Reba You Brought Water

As soon as Reba Hart had walked into her office on Friday morning, she had noticed the vase full of flowers sitting on her wooden desk. The vibrant reds, pinks, and whites were arranged so perfectly, seemingly floating in a half-filled vase of water. The redhead looked right and left, almost embarrassed by a gift of affection on her wooden desk.

Absentmindedly, she tried to set the vase elsewhere but her hands felt clammy each time she touched the clear glass container. Thinking of how much she did not like the idea of Valentine's Day, Reba had to wonder who was responsible for this sure mistake. She moved to her seat, blankly staring at the petals of all her favorite flowers.

She let her mind wander to her breakfast conversation with Barbra Jean. She thought about Van's rant about his eleven year old daughter's love life. She was just as distracted as the happy, humming coworkers she had and still, Reba had to wonder who gave her the flowers.

* * *

><p>Brock had called her around lunchtime and she felt compelled to tell him about the incident. Slipping her jacket back on while holding the phone to her ear, she could hear the astonishment in his voice. It made her want to slap him silly.<p>

"So you have a secret admirer?" She was so glad he couldn't see her face turn bright red at his laugh.

"Shut up, Brock." She heard her stomach grumble as she walked toward her office door, "What do you want?"

"I just need your advice." Brock's voice hushed and she angrily crossed her arms, trying to keep her cool. First he laughed at the idea that someone sent her flowers and secondly, he was asking her for tips?

"Bro-"

"Just hear me out, what would you consider the most romantic way to spend Valentine's Day?" The way he said it sounded like he had no regards for who he was talking to, his ex-wife.

"I am not the one you ask about this, Brock." Reba gritted through her teeth, "I hate Valentine's Day. I hate the pink sweaters, I hate the stupid box of chocolates! You might as well get a Hallmark card."

"Good enough." Brock finally remarked.

"Are you done? I'm starving." Reba had forgotten exactly how hungry she was, when Brock brought up a new point.

"Actually, they are having a little party at Henry's school. Barbra Jean baked these delicious sugar cookies, you wanna come over right now? Van and Cheyenne are here too but I'm not too sure why Van is hiding under behind a tree."

"I'm not sure, I only have half an hour." Reba glanced at the Subway from her office window and then to the clock, "Okay, okay! I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Bye."

Reba noticed her car was much shinier than usual when she stepped out in the parking lot and she was certain it could not just be accounted for by the glistening of the sun. This was getting slightly creepy. She had to wonder who was this admirer or prankster who had given her flowers and washed down her car. Then she noticed it.

There was a stuffed animal on the hood of her car, leaning against the window and Reba picked it up incredulously.

"Barbra Jean." She gritted though her teeth as she drove on to the local elementary school.

* * *

><p>"Where is Barbra Jean?" Reba held up a bear right in front of Brock's face.<p>

"Woah, what's going on?" The man stood up from where he was sitting, the pink lemonade swooshing around in the plastic cup he was holding.

"I told Barbra Jean I didn't want to go out with a complete stranger and now I'm finding teddy bears on my car!"

"Just calm down, Reba." Brock handed her a heart shaped plate and nudged her to the snack table. Before she knew it, three fifth graders had approached her.

"Grandma!" "Aunt Reba!" "Mrs. Hart!" Elizabeth, Henry, and Elizabeth's "friend" Michael, had greeted her cordially as she bit into some chocolate candies. She settled down in a seat, listening to the kids talk and suddenly missing how it was like when her kids were just as old as the eleven year olds. Reba looked up and she saw Brock, leaning against a classroom counter, just looking at her with a slight smile on his face. Her throat closed up and she quickly looked down, peeking only to see how he was just staring, absentmindedly watching her surrounded by a bunch of kids. Tucking a hair behind her ear, she collected three valentines from the crowd before stepping out of the classroom, wondering what exactly was in that man's head.

* * *

><p>The house was always so empty. On these days where virtually everyone left the office early, Reba was the one who stayed behind catching up on work.<p>

"Woah." Her eyes widened when she stepped into her living room. Candles were lining every even surface in the living room and the lighting just ample enough. If one of the kids was planning something…she would not have expected Brock to step out, dressed in a ridiculous suit and tie.

"What's goin' on?" Her arms tightened around the vase of flowers, her fingers gripping on tighter to the teddy bear in her hands, and her pockets suddenly seemed to burning up with the feeling of those three valentines in her pockets.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Reba." He was smiling, nothing short of Prince Charming to her, and she just burst out laughing.

"Is this some sort of joke?"

"I wanted to spend every Valentine's Day with you." He smiled encouragingly as he took the items out of her hands. Her mouth dropped open and she could smell something Italian cooking in the kitchen.

"So it was…you?"

"Wasn't it obvious?" He shrugged.

"Brock, I don't-" She felt him wrap his arms around her waist, felt him press his lips against hers.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He said again.

"We aren't even together!" She wanted another of those breathless kisses from him.

"So?" He raised one eyebrow.

"But-" That was the plan. Kiss her each time she wanted to make a logical objection. She wasn't complaining then. It had been so long, they both knew. And all he ever wanted to spend this day with her. Even if it was just a couple of hours. But for a day, they could be each other's and she didn't mind that. Reba wasn't the other woman. This was another world Brock took her to when they stepped into the back yard.

Her eyes welled with tears when she saw the sand fill the lot, that precious piece of driftwood she should have burned along with all the rest of the memories. She felt his strong arms embrace her from behind and when she heard the sound of waves crashing from a radio sitting on the treehouse, she had to kick off her shoes and dig her feet properly into the warm Texan sand, laughing with giddiness.

"I brought water." He slipped hands into his pockets as Reba ran back to his side.

And the both of them wished they were still married to the other. And as happy as they were, running around in her backyard, drinking out of beer cans, and holding each other close, they knew it was only temporary. But in another world, in some dream they might be sharing, the Brock who was chasing her around in a suit and sending her flowers was all hers.

* * *

><p>And she blinked her eyes open.<p>

Sitting at her bedside stand was a Hallmark card from the Friday before. Cheesy. Cheap. Sad.

Reba turned, her stomach pressing against the mattress as she swayed back into sleep, with the sound of ocean waves still resonating from outside her bedroom window.

**A/N: HORRIBLE YES. BUT I'M SORRY. BREBA CAN CELEBRATE VALENTINES DAY EVEN IF THEY ARENT TOGETHER. THANKS AND BYE!**


End file.

Reba, Romance