Austin, Texas

"Mama, why are you being so dramatic? I'm not saying you can't visit or be in John Ross' life, I'm just trying to be realistic about what a life in Dallas would look like for you and Kristin…" Trying to explain her concerns as politely and tactfully as she could, Sue Ellen felt her frustration building as her mother sighed loudly; in a way only she could, Patricia had somehow managed to twist the situation and make it seem as if she were the one being put out by the whole plan. "I'm being dramatic? Really Sue Ellen?" changing tone, moving away from offended and into scolding, as if her eldest daughter were a child that needed reminding of who the adult in the situation was, Patricia scoffed and looked at her contemptuously. Taking a moment to breathe, trying her hardest to not allow the obvious tension to hurt her feelings, Sue Ellen then replied, "mama, I'm not trying to be nasty or hurt you, I'm just being realistic. I live a full, busy life in Dallas, and you and Kristin live full, busy lives here in Austin, but with those busy lives come incompatibility and scheduling issues. The reality is, even if you and Kristin moved to Dallas, we probably wouldn't really see each other much more than we already do, not with the way each of us schedule our events. Plus, it's a bother to pack your whole life away into boxes, move everything to a new location and then start a new life in an unfamiliar place; it sounds nice, but it's not easy, and with Kristin at such a critical age in her development, I'm not so sure major life changes are a good idea right now. I know you want to be around John Ross more often though, and I have no problem with that, you're his grandmother and as long as you respect that JR and I are his parents, we're happy to schedule visits whenever possible, in Austin or Dallas. I really don't think you moving to Dallas is right for any of us though and if you consider the situation as a whole, I think you'd probably agree". Looking at her mother, hoping that she was really listening, not just allowing her to speak, without comprehending or considering anything, Sue Ellen was surprised when instead of responding, she turned her attention toward JR and Kristin.

"Kristin dear, why don't you show Mr Ewing some of your schoolwork; after all, he has a vested interest in your education", needing to get Sue Ellen alone so that they could talk more openly, but also hoping that JR would see the good his money did and would expand his generosity, Patricia directed her daughter and son-in-law upstairs. Hearing the use of the more formal 'Mr Ewing' rather than the usual, casual 'JR', both JR and Sue Ellen looked at each other, silently communicating through eye contact; Patricia was not calm nor happy and was just waiting to get rid of her youngest daughter and son-in-law. Although Sue Ellen was mildly afraid of being left alone with her mother and JR wasn't particularly enthused about the idea either, they both knew that at some point in time, Sue Ellen and Patricia would have to talk. Nodding and giving him a weak smile, Sue Ellen assured JR that she would be fine, she was more confident and invested in asserting herself now, and knowing that even if he left the room, he would still be close by, she wasn't so fearful; so, giving Patricia one chance, JR followed Kristin out of the room. He didn't have any real interest in looking at Kristin's schoolwork, however, Patricia was right, he did have a vested interest in her education, so he may as well check that she was taking full advantage of the resources provided.

Seeing the door close, Patricia wasted no time before launching into a rant, "what kind of daughter are you? I thought I raised you with some sense of familial responsibility and loyalty, but obviously you didn't comprehend nor learn anything from those valuable lessons…", shaking her head in disappointment, or anger, Sue Ellen wasn't quite sure, Patricia then continued to speak. "Actively trying to discourage your mother and sister from moving closer to our family, anyone would think that you don't like us at all. Is that what it is? Do you hate us?" looking directly at her daughter, challenging her to say no, Patricia was angry, but also patient and waiting; her plan was a slow burn and had a few risks, but so far, it was a success, at least on the secondary front. She hadn't expected Sue Ellen to jump for joy at the idea of she and Kristin moving to Dallas, she'd been prepared for that and had planned accordingly, but getting more access to her new grandson and in turn, the benefits of Southfork and the Ewing family, was easier than expected. She hadn't expected Sue Ellen to offer more regular visits, but she wasn't complaining, unless of course, that was Sue Ellen's only offer. What she truly wanted was for JR or Sue Ellen to suggest that instead of upping and relocating their lives, to a new place, a place where she was close enough to bother them, they would offer her a better incentive to live in Austin. Despite having almost run out of eligible prospective husbands for herself in Austin, she actually enjoyed the life she lived there; Dallas was the second best option, but one she was willing to take if it meant more money and benefits. She couldn't simply ask for more money though, that would look greedy and wrong; she needed it to be suggested to her, as if it weren't her idea, even if it was; essentially, she was looking to be bribed, bribed into exactly what she already had, just with access to a little more. By accusing Sue Ellen of hating her, she hoped to evoke her daughter's sense of repentance, loyalty and guilt; she wanted her to feel bad about what she was suggesting and she wanted her to offer her a little more as an apology, and if she knew Sue Ellen, she would do just that; her eldest daughter hated confrontation.

"Hate you? No mama, I don't hate you, actually quite the opposite, I love you, you're my mother and I will always love you, no matter what you say or do to me. That doesn't mean though that I'm a pushover and will just do what you tell me to do or try to guilt me into doing, and from listening to you today, that's what it feels like you're trying to do. You cannot tell me that our relationship hasn't improved since I moved out of this house and into Southfork, with my husband. Do you remember what life was like when I lived here, or when I was in college? We would argue about the smallest, silliest things and we never really spent time together, not the way we do when you and Kristin visit Southfork. I'm respectfully asking you to not rock the boat too much by moving to Dallas, because I don't know about you, but I enjoy the way our relationship is now and I don't want it to regress because we're too close for comfort". Remaining strong and direct but also trying to appeal to her mother's small sympathetic side, she waited in anticipation, hoping for a good response, but knowing that the opposite could also happen.

Hearing her eldest daughter speaking sense and doing it calmly, without getting upset, Patricia was caught off-guard; she hadn't really prepared for a logical conversation, she'd anticipated an emotional fight, one which ended with Sue Ellen feeling bad and wanting to make up to her, thus giving her exactly what she wanted. "Well, yes, I suppose you're right. It is nice for us to visit and spend time together as if it's a special occasion, not just an everyday occurrence, and more weekends together would help me to satisfy my urge to see John Ross more often, but…" deciding to play just as innocent, concerned and sympathetic as Sue Ellen was, Patricia continued. "…well, there's another reason why I wanted to move to Dallas, one that's actually a little embarrassing, which is why I didn't tell you; a mother never wants to have to admit her failures to her daughter…" hoping that she was coming across as pathetic and downtrodden as she intended, she kept talking. "...it all started when your father left us…" spinning a story about the financial woes the Shepard family had been in for at least the past decade, half of which were lies and the other half simply half-truths, she attempted to make Sue Ellen see her in a more vulnerable light. If she couldn't get Sue Ellen to bribe her to stay in Austin, she could at least get her to feel sorry for her and help her out a little more. "…so you see, after you married JR and moved to Southfork, we took a financial hit, despite the fact that JR has been helping us. It's not 1967 or 1970 anymore, things are more expensive, the economy is more volatile, Kristin is older and has more needs; the stipend we're living on is simply not enough to support us, but you know me, I'm a proud woman…" Playing innocent and vulnerable, she hoped Sue Ellen still held some of her people-pleasing personality traits she'd had in the past; otherwise, she was quickly running out of ideas.

"You want money", stating the obvious, unaffected by her mother's pity party, Sue Ellen raised her eyebrow and waited. JR was right, her mother wasn't a very genuine person, she operated on a base level of games and manipulation, and pathetically, she allowed her to. "Mama, I can't sit here and discuss money, not without my husband present; we're equals, but I still feel a sense of submission, just as you taught me to. If you are having financial trouble, you're going to have to ask JR to help you, and you'd better come up with a better excuse than 'life is more expensive now', because with everything else you stated to us earlier, all those things about wanting to be a closer family, he's probably not going to be too easily swayed". Knowing JR was somewhat concerned about what his parents thought of him and how he treated his wife's mother, she knew he would probably be more forgiving of Patricia than he was of a random business acquaintance, however, she didn't want to make it too easy for her mother. She and JR had discussed it before their trip, he was prepared to offer her mother a financial and social incentive to stay in Austin, so it wasn't as if he were going to be completely shocked by her mother's request, but that didn't mean that either of them necessarily believed her mother deserved anything she was asking for. Instead of taking responsibility and getting a real job, she was still asking for handouts and despite the fact that they didn't mind helping her, the arrogance and expectation of such actions was off-putting. Only out of politeness and respect for her elders did Sue Ellen not let her mother truly know what she thought of the situation, but from the look on her mother's face at her second sentence, she had a feeling that her politeness wasn't going to last long. Her mother looked angry and offended and when she was angry and offended, politeness was the last thing on her mind.

To be continued…