Dallas, Texas

Returning home from work on Friday evening, JR was in a much better mood than he had been the previous day; things had been good at the office and he'd had less trouble concentrating, though consciously, he didn't really know why, it wasn't as if anything in his life had changed. However, deep down, he knew that he and only he, not his father, brother or wife, was responsible for his moods and actions, and all he really needed was to stop feeling sorry for himself and get on with his work. JR Ewing had a reputation to uphold, and if he showed himself to be weak, especially by letting other people's words and actions control him, then his power would start to slip away. Walking in the door, the sight of his wife waiting for him with a drink only improved his good mood and it doubly pleased him that today she appeared to be the happy young woman that he'd married, not the weepy, emotionally unstable young woman that he worried so much about. Giving her a quick kiss, he guided them up the stairs and into their bedroom. "Did you have a good day at work? You look happy, much more relaxed than you did yesterday", Sue Ellen knew to perform her wifely role and take an interest in his life before moving the focus of the conversation onto her, it was only polite. "Mhm, I am", he took a sip of his drink before recounting his day to her, "I signed a deal I've been working on all week, it's a good deal for Ewing Oil, one I know for a fact that Wade Luce and Jordan Lee were both interested in, but ole JR was better than both of those men. Then, if that wasn't already a positive event, the geological reports on a couple of pieces of land Ewing Oil is interested in came back positive, so we'll probably start moving towards making an offer to purchase them next week. The market is a bit unpredictable at the moment, but daddy always taught me to take advantage of other people's uncertainties, and Ewing Oil can definitely afford to purchase and benefit from new fields; so while everyone else is sitting around talking about what to do, we'll be out doing it. Meanwhile, Bobby called from Houston and he's extending his trip until next Wednesday, so I don't have to deal with him in my ear all day at the office either. So yes, today was a good day", he gave her a warm smile as he began to speak, but as he relayed the events of his day to her, the warm smile turned into a devious grin, one Sue Ellen knew well and loved to see.

Finishing his story, JR watched his wife's smile grow, there was something more to her current happiness than just being pleased that her husband was a successful oilman, it was almost as if she had her own reasons to be happy, and the thought of that pleased him. As much as he liked that she made him her number one priority, he didn't like the idea of her being miserable outside of the time they spent together, because he did want her to be happy, but it just wasn't feasible for him to devote as much time and energy to her as she could to him. "Now, are you going to tell me why you're so happy? Because as great as my successes are, I have a feeling that your good mood has nothing to do with my work", he looked her in the eye as he spoke sincerely, he was feeling good today and he was actually genuinely interested in what she had to say. Something had to have happened to her, because she was happier right now than she had been in a long time, and the nosy side of him wanted the details of exactly what that something was. Sue Ellen blushed as he spoke, although she knew he was joking, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the thought of him knowing that sometimes she did only act interested and ask him questions because she was trying to be a good wife, not because she really loved hearing about the oil business. "I am happy, and in a funny sort of way, my mood has everything to with your success, well, our success"; JR looked at her with great confusion as she paused for a moment to deal with the sudden anxiety she was feeling. Then, as he analysed her words during her brief pause, his confusion grew even more, she was speaking in riddles again and that was something she only did when she was nervous; whatever was on her mind had to be big.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed past the anxiety as she realised that it didn't make any sense for her to feel so nervous about his reaction, she was about to tell her husband the news they'd been waiting for for over a year, it was supposed to be a happy occasion, and her fretting about it was ridiculous. "I'm pregnant, JR", she said it faster than she meant to, though as JR's jaw dropped, she realised that he'd heard her loud and clear; "pregnant?" he asked more rhetorically than anything else, though as he processed the information, a large grin appeared on his face. "Pregnant", he repeated the statement to himself before he stepped forward and kissed her, softly at first but then more passionately, letting her feel the love and appreciation he felt for her. His wife had just given him the most wonderful news and he was genuinely thrilled; he was going to be a father, Sue Ellen was going to be a mother, his parents would be getting the Ewing heir they'd been wanting and waiting for for so long and his position as president of Ewing Oil was secure. With John Ross Ewing III now in existence, he'd fulfilled his father's request to have a third generation Ewing lined up to take over the company before his own retirement. Everything had finally fallen into place and he couldn't be happier. Pulling away from their kiss, he looked at her, studying her face and the way she was looking up at him, her eyes were filled with love and emotion and her smile told him everything he needed to know; she was going to be just fine. He felt relieved as he assured himself that his concerns about her returning to a depressive state had been wrong; whatever difficulties she had been facing in the past few weeks were probably just due to being a hormonal pregnant woman and were hopefully only temporary. "That's wonderful news darlin'", he hugged her tightly before looking at her again, "and wonderful news calls for something a little more celebratory than bourbon. So, you wait right here and I will be back in two minutes", he leaned forward and gave her a long, passionate kiss before he turned and left the room, and as the door closed, Sue Ellen let out a relieved breath. Everything seemed so clear now, JR's reaction left her with no doubt that he was thrilled with the news and the rest of the family would be too; she had been overly anxious earlier for no good reason, but now that she had the assurance that everything was going to be ok, she could finally relax and enjoy it.

To be continued…