Austin, Texas

Listening to her mother-in-law's words, Sue Ellen grew confused, Miss Ellie's example didn't really relate to what they'd just been speaking about, "what exactly did JR say?" For all of the problems they had in their marriage, it didn't seem plausible to Sue Ellen that JR would just change when their child was born, their problems were much deeper than what she assumed her in-laws had been. However, she did partially understand what Miss Ellie was saying, because in the midst of the mess of all the problems going on right now, the baby was the one thing that gave her life any meaning and she very much was looking forward to being a mother, even if her personal situation was less than ideal right now. "Well, to be honest, he didn't really. JR has never been much of a talker and when I asked him what was going on, he gave me a very general overview, though he never specifically said. From the talks you and I have had in the past though, I got the feeling that to properly understand what was happening and figure out how I could help, I really needed to come here and speak to you. However, JR said enough for me to conclude that you two have been having some problems, problems that aren't going to be solved by a separation from each other like this". Sue Ellen nodded and sighed at Miss Ellie's explanation, it seemed rather convenient for JR to brush over his wrongdoings and act as if they were just having a few small marital problems, ones that could be fixed if they just talked to each other; not that talking was a bad thing, but it wasn't a master fix. "Miss Ellie, I don't mean to be rude, but it's a lot more complicated than the way JR explained it, and to be honest, a separation is exactly what we need right now, because I'm not getting any feedback from JR that he even wants to sort out our issues, so why would I go back to him? I get the feeling that he wants me to do what I did last time this happened, just accept it and move on, regardless of whether the actual issue has been resolved or not, and in this case, it hasn't. He hasn't even made any real effort to apologise or show that he is remorseful for what he did, nor did he even try to commit to changing his behaviour, quite the opposite in fact, to the point where he seems to be punishing me for reacting to his provocation". She sighed as she stopped herself from saying any more, she didn't want to get into the details, but she didn't know how to make Miss Ellie understand her perspective. The way Sue Ellen saw it, JR was at fault, JR held the power in their marriage and the only thing Miss Ellie could hope to gain from this conversation was an insight into her son's life, but she wouldn't find a solution, because it wasn't up to Sue Ellen to make that move, not really.

Miss Ellie listened as Sue Ellen gave her a little more information about what was going on, though it really didn't explain much, it just confirmed her suspicion that JR was in fact the one at fault in the situation. "Punishing you? Sue Ellen, please, I can help you if you just let me in" her attention was heightened as Sue Ellen finished speaking and she began to question exactly what it was that JR had done and what he was still doing to her. Sue Ellen felt the familiar stomach pains that came with her nervousness to physically remind her that she was uncomfortable in a situation. "I…" she didn't know what to say, telling her mother-in-law that she was about to run out of money because of her husband's controlling nature seemed wrong, but she also felt wrong telling her that everything was fine, because it clearly wasn't. Miss Ellie noticed Sue Ellen's eyes quickly glancing at the notepad on the coffee table and she suddenly realised that the information written on the page was exactly what she had first thought it was. Sue Ellen knew how to budget, Patricia had controlled and directed her income and expenditure for most of her life, but the moment she'd married JR, she'd lost the need to stick to a predetermined sum; but now, she was back to calculating and allocating her money down to the last penny and Miss Ellie had a fair idea why. "Sue Ellen, look at me", she reached over to touch Sue Ellen's hand, "what did JR do to make you finally leave Dallas?" she decided that asking her point blank was the best route to take. She wasn't asking her to be nasty about it, she really did genuinely care about Sue Ellen and want to help her in any way she could, but to do that, she needed to know the details. Sue Ellen seemed vulnerable right now and Miss Ellie knew that when Sue Ellen was vulnerable, she was more likely to let her true feelings come out. Having been so distracted by her anxiety stomach pains, she hadn't realised how close to tears she was and as Miss Ellie took her hand and spoke to her gently and genuinely, she felt the first tear roll down her cheek , "oh Miss Ellie, where did we go wrong…" She didn't know how or why now, but all of a sudden, she found herself wanting to and actually voicing all of her thoughts and feelings, much like she had just before the car accident just before she got pregnant, without regard to social politeness, just the cold, hard truth of the situation.

Dallas, Texas

"I can't believe you sometimes JR, you disgust me!" Miss Ellie didn't even bother knocking on JR's bedroom door before she entered the room in an angry state. "That girl has done nothing but try to be the best wife she knew how and you of all people have to know how hard that is for her, so how you can turn around and treat her like she's nothing to you is beyond me", she looked at him as he tried to respond, "no, no excuses. I know too much for you to talk your way out of this. There is no reasonable explanation for what you put her through. You neglected that girl from the day you brought her into this house; I know you may not see it that way, but it's true. A few weeks of attention builds up her hopes and then those hopes all come crashing down when she realises the reality of the situation, a reality you allow and do nothing to change. Your first mistreatment of her was for the business, but she understood that; in pursuit of being a good wife, she really tried to accommodate your needs and be there for you, even when you didn't have the time for her, because she knew how important Ewing Oil was to you. However, the mistreatment that has had greatest impact on her, an impact that has very nearly ruined her both emotionally and physically, is that despite the fact that you had a loving, dedicated, willing, besotted, absolutely beautiful wife waiting for you at home, somehow that wasn't enough and you felt the need to be with other women. When you married Sue Ellen, I really hoped that you'd left your old lifestyle behind and had committed to being a loving, faithful husband, but obviously I had too much faith. How could you do that JR? Then, to make it worse, you didn't even have the decency to keep your dirty little secret to yourself and ended up endangering your own health, your wife's health and the health of your unborn child? That is despicable and disgusting and I am disappointed beyond words", she shook her head at the thought, she really didn't know what else to say, she was angry and appalled by her son's actions, but the fact of the matter was, she wasn't actually the one he had to seriously apologise to, she wasn't Sue Ellen.

"I partially blame myself for the way things have turned out, because I witnessed your wife cry and look lonelier than any young woman should more than enough times and I let it slide because I naively believed that you and Sue Ellen were adults who were capable of communicating and empathising with each other. I know better now though and I'm not going to sit by and do nothing anymore. This is serious JR, Sue Ellen is on the verge of leaving you, despite your cruel attempt at dragging her back to Dallas", she glared at him in disapproval as she acknowledged his financial manipulation of his wife's actions. She didn't tell him that she had personally put a stop to his cruelty, making sure that Sue Ellen had access to more than enough money until she figured out her next move, he didn't need to know that, not yet anyway. "I want her to come back because she wants to and she feels comfortable doing so, not just because she feels that she has nowhere else to go. Now, here's what you're going to do, and this is an order, not a suggestion. You are going to think long and hard about your actions and how they affect not only you, but everyone around you. Then, you are going to fly to Austin, make a heartfelt apology that you really, honestly mean and then you are going to get down on your knees and beg your wife for forgiveness. If you're lucky, then she'll listen and cautiously accept your apology and hopefully she'll come back to Southfork and if she does come back to Southfork, you'd better get your act together and start living the way a good husband and father should, not only for your wife and child, but for yourself. There is nothing more important than family and from the way you've been acting lately, I think it's safe to say you've forgotten that", she paused to regather her thoughts and then spoke again; "you were a small child when I stopped interfering in your life. I gave you up too soon. I should have held onto you a little longer". She paused for a long moment before sighing to herself; looking him in the eye, she finished what she felt she had to say, "please JR, for me, for your daddy, for your wife and your child and ultimately, for yourself, please take this seriously. You will regret it if you get to my age and you have nothing meaningful in your life. You're still young and you have all the opportunity in the world, please listen to me and reconsider your actions and choices", she spoke as she looked him directly in the eye before she smiled weakly and turned to leave the room, leaving him to consider what she had said and hopefully follow through with her requests.

To be continued…