A/N: I wanted to write something fun, bordering on ridiculous, so this fit the bill! Plus I always liked the idea of Reba and Terry getting in some trouble after ten years of testing limits. Note: Follow-up to "Living in the Future."

Reba's Second Audit

May 2017

Since starting a non-profit theater company, Reba's life couldn't be more hectic. As much as everyone helped, she'd taken charge, which meant she had more meetings and tasks than anyone else. On top of that, her successful concert led to more shows and interviews. She'd booked a gig every Friday and Saturday for the next month – a first for her. Mix in the chaos of Kyra's pregnancy, and babysitting the grandkids on a regular basis...

It was all very good. Reba welcomed this high after what happened last month. The more chaotic her normal life became, the less she thought about her not normal life. And she preferred it that way. Sure, she considered Terry a friend, but she needed a break from angel business when it became too much.

Last month's upheaval definitely qualified as "too much."

On that particular morning, a Sunday, Reba's mind was on family. She had about an hour or two before she needed to start dinner. Adam ran to the grocery store for her and would be back soon, so Reba began cleaning the living room for their company. She started by moving the coffee table books and magazines to the couch so she could dust the surface underneath.

"Reba Hart-Jacobson?"

"Ah!" Reba backed up into the couch and almost fell over, her magazines falling to the floor. The young blonde woman in a white suit had appeared out of thin air. Fighting for composure, Reba immediately knew the visitor was an angel – the second one she'd ever met. Meanwhile, the angel hadn't even blinked and patiently waited in the entryway.

So much for Reba's break.

The angel offered a sympathetic smile as she stepped down into the living room. "My apologies. I thought you'd be more used to this by now."

Embarrassed to be caught in her old around-the-house clothes, Reba clumsily grabbed the reading materials and dumped them back on the table. "From Terry, not a stranger! One second please. I'm sure you've heard about my high blood pressure, so excuse me while my heart stops racing." She paused for a moment, let out a deep breath, and faced her guest. "Now, where's Terry, is he okay? Who are you?"

"I'm your auditor, Amelia." The angel took Reba's hand and shook it, since Reba was still too overwhelmed to respond. "I've been sent to review Terry Holliway's work as a guardian angel. This goes against standard protocol, but since your situation is so unusual, I wanted to interview you before I passed my final judgment."

The words "final judgment" struck fear into Reba's heart. "What does that mean, exactly? Are you telling me...if you don't like what you hear, Terry won't be my guardian angel anymore?"

Amelia nodded. "Essentially, yes. You must realize Terry hasn't done things by the book since your coma. Speaking to his brother was the last straw – after many, many straws. We've tried to look the other way since his unorthodox methods paid off, but now, we worry he might have influenced your life too much." The angel paused. "Shall we sit?"

"Oh, uh, yes, please have a seat." Reba's heart still pounded as she sat on the couch. What had she done? Contacting Mike had been a bad idea, and it was all her fault. "Please, Amelia...you can't punish Terry for something I did. I convinced him to write the letter to his brother. I invited Mike to the house. You can't blame him when it was me!" Reba cringed, suddenly afraid of an indoor lightning strike. "For the record I'm really sorry."

Instead of a lecture, Amelia let out a long sigh. "This is what I meant, Reba. Not only is he too involved in your world, you're too involved in his. You never would have thought to contact Mike if Terry hadn't set a poor example."

"But you can't take him away!" Reba insisted."He's a good friend and I don't want to lose him again!"

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "That's also the problem. Guardian angels are not supposed to be good friends with their charges." She hesitated, narrowing her eyes at Reba. "I hate to even ask this, but given your history, I feel it's relevant. Has there ever been any...romance, between you two?"

"Good Lord, no!" Reba exclaimed, then regretted using the phrase considering present company. "I mean, it never even entered my mind, I swear! I understood from the get-go that our history had to stay in the past. The distant past – even before Terry died I hadn't seen him in twenty-five years. And, if you need anymore reassurance, I have been a happily-married woman for over ten years now."

At least Amelia had the courtesy to look regretful. "I'm sorry. It's true, from all reports, we haven't had that particular problem with you two. For the most part I wanted to see your reaction to the topic."

"Great, point for us," Reba replied sarcastically. "While we're on the subject, I've got a question for you. Why in the world did you make poor Terry my guardian angel? Did no one Up There realize how tricky this would get?"

Surprised by the question, Amelia grimaced. "That was not my decision. I'm only the auditor of your case, not the manager. Frankly I share your sentiment, Reba. I can only guess your two souls have a connection that supersedes your earthly relationship."

Reba almost argued with her but thought better of it. The idea almost...made sense? On the surface this situation shouldn't work out. But, after ten years of ridiculous ups and downs, here they were. Reba smiled when she realized how much it paralleled her journey with Brock and Barbra Jean.

"I'm back, hon! I think I got everything you needed."

All traces of amusement vanished. If Amelia found out her husband knew...that her whole family knew...dear God. "Um, that's the husband I mentioned," Reba blurted. "I'll, uh, I better go tell him something. Send him out of the house."

"That's probably for the best," Amelia agreed.

"Excuse me. I don't suppose you want lemonade or anything?" As expected the angel declined, and Reba ran into the kitchen.

Adam smiled at her as he unpacked the groceries. The brightness in his eyes dimmed slightly when he noticed her distress. Glancing into the living room, he saw the stranger sitting on the couch. "Hey babe, everything okay? Who's that?"

"I'm being audited," Reba whispered, debating if she should close the divider. Would that make her look more suspicious?

"Again?" Adam exclaimed. "I thought you settled that IRS debt years ago!"

The kitchen would not be enough privacy. Reba put a finger over her lips and dragged Adam out to the driveway, closing over the back door but not shutting it. "We're not dealing with the IRS anymore, hon. This is way higher up, and much scarier."

"What's scarier than the IRS?" Adam's eyes widened as he put two and two together. "That woman in there. She's...she's not human, is she?"

Reba shook her head. "She's a heavenly auditor, Adam. Don't give me that look, I didn't know they existed either. But apparently the Mike thing was the last straw, and now she's evaluating Terry's 'work' as my guardian angel."

Despite Reba's warning, Adam's expression remained incredulous. "You're messing with me, right? An angelic auditor?"

"I wish I was kidding," Reba assured him, emotion getting to her the more she thought about the consequences. "She can take him away, Adam. If she's not happy with what she sees, Terry won't be my guardian angel anymore. And frankly, I'm not a hundred-percent sure it'll stop there. I might be in hot water too since some of this is my fault."

Adam went from confused to angry, and none of it was directed at Reba. "That's crazy! I don't care if she is an angel, what right does she have to drop out of the sky and badger you with questions? First they drag you into this insanity, then they punish you for accepting it? I won't stand for this, Reba! I'm going in there and giving that angel a piece of my mind!"

"Don't! Adam, please, don't make this worse!" Reba stood between her husband and the door, secretly flattered he'd charge in to defend her. "I'm not sure she knows how many people found out about Terry. In case she doesn't, I rather not tell her."

Still fuming, Adam glared at the door, clearly eager to follow through on his threat. Instead he let out a deep, calming breath. "Fine. I get it, this is something you have to deal with. But call me the second you change your mind. Promise me, Reba."

Reba couldn't help smiling. "I promise, Adam." Then she kissed him to show her appreciation. "There is one thing I need you to do."

"Anything."

"Spread the word about what's going on. Barbra Jean said she might come over early and..."

"Gotcha," Adam said with a nod. "I'll wait over at their house and text the kids while I'm at it."

"Bless you. See you soon, I hope." Reba hugged him again, waiting an extra second before she pulled away. After he walked back down the driveway, Reba squared her shoulders and went into the house with renewed determination.

Not bothering to take the car, Adam stomped over to the Harts' house in about two minutes. This "audit" really pissed him off. Reba had been through so much over the years, and now Terry's superiors had the nerve to reprimand her? As soon as he got to Brock and Barbra Jean's house, he was going to do something about this.

"Whoa! What the hell happened to you?" Brock exclaimed, opening the door to his steaming friend.

Ignoring that, Adam stormed into the house. He vaguely registered Barbra Jean sitting on the couch with visiting Kyra. "Terry!" Adam shouted upwards, making everyone jump. "You get your butt down here now! And you better have a good explanation for this crap!"

Both Kyra and Barbra Jean paled at the mention of Terry. "What's going on with Mom?" Kyra attempted to leap from the couch even while pregnant. She just barely made it to her feet. "Adam, is she okay?"

"I don't know," Adam answered, making all three Harts gasp. "That's why Terry better get his angelic ass down here NOW and EXPLAIN!"

"Okay, I'm here! What the heck are you yellin' about?"

Adam whirled around to find Terry behind him. "Don't tell me you don't know what's going on," Adam warned, taking a threatening step towards the angel.

Startled by the human's death glare, Terry backed up towards the dining area. Barbra Jean ran over to stand between the two. "Adam, beating up an angel won't make the situation better. Now someone tell me what in the wold happened to Reba!"

"She's being audited!" Adam replied. "And not by the IRS! Right now some uppity angel is grilling her because this angel couldn't follow the rules!"

Terry's jaw dropped while the other humans stared in confusion. "No, that's impossible! I can't...THEY can't...this isn't right!"

"Thank you!" Adam paused at Terry's unexpected reply. "Wait, what?"

"Terry, what's going on?" Kyra demanded, her arms crossed.

Though still rattled, Terry calmed enough to explain. "All guardian angels receive an audit after a certain amount of time, just to make sure things are going smoothly. Normally it's no big deal and the human never knows anything about it."

"But because this isn't normal..." Brock said, beginning to understand.

Terry nodded. "I guess because of everything that's happened, the auditor wanted to speak with Reba first-hand. But that's not fair! None of this is Reba's fault! If there's a problem, They should be speaking to ME and ONLY me! I knew the audit was being processed, but I swear, I never thought they'd bother her. I'm going over there and putting a stop to this right now."

"Wait, Terry," Adam called, catching Terry before the angel disappeared. He'd significantly calmed, but now, he couldn't push down the concern. And the fear. "Reba's really shaken up about this. She's scared of losing you. More than that...she believes she'll be punished for her part in everything."

"They can't do that!" Kyra exclaimed. "I know Mom's destined to be an angel and everything, but she's not under Their jurisdiction yet."

Barbra Jean smirked to show her agreement. "Yeah, what are They gonna do? They can't, like, reverse the wishes." She froze when all other humans in the room gave her terrified looks. "Oh my gosh. Terry, please tell me They can't."

"That won't happen, Barbra Jean," Terry answered. Everyone else sighed with relief. "Adam...auditors might seem intimidating, but as far as that goes, Reba has nothing to worry about. I can't even believe the auditor got Reba involved."

Adam felt his insides unclench at Terry's confirmation. He wouldn't lose Reba. That must have been why he'd gotten so wound up. He'd learned about the wishes over the years, and knew their relationship could be considered "the result" of wish number three. On some level, he'd feared that the auditor would retaliate by reversing the wish. "So Reba is safe, then? Nothing will happen to her?"

Terry smiled, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Reba's fine, Adam. I just...might not be her guardian angel anymore."

Talking to Adam boosted Reba's confidence. He was absolutely right – how dare The Powers That Be hassle her, when They started all this? How could she know what to do, or what not to do, when this wasn't even "her world"?

But putting the blame on Terry wouldn't help matters either. She'd still lose him. Acting defensive would imply they'd done something wrong in the first place. Keeping her face neutral, Reba braced herself as she walked back into the living room. "Sorry about that, Amelia," she said as she sat down on the couch. "So, um, where were we?"

Amelia frowned at her with disapproval. "I believe you were trying to hide from me that your husband knows about guardian angels."

Crap. "I, uh, didn't want to bring him into this," Reba explained weakly.

"Reba, I've been updated on your family," Amelia informed her. "Are you aware that seventeen people besides you know about angels now? Two of them – your best friend Lori Ann, and a Reverend Parks – aren't related to you. You've also told your son's girlfriend when they aren't even engaged, and Terry's brother, who you don't see regularly."

Wow, that many? She never realized the most recent number was that high. Even though Reba winced, she stuck by her strategy. "What's your point?"

"Angels are able to do their work because there is an element of secrecy," Amelia explained impatiently. "It's one of the reasons I'm here. The more Terry is around, the more likely someone else will find out."

"But it's not like I broadcast it on the Internet! I mean...isn't this a good thing, in a way?" When she got an idea for her defense, Reba went for it. "There are more cynics these days than ever before. Now you've got all these people who are firm believers. Reverend Parks even said to to me recently – everyone has doubts, but now he knows for sure and he's grateful for it. My kids, their kids, Brock and Barbra Jean's family, they'll never forget this. Maybe we'll all go on to make the world a better place, at least this corner of it anyway."

Amelia tilted her head in consideration, surprised by Reba's argument. "I admit I've never looked at it that way. However, you do realize this could easily get out of hand. Not everyone is as trustworthy as those in your circle."

"I understand that side of it," Reba assured her. "Honestly, I've never gone out of my way to tell anyone. Most of my family, including Lori Ann, was involved with a wish somehow. I would never have told Quinn if it wasn't necessary for...uh..."

With a small sigh, Amelia finished, "The concert you saw when you went to the future. Go on."

"Wow, uh, you are well-informed." Reba made a mental note to assume Amelia knew everything. It would save her some trouble. "And Reverend Parks found out because, frankly, I was losing my mind and needed to speak with someone sane. Do you realize how bizarre this has all been for me? Maybe I talk to angels on a regular basis, but I'm still a human with no idea how this works. I like to think I've handled it pretty well so far."

Amelia's expression now held some sympathy. "You have, Reba. When I was given your file, I couldn't believe what you've experienced, and how you rose above it. Maybe there's been some misunderstanding, but I'm not auditing you. I'm only here to determine how reliant you and Terry are on each other."

"But why?" Reba suddenly became emotional and did her best to fight it back. "Look, it's true, nothing about this is normal – even by angel standards, from what I hear. But it's working for us. My life right now...it never would've happened without Terry. Lori Ann made me see that, actually. Each and every wish helped me cope with something I never could've faced on my own. Maybe he went the long and crazy way around, but it fell into place. I'm beginning to suspect that's what I needed all along."

Though she hesitated for a minute, Amelia still wasn't convinced. "There have been more oversteps than the incident with Mike Holliway. I'm sure you remember being arrested because of a wish. And more recently, you were not supposed to find out about your angelic destiny, despite what Terry might have believed at the time."

"I...I wasn't?"

"No. We briefly considered reversing it..." At Reba's puzzled look, Amelia explained, "Wiping your memory, which could be done. But we didn't realize it soon enough."

Well, that was pretty disturbing, but oddly enough it didn't shock her. "I don't understand, why would Terry tell me then?"

"Because you're 'good friends,'" Amelia said with air quotes. "He wanted to tell you, and he convinced himself it was time since you'd been asking a lot of questions. This is the problem, Reba. There's a delicate balance in the universe. Your friendship with Terry could set a precedent that tips the scales. I asked the romance question not out of the blue, but because it's a possibility and the results would be disastrous. There are many factors at play here, and some of them have little to do with you."

Stunned, Reba tried to process Amelia's answer. Suddenly she felt the weight of the universe on her shoulders. It never occurred to her that being friends with Terry would affect anyone else. If what Amelia said was the truth, her closeness with Terry could change all future guardian angel-human relationships. And not for the better.

"Then I'm not sure what's left for me to say." Reba's response was quiet as she struggled for the right words. "If that's true, then no argument will convince you to let Terry stay. And after hearing all that, well, maybe you shouldn't, as much as I'd miss him in my life. I guess I have to put my faith in 'The Powers That Be' and accept your judgment." Amelia stared at Reba for a long moment, taking in the human's response.

She never got to reply since Terry appeared behind Reba. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, all of his anger directed at the other, much calmer angel. "Auditors never interview charges. You're putting Reba on the spot when there's no reason for it."

Already on edge, Reba jumped at his unexpected appearance. She took a second to catch her breath. "Terry, it's fine..."

"No it's not!" Terry argued. "I'm so sorry, Reba. Please believe I didn't know this was going on."

Reba sighed as she stood from the couch. "Terry, everything's alright." Saddened by the thought of not seeing him anymore, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Amelia and I talked and...I get it now. This is bigger than the both of us. Of course I hope things swing in our favor, but if they don't...we'll have to move on. Maybe it's for the best." Reba quickly wiped away some tears before turning back to Amelia.

Shocked by Reba's speech, Terry glared at the auditor. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't 'do' anything, we talked." Amelia also stood, her arms crossed as she glanced at Terry. "Apparently your charge has more sense and maturity than you do."

Despite the situation, Reba couldn't help smirking at Terry. "Some things never change."

Amelia surprised Terry by laughing. "You know, Terry, I mostly had my mind made up before I came here today. This was the last step in the process for me. I thought I'd pop in, chat with Reba, and wrap up my audit. It didn't look good for you."

Reba gasped softly, realizing what Amelia implied. Terry looked hopeful but didn't celebrate just yet. "I-Is that still true?" he asked.

"As you may have guessed, no, it isn't," Amelia confirmed, smiling at the only human in the room. "Reba, you really are something else, and I mean that in the best way possible. I can see why you're destined to be a guardian angel. And after talking to you today, I may have to correct some of my assumptions. I'm not sure what I expected to find, but I did not expect someone who has flourished under highly unusual circumstances."

Daring to hope, Reba stepped forward. "Wait, so...Terry can stay? He can be my guardian angel?"

Amelia hesitated before answering. "I still need to check with my superiors, but right now, yes, I'm inclined to leave things as they are. I'm starting to believe you two have a connection that overcomes all logic."

"Can't argue with that," Terry joked, holding up a hand for Reba to high-five him. "Come on, don't leave me hangin'."

Reba chuckled as she high-fived Terry. "Well, it's not confirmed yet. But I do feel better about this."

"Amazing," the auditor commented, amused by their dynamic. "I'll admit, I never would have thought this could work. I'm happy I decided to speak with Reba. However, if I do rule in your favor, you two need to back me up. No more overstepping – or I will conduct another audit, and I might not be so lenient next time."

The guardian angel and human exchanged concerned glances. "Um, if you could define 'overstepping'..." Reba began, with Terry nodding in agreement.

Amelia paused when she realized Reba made a good point. "Alright, I suppose in this case, I might need to review the rules. But please, do not tell any more humans if it can be helped. And I insist on deactivating the 'wishing star.'"

"Now that I'll agree with," Reba said, narrowing her eyes at Terry.

"What? I can't believe you'd say that after everything it's done for you," Terry said, only half-joking. He frowned at Reba and Amelia's matching stern expressions. "You two bond or somethin' today?"

"Terry!"

The guardian angel caved at Reba's order. "Okay, fine."

Amelia's jaw dropped slightly at that. "Now this is something I've never seen before. Reba, do you do that a lot? Because he rarely listens to anyone else."

"Shocking," Reba commented sarcastically. "But I guess it goes back to us knowing each other so well. We...we make each other better. He pushes me out of my comfort zone, and I..."

"Keep me in line?" Terry said with a teasing grin.

"Exactly."

"Just amazing," Amelia said with a shake of her head. "Well, I guess I have everything I need..."

Getting an idea, Reba stopped Amelia before she could disappear. "Hey, um, what's your stance on me inviting Terry to hang out with the family? Not every week, of course, but in situations like this when he's already here? Oh, uh, you're welcome to stay too of course."

Amelia burst out laughing. "There's something else I've never heard before. For any other case, I'd say absolutely not, but we've firmly established this is not any other case. While there hasn't been an official ruling yet...oh, sure, go ahead. I can't see how it could possibly hurt."

"That's awesome!" Terry exclaimed. "Thank you!"

Reba nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you, that's very generous. And you're still welcome to stay if you'd like."

"Thank you, Reba. Unfortunately I need to write up this report." Amelia smiled at Reba and Terry. "As I said, nothing's official yet, but I don't think you have to worry. Good luck to you both." With that, Amelia disappeared from the room.

Reba and Terry cheered and shared a celebratory hug.

Ten minutes later, after Reba texted her husband the all-clear, Adam burst into the house and ran to hug his wife. Barbra Jean, Brock and Kyra rushed in behind him, nearly crowding the door in their efforts to find out what happened. Terry gave Adam and Reba some room, looking uneasy after the incident at the Harts' house. "Are you okay, Reba?" Adam asked as they broke apart.

"I'm fine! Everything's fine!" Reba insisted, accepting hugs from her family. "I'm sorry I worried ya'll. It's true, I was...a little scared, at first. But I overreacted because I thought she was here to punish me."

Her husband glared at Terry. "Which could've been avoided if you'd given her a warning."

"Adam, please believe me when I tell you I had no idea this was going on!"

Reba narrowed her eyes at them both. "Alright, what'd I miss?"

While Adam and Terry looked uncomfortable, Kyra sat on one of the side couches and happily supplied an answer. "Your husband almost beat up your guardian angel. Man, I love these situations. We all get to say crazy stuff like that."

"Adam!" Reba exclaimed.

"You were really upset and it was Terry's fault...if inadvertently." Adam grimaced at her disappointed glare. "And...okay, yeah, I was scared. If they reversed the wishes I could've lost you and...I guess I overreacted too." He glanced back at Terry. "Sorry, man."

Terry reached over and shook Adam's outstretched hand. "Don't worry about it. This one here gets mad at me all the time. Comes with the job."

"Only when you deserve it," Reba retorted. "Which is a lot. Don't make me regret saving your butt today, mister." Meanwhile she hugged Adam again, showing how much she appreciated the gesture. Even if he did get carried away.

Barbra Jean, Brock and Kyra gave her bemused looks. "Wait, you saved him?" Brock asked. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

Everyone took seats around the living room as Reba explained. "Apparently, all guardian angels are audited. This particular auditor, Amelia, was here because of certain...incidents, and wanted to review our case."

Brock smirked. "So Terry landed himself in trouble, and this auditor angel was his judge."

"In a nutshell," Terry grumbled.

"Okay, yeah, I'm downplaying it now," Reba admitted. "But I really could've lost Terry today. Before she came here, this auditor was already against us and wanted to wrap things up."

Kyra raised an eyebrow. "So, what, you single-handedly changed her mind?"

"Your mother was brilliant," Terry confirmed, grinning at Reba "That fake-out where you said you'd accept her decision? Genius. You even pretended to cry."

Reba shook her head. "It was all real, Terry. Those were real tears. Smooth-talking my way out of it wouldn't work, and she made some good arguments. In the end I...left it up to fate. And I think that swayed her."

"Wow." Terry paused, giving her a scrutinizing glance. "Are you okay? I know everything turned out fine, but it's a lot for a human charge to go through. Even you."

Adam nodded. "Yeah hon, what did she say to you? She didn't yell or anything, did she?"

At the other's anxious looks, Reba shook her head. "No. Actually, in the end, we got along pretty well. Things were just stressful at first because the audit caught me by surprise. By the way, Adam, The Powers That Be know you found out about Terry. They know about all of you."

"Okay, that's awkward," Kyra commented.

"Yeah," Barbra Jean agreed. "Hey, Reba? Is there a chance we could get in trouble?"

Reba chuckled. "No, she made it clear she wasn't auditing me. But she did grill me a bit when the subject came up, and honestly, I didn't realize so many people know now. One of her conditions is that I can't tell any more people about Terry."

"That seems fair," Brock said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but there's another condition," Terry added. "No more wishes either."

Adam, Brock and Barbra Jean were relieved by the news, but Kyra looked genuinely disappointed. "No way! It would be, like, the end of an era!"

"Thank you!" Terry exclaimed. "See Kyra, that's why you're my favorite. Don't tell nobody."

Reba shook her head at them both. "Honestly it's just as well. I haven't made a wish in ten years, and I can't imagine a situation where I'd make another one. The last two weren't even my wishes!" Then she glanced at her guardian angel and smiled. "But I am grateful for what they gave me. I'm also happy you're in my life now, as strange and outrageous and wonderful as it is."

"Back at you, Reba."

"And since today's excitement is over, ya'll can help me start dinner."

Several hours later as the evening wound down, Terry helped Reba clean up in the kitchen after dinner. Only Brock and Barbra Jean's family lingered. Terry tried not to socialize with the Harts too long, but since he had permission this time, he didn't see a reason to hurry off. They all had a great afternoon. Unfortunately Adam had to leave right after dinner for a work emergency. He'd said good-bye to everyone, and told Reba he'd try to be back in an hour.

Sometimes Terry could've tricked himself into thinking things were normal, that he was just a family friend dropping by for a visit. He liked to blame it on dying, that he didn't have enough time to make up with Reba and Brock. But that was bull. They could've had this dinner together years ago if he'd extended an olive branch.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Reba asked him.

Terry shrugged. "Kickin' myself, as usual. Thinkin' of all the dinners I could've had with you guys when I was alive."

"Terry, it wasn't on you to make everything alright between us." Reba sighed and leaned forward on the kitchen island. "Would it have changed things if you'd reached out? Maybe. But Brock and I didn't give you a call either, and we're the ones who should've apologized. I don't think I've apologized enough, really, in all the years you've been around. After everything you've done for me."

"I wasn't asking for an apology, Reba..."

"Well, maybe you should. I'm so sorry, Terry."

Terry gave her an appreciative smile. They finished up the dishes and went back into the living room, where Barbra Jean and the two kids got ready to leave. "Thanks for everything, Reba," she said. "Terry, it was nice seeing you. Glad you're sticking around."

"Me too," he said, accepting her hug.

Savannah also gave Terry a big hug. "Can I pray for you to come back soon? Mommy says you don't have an email."

The adults and Henry chuckled. "I'd love that, Savannah," Terry answered. "I may not be able to answer right away, but ya'll will see me again."

"Yay!" Savannah cheered. Both she and Henry waved good-bye as they went out to the porch. Barbra Jean and Reba remembered something they wanted to clear up for the week, so Reba ended up following them out.

Only Terry remained when Brock came downstairs after rounding up Savannah's toys. "So I guess we'll see you next time, Terry," Brock said, shaking Terry's hand with his free one. "I'm glad we got to hang out today. You know, after the usual craziness that comes with one of your visits."

"Yeah, about that." Now Terry knew why he'd stayed so long. "Hey, Brock, somethin' bothering you? You were a little off today."

Brock frowned. "What, is this a guardian angel thing?"

"No, it's a 'we were best buds for ten years' thing," Terry answered, making Brock laugh. "But yeah, it's the angel sense too. Come on, 'fess up. Adam's hero act really bothered you today, didn't it?"

"H-how...why..." Brushing off the phenomenon, Brock sat on the step, Savannah's backpack still in his hand. "It shouldn't bother me, okay? But watching Adam storm in like that because he was upset about Reba...I never did that for her, Terry. I never got so wound up that I would fight someone for her. Shoot, Adam was ready to take on every angel in Heaven if it came down to that. I wouldn't even fight you when I was young enough to win a fight."

"To be fair, I would've kicked the crud out of you," Terry joked. At Brock's upset glance, he sighed and leaned on the banister. "Look, everyone's different. Every relationship is different. You showed your love for Reba in other ways, and I'm sure you're romantic with Barbra Jean now."

"Being romantic isn't the same as taking on God Himself," Brock argued.

Terry laughed. "Well, the situation didn't exactly present itself back when you and Reba were married."

"But I keep putting myself in Adam's place. What would I have done today?" The disgust on Brock's face was purely self-directed. "You wanna know the answer? Nothing. I would've shrugged it off and gone to play golf or something."

"Brock, you can't know that for sure."

"I know me, Terry. If I were married to Reba when all this started happening, I wouldn't have wanted to know. I mean, no offense, but there are times I'd still rather not know." Brock rubbed his forehead, then rested his head on his hand. "That's always been my problem, hasn't it? I don't worry about other people as much as I worry about me."

Terry gave Brock a sympathetic smile. "Maybe that was true back in the old days. But you can't keep punishing yourself for being the person you were in the past. You can only move forward. Now that you know this about yourself, you can fix it. And you've improved a lot! You just have to think of yourself as a work-in-progress. Everyone is, no matter what age they are."

"Wow," Brock said with grin. "Is that professional guardian-angel advice?"

"I believe it is."

They shared a laugh as Brock got to his feet. This time he gave his old friend a quick hug. "Thanks, man. I know what I said, but at the same time, it's good to have you back."

After waving good-bye to Brock, Barbra Jean and the kids, Reba stepped back inside to find Terry waiting for her. "Oh, hi. I thought you would've disappeared on me."

"Almost did, but I remembered one very important thing."

"The star," Reba said, and Terry nodded in confirmation. "I'm proud of you, Terry. I thought you would've tried to weasel out of it."

Terry shrugged. "Rules are rules. Besides, I've given it some thought, and maybe it is time. You don't need wishes anymore to go after what you want."

"I guess that's true. Look at me, all grown-up," Reba joked. She sighed and glanced up the stairs. "The star's in the attic, so..."

"Allow me."

"What?"

In the next second, Reba found herself in the attic, standing next to grinning Terry. She regained her balance and glared at him. "We could've walked."

"Gotta keep you on your toes somehow."

"So not necessary," Reba grumbled, rummaging through boxes. She moved them aside until she found the Christmas decorations. Terry moved to help her, and one by one, they looked through every box.

But the star was missing.

"It's...it has to be here." Reba refused to give up. She and Terry turned the attic upside down, searching through the other boxes, checking hidden nooks and crannies. "I know I put it in a box after we took down the decorations. Maybe...maybe one of the kids took it? Although if they did take it to make a wish, they're in a world of trouble."

But Terry shook his head. "I think it was Amelia."

"How's that?"

"I can't say for sure, but the star was probably gone as soon as she made the order," Terry explained. "The Powers That Be,' as you call 'em, would've wanted to enforce the ruling Themselves."

Taking that in, Reba put her hand on her hip. All she could do was raise an eyebrow at him. "Alright then. You know, that was my star. You owe me a tree topper."

Terry laughed as he prepared to leave. "Deal. You'll have one by Christmas, I promise."

"I'm holding you to it."