Dallas, Texas

"Move out? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Ewings live at Southfork, this is our family home and it has been for generations. Why would you change that? What's wrong with the life you live here?" interrupting JR almost as soon as he began to speak, Jock didn't even give his eldest son time to explain himself before bursting in with his own questions and opinions. He'd been so sure that he had everything under control again after a rough few months at Ewing Oil and at Southfork, but all of a sudden, after hearing JR's news, he wasn't so sure anymore. Glancing over at his wife to gauge her reaction, his anger began to grow; not only did she look shocked, she also looked upset, and after worrying about the state of the family and each individual's happiness for months, this was the last thing she needed to be hearing. "Well boy, what do you have to say for yourself? What is wrong with this house? What has this family done to you to make you act this way? You had better have a good explanation, because your mama is upset and I'm… well, I'll spare the ladies from hearing exactly how I feel, but it's not good. So, please, explain…" Although he had been the one to interrupt JR before he could explain, Jock somehow still managed to turn the situation into one where it looked like JR had intentionally set out to upset and anger his family. Luckily for JR though, he'd had a long time to consider all angles of his and Sue Ellen's decision and had answers to all of his father's questions; he really just needed his father to be quiet long enough for him to actually explain.

Looking over at Miss Ellie as JR and Jock spoke to each other, Sue Ellen suddenly felt awful. She and JR had tried to plan and arrange things in the least disruptive and upsetting way and she was sure that Jock, Miss Ellie and the rest of the family would come around to agreeing with their plan once they understood all of the information, but knowing and hoping those things didn't make her feel any better right now. "Miss Ellie…" in an attempt to explain things, Sue Ellen spoke in a soft, sympathetic tone and looked at her mother-in-law, though when Miss Ellie looked her in the eye, she found herself lost for words. She and JR had never intended to upset anyone with their news and now that she saw that Miss Ellie was, she really felt terrible about the conversation they were about to have. Speechless and confused, she was pleased when JR interrupted their discussion and began to offer their side of the story.

Swallowing his annoyance at the way his father had interrupted him and asked him questions that he would have had answered if he had just allowed him to speak in the first place, JR paused for a moment as his wife spoke and then picked up from where she had left off. "I'm sorry mama, it wasn't our intention to hurt you; or you daddy, we never intended for this news to anger you. I'll explain everything, but please, listen to what I have to say before responding. Sue Ellen and I have done a lot of thinking about this, it wasn't a hasty decision and I think that what we've figured out will be beneficial to everyone, not harmful". Looking at his mother and then at his father, he paused for a moment and waited for a nod or murmur from either of them to tell him to continue.

Feeling Sue Ellen's hand in his and hearing no argument from his father, he then continued. "Daddy, to answer your questions, we don't have a problem with our lives here at Southfork and we completely respect that Southfork is the Ewing family home, however, Sue Ellen and I have also had a lot of conversations about our small family and how we need a little space and privacy. I think we can all agree that things here at Southfork can get a little tense sometimes, mostly due to business disagreements or issues, and I don't know about you, but as much as I love Ewing Oil, sometimes I just want to be able to have a meal without thinking about work or other issues. As well as that, in our personal lives, as Sue Ellen and I are working to improve our marriage, it's become clear that we need our own space to relax and have fun, and when we're here, in the house with everyone else, that becomes a lot more difficult. I know Lucy and Bobby don't particularly enjoy seeing Sue Ellen and I expressing any kind of affection for each other and I'm sure you and mama can completely understand how awkward and frustrating it can be at times when you have to censor your behaviour like that". Pausing for a moment as he attempted to explain their decision in an open, honest and relatable manner, he then continued.

"Don't get me wrong, we're not just doing this for silly, selfish reasons, we've thought long and hard about it and have decided that it really is the best decision for our family. Think about it this way, Southfork land has been in mama's family for generations, but you built this specific house, for your wife and your family; all we want is the same opportunity for our family, we just want our own space, in no way does that mean we want to separate from the larger Ewing family though. If you'll have us, we still plan to attend family dinners a few times a week and we definitely want John Ross to have as much family interaction as possible, but we also know that we need our own space. As I said though, we've done a lot of thinking about the situation and we think we've come up with a good solution to the problem, one that benefits everyone. Moving out of Southfork doesn't mean moving far away from the family, in fact, if all goes to plan, we'll just be a couple of miles down the road, and if you don't want to drive, you can always ride over. We're seriously considering purchasing the old Wade ranch…" Announcing their plan, but holding back on fully explaining the details until he could see what their initial reaction was, he then squeezed Sue Ellen's hand and looked at his parents.

To be continued…