Dallas, Texas

"…and the classes, how have you been finding those?" Doctor Krane questioned Sue Ellen as she made a few notes on her patient file; medically, everything appeared to be progressing normally and healthily, but she was still obliged to ask questions to get a real human perspective of her patient's wellbeing. "They're good; we've hired a baby nurse to help us after the birth, but I still find it comforting and enlightening to learn all of this information for myself, so I'm informed enough to make my own decisions", although she had a number of fears and worries about motherhood, the classes her obstetrician had recommended were definitely helping. She'd always wanted to be a mother, but now that it was almost time, her old fears about repeating her own mother's mistakes had returned. She was about to have a large influence on shaping another person's life and that was a scary thought, however, even just the basic goal of keeping a child alive and healthy was something she had been incredibly nervous about. In telling JR of her worries, she was supported, though not in the way that was constructively helpful; JR was a fairly traditional man when it came to parenthood, he held the belief that if she were a sane, supported and prepared woman, then she needn't worry about how the baby would turn out, because everything would fall into place. Despite the fact that his own childhood hadn't been one where relatively sane, stable parents had automatically turned him into a well-rounded man, he had no doubts that he and Sue Ellen would be different to their own parents and wouldn't repeat their mistakes. They were well aware of their own parents' errors and in his mind that meant that they were already ahead of the game, because awareness and purposeful difference was a major step toward being the loving parents they wanted to be, not the unfair, sometimes-unkind parents they had grown up with. Sue Ellen enjoyed hearing that he had confidence in their abilities, however, learning and gaining a real, concrete knowledge about parenting was something that she needed for her own peace of mind.

"Good, good… and JR? Have you discussed what we spoke about last week? It's not the right choice for every couple, we understand that, however, with the recent social changes, the hospital is obliged to inform expectant mothers that husbands are welcome to be a little more present. Now, that doesn't mean he has to be in the room for the birth, because I understand that a lot of couples absolutely do not want that, however, I wouldn't discount how beneficial it can be for a labouring mother to have someone there for personal support, prior to the actual birth". Nodding as she listened to her doctor, Sue Ellen thought back to the previous week; she had already had an idea of what JR would say to her suggestion, but she'd asked him anyway; "we discussed it. I think we're more on the traditional side when it comes to childbirth and parenting…" she wasn't going to mention that JR had scoffed at the idea of actually being present to support her personally, however, the meek, quiet tone of voice she used was enough for Doctor Krane to get the gist of what she meant. "That's fine, as I said, it's not for everyone", she smiled weakly at Sue Ellen and felt a little sorry for her, though she knew she had to stay objective and professional about it; it wasn't ethical or helpful to offer her personal opinion on the thoughts and actions of JR Ewing. As their standard check-up ended, Sue Ellen had mixed feelings; on one hand, she was excited and keenly anticipating meeting her baby, but on the other, she was nervous and worried about everything that could go wrong or not turn out the way she wanted it to. Calming herself down as she made her way back to Southfork, she decided to try to not dwell too much on what she couldn't control, because she knew she would drive herself crazy if she did.

Walking into their bedroom after arriving home from work, JR was confused about his wife's whereabouts; she was usually so predictable, always appearing in the driveway as he parked or waiting for him in the bedroom as he came upstairs, however, she was in neither place tonight. Walking out of the bedroom and down the hall, he noticed one of the bedroom doors was slightly ajar and walking into the completed nursery, he spotted his wife. "Darlin'…" he spoke softly as to not startle her and when she turned around to look at him, he was surprised at the way he felt. Despite the fact that she was always trying to convince him that she was strong and didn't need to be coddled, deep down, she really was a fragile young woman and he needed to be there for her when she was emotional, even if he didn't fully understand her emotions. Walking toward her husband, Sue Ellen ceded control of her emotions and fell into his arms, crying not for any particular reason other than having just put her life into perspective; everything she had ever wanted was real and happening now and that was both a happy and scary thought. For once, everything was clear to JR and he really understood that what she needed and wanted from him right now weren't words of encouragement or reassurance, she just needed him; his presence and understanding were enough.

Austin, Texas

Opening her mail on Saturday morning, Patricia Shepard was slightly surprised to find a yellow and green card and opening it, she found herself smiling at the invitation; it pleased her to know that although JR Ewing had threatened to cut her out of her daughter and grandchild's life, it hadn't happened quite yet. Walking inside the house, she placed the invitation next to the phone and made a mental note to call and RSVP later on in the day, because right now, she had to take Kristin to her dance class and there was no way in hell she was going to be late to that. She'd managed to marry her eldest daughter off to a wealthy man, but there was no guarantee that her youngest daughter was heading in the same direction, however, she intended on doing everything she could to make it happen and if winning a beauty pageant had worked for Sue Ellen, then she assumed it would work for Kristin too.

To be continued…