Dallas, Texas

"We're playing with fire and I don't like it. We need to tell your mama and daddy, because it is only a matter of time before someone else tells them, and if that happens, things will undoubtedly be more dramatic and tense than they need to be. It might not be said in a malicious manner, it could be a genuine query about whether your daddy is planning to expand Southfork ranch or something similar, but even then, it's going to be awkward, uncomfortable and upsetting for them if they find out that way. I don't know about you, but if I was in your mama and daddy's position, I would want to hear the information from the primary source rather than through the gossipy grapevine. In addition to that, we need to tell them because it makes me feel immensely guilty to listen to Miss Ellie when she speaks in such an excited and loving manner about John Ross' future here at Southfork, and it makes me feel guilty to know that she spends time worrying about whether I'm as happy here as he is. I don't like keeping this information to ourselves, it makes me feel like we're doing something wrong, but we're not, we're married adults, we have our own family and it's perfectly normal for us to have our own space. Hiding our intentions and sneaking around behind everyone's back will not reflect well on us when the time does come to convince them that this is the right decision. We need to tell them and we need to do it soon". Making sure to look JR in the eye as she spoke, Sue Ellen communicated her feelings and wishes to him in a direct manner, just as Doctor Williams had instructed her to do. She understood that communication, honesty and willpower were important when it came to a healthy marriage and effective problem solving and she was determined to make sure she did everything she could to achieve a good outcome.

Their plan to stay quiet about their prospective move was only supposed to have been a temporary one, however, to Sue Ellen, it was beginning to feel permanent. It had been almost three weeks since they had made the decision to buy their own home and although they had started the process of making that happen, they still hadn't announced their plan to anyone. They'd agreed to let things at Southfork settle a bit before telling the family their news, and as far as Sue Ellen was concerned, things had settled and it was time. Unfortunately though, JR didn't quite agree, and every time she attempted to convince him to make the announcement, he always had a reason why it wasn't the right time. She understood that he wanted to make sure Bobby's future away from Ewing Oil was secure before he gave his father any reason to be upset with him, because with Jock's overall feelings for Bobby, there was always the possibility that they would make up quickly, Jock would have second thoughts and then JR would end up being short-changed again. However, from what she could tell, although Bobby and Jock's recently icy relationship seemed to be thawing and slowly returning to normal, their previous argument hadn't been forgotten and Jock's attitude toward his sons and Ewing Oil had changed a little.

Apart from what JR had told her about Jock's brief mention of a plan for both Bobby and JR's futures, no one had explicitly said anything about planned upcoming changes. However, if Miss Ellie's small comments about Southfork land and her father's wishes for it to always remain a working ranch were anything to go by, she and JR were not the only ones who considered it to be a logical and smart decision for Bobby to eventually move away from Ewing Oil and into to ranch work. Because of both Jock and Miss Ellie's comments about the future, their wishes for peace and harmony, the fact that Bobby working the ranch really was a logical solution, and her knowledge that Miss Ellie and Jock did discuss family issues with each other, Sue Ellen was confident that Bobby and JR's futures were secure and separate from each other. Her confidence that everything was on the verge of working out was really contributing to her frustration with JR though, because the last thing she wanted was for everything to become happy and harmonious and for their news to come as a complete shock to the family, causing a whole new set of repercussions to deal with. They needed to be tactful and truthful when they informed Jock and Miss Ellie of their intention to move out, and right now, she had a horrible feeling that as the days passed and their plans became more real and widely known, their power over the situation was slowly slipping away from them and they would soon completely lose control.

Staying silent as he listened to his wife repeat the same message she had been telling him for over a week, JR was torn. On one hand, he understood exactly what Sue Ellen was saying and he agreed with her, but on the other hand, he still wasn't convinced that telling his parents their news right now was the best idea and he wished that she would understand his reasons for feeling that way. She'd told him multiple times that she had a feeling that they weren't alone in thinking that for a calmer, healthier familial relationship, it was only logical to have the two Ewing sons working in in two completely different family businesses; that way, they could both feel powerful and important and there would be no direct competition between them. Unfortunately though, he had no evidence to back up Sue Ellen's feelings about the situation, so he was cautious to do anything that would rock the boat too much right now, because although he was definitely a risk-taker, he wasn't stupid and he knew that there was a possibility that telling his father their news right now could completely backfire. No, he wanted to wait until Sue Ellen's intuitive feeling and his small, subtle hints became a more substantial, permanent plan, and he didn't see why she couldn't wait until that plan was announced before making their announcement, especially since she was so sure that it was about to happen, without their interference.

"Darlin', I understand what you're saying, I really do, but you have to see things from my perspective too. I know we're taking a risk by not telling mama and daddy about our plans right now, but is it as big of a risk as telling them and potentially getting stuck with Bobby as a business partner or something similar? You know daddy could hear what we're saying and completely overreact, causing more problems for me at work than I already have. I want to wait, just a little longer, just until everything you're assuming will happen actually happens". Attempting to respond, he stopped speaking for a moment as Sue Ellen let out a frustrated sigh and threw her arms in the air; it wasn't like her to react so openly or negatively to what he was saying.

"I have to see things from your perspective? Haven't you been listening to me at all? We've been following your plan for weeks and it's done nothing but make me feel jumpy, nervous and worried that we're setting ourselves up for a fall. Your daddy isn't a completely fair man, I can't argue with that, but I do know that he appreciates honesty and hates deceit, and right now, I feel like we're being deceitful and I hate it. Ignore the 'threat' of Bobby for now, I don't think it's as great as the threat that you could lose a whole lot more than Ewing Oil if your daddy finds out that we're sneaking around behind his back, making plans to move away from him and this house. If I know your daddy, he'll find out from someone else and automatically assume that you played him; he'll assume that you intentionally renegotiated your contract so that you got everything you deserved, all while you were planning to move away from him as soon as it was made legal. He'll hate it and he'll be angry at us, and I really don't want that. Please, for the sake of family relations, please tell me that we can sit down with your mama and daddy and have a calm, polite conversation about our decision. It's the adult thing to do, it's the right thing to do and it's the only thing I want to do". Frustrated, annoyed and borderline angry, Sue Ellen glared at her husband as she spoke; she didn't want to fight, but she needed him to hear and listen to what she was saying, because she had things to say and she wouldn't be ignored any longer. Seeing him staring back at her, looking shocked, but attentive, she knew that she had his attention now and she hoped that what she had to say would finally begin to get through to him.

To be continued…