the kettle on to boil. Watching as Janine went to grab two turquoise mugs, Reba took the sleeves of her blue blouse and dabbed at her still damp and puffy eyes.

"I'm so sorry to just come over and unload on you like this."

"I should have called." Reba apologized in a meek voice, looking up at Janine who was already shaking her head vigorously.

"Nonsense."

"Family don't apologize Reba Nell and you know that." Janine halfway scorned. You would think after two decades Reba would get that by now but that was one of the things Reba loved about Janine, how much like herself she was. Strong-willed, stubborn, as country as hell, and one of the kindest woman you'd ever meet. She always took care of her own.

"Now what on Earth has you so upset?"

"Was it Narvel?"

"I'll call Ronnie right up if I have to, he's not gettin custody and that's final." Janine continued on, shaking her head angrily as if Reba had already confirmed her accusations.

"I actually haven't even mentioned that to him."

"And no, that's not why I'm here," Reba explained softly, her throat closing up as she thought about Ezra and their afternoon. Opening her mouth to further explain, she quickly closed it, the pain in her chest suddenly becoming unbearable. Tears began to stream down her face and she tried desperately to calm down, her chest rising and falling in a panicked state. Without hesitation, Janine urgently kneeled down at Reba's feet, her forehead meeting hers as she took her face in her hands, commanding her to take slow deep breaths, ones that matched her own. Narvel had mentioned once in the past that when Reba had been pregnant with Shelby, one of the complications she had faced were panic attacks, the overbearing amount of hormones that coerced through her body caused an explosion of built up stress. With the amount of chaos in her life, it was a wonder how she didn't have one every two minutes this time around.