Dallas, Texas

The next few weeks passed relatively uneventfully as Bobby was sent back out on the road and JR began to relax again; with Bobby gone for a few weeks and JR secure in the knowledge that he was still the second most powerful Ewing, the tension was automatically lowered and it was noticeable within the family. With the improved state of JR and Sue Ellen's marriage and their loving behaviour becoming more of a norm and less of a novelty for everyone at Southfork to observe and discuss, things around the house were fairly quiet and civil and the calm after the previous drama filled months was a welcome change for Sue Ellen. Even if she was sometimes physically uncomfortable, now being in her sixth month of pregnancy, at least she felt mentally and emotionally stable and loved; it really was a world away from the way her life had been at the beginning of the year.

Returning to Southfork after their DOA meeting, Miss Ellie decided that it was time to ask Sue Ellen to make some definitive plans; she was getting closer and closer to her due date and being an excited grandmother, she really didn't want Sue Ellen to miss out on celebrating her pregnancy and the upcoming birth of her child. "Sue Ellen?" taking a seat outside at the patio table, she gestured Sue Ellen to join her for some tea and unaware of the direction her mother-in-law wanted to take the conversation, Sue Ellen sat down without question. "I was wondering whether you'd put any more thought into what we discussed last week… about your baby shower", Miss Ellie decided to just ask her directly, because if she was still insistent that she didn't want a baby shower, then she didn't have to have one, however, she really did want her to consider it before just saying no. Tradition and etiquette stated that a close family member should not be the one to host the event, but knowing that Sue Ellen didn't have a whole lot of close friends, Miss Ellie had already made an exception to the rule in her mind, even before she had been contacted by Sue Ellen's former college best friend. Unfortunately, although she wanted to do something nice for her friend, Paula lived in a different state and wasn't able to easily plan an event for Sue Ellen without knowing specific details, so in an effort to alleviate the stress on herself and give Sue Ellen the shower she deserved, she had called Miss Ellie to fish for information. She hadn't intended to have Sue Ellen's mother-in-law actually plan the event, she just wanted someone who had a better idea of who to invite and where to host the party, but being so busy with her own life and so disconnected from Texas life, she had unintentionally dropped the ball and left Miss Ellie to take over the planning. It wasn't something Miss Ellie minded at all though, she was pleased that someone else was thinking along the same lines as she was and event planning was something she had experience in and enjoyed, so it wasn't a bother to her.

Sighing at Miss Ellie's words, Sue Ellen's mood dropped; of course, in an ideal world, she would love to have a large baby shower, surrounded by lots of friends and family, similar to how her bridal shower had been, however, what she envisioned and what the reality of her life was were two different things. She didn't like to admit to herself, or to others that even if she was feeling happy and fulfilled with the way her marriage was, the way her charitable pursuits were playing out and the fact that she was about to become a mother, she really didn't have a lot of close friends to celebrate those things with. If she knew Miss Ellie, she would want to invite all of the DOA ladies and honestly, that was the last thing she wanted. Those women were the biggest gossipers she knew and the fact that they would be the majority of the guests at the shower would only add to what they already assumed; that even if Sue Ellen was Mrs JR Ewing and a former Miss Texas, when her titles were stripped away, she was mostly just a lonely, largely friendless woman. Clearing her throat, she spoke, "yes, I did, and I agree, it is something that's supposed to be fun and enjoyable and it would be nice to celebrate the baby before he or she gets here. However, if there's going to be a party, I would like it to be a small one. Please", she looked pleadingly at Miss Ellie as she spoke and hoped that she understood where she was coming from. She had agreed to the idea simply because she knew that Miss Ellie would be upset if she refused her offer to host a baby shower, because this was really the first grandchild she was allowed to participate in the preparation for and be excited about. The circumstances surrounding Valene's pregnancy and Lucy's birth had been less than ideal and she hadn't had a whole lot of time to really enjoy the small moments, so with Sue Ellen's pregnancy, she was determined to do everything in her power to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience. Sue Ellen didn't have the heart to tell her she didn't want her to put so much effort into the small things, so she reluctantly agreed, though she tried to at least hold on to some of the power. "Small is fine", Miss Ellie smiled, she was just pleased that they'd come to an agreement without too much of a struggle; even if a small event wasn't what she had originally planned, it was about Sue Ellen and her baby, so if she wanted a small shower, then that was ok too. "Would you be able to make me a list of who you'd like to invite? We can handle the rest of the planning ourselves", she smiled at her daughter-in-law as she offered her the power to control the guest list, because she sensed that that was what Sue Ellen's insistence for a small party was all about. "I can do that", reaching out to touch her hand lovingly, she smiled at Miss Ellie; she really was a lovely woman and it was a nice gesture to offer to throw her a baby shower, "thank you", she meant what she said, she was thankful to have married a man with a mother who cared so much about her. "You're welcome dear. Now, would you like some tea?" sensing that Sue Ellen didn't want to get into a long discussion, she decided to take what she could get and move on, at least for now.

To be continued…