Dallas, Texas

Putting his hand on his wife's shoulder in order to stop her pacing, JR then gently guided her to sit down on the edge of the bed. "Darlin', calm down. You know your mother, it's just who she is. There's no reason to stress yourself out about it. She doesn't control you anymore and I guarantee that if she comes here and starts trying to call the shots, she'll be put in her place very quickly. I think she understands her place though, because I made myself very clear the last time she was here and when we saw her in Austin a few months ago. She doesn't get to decide what she's entitled to, it's not her place and there is no point in attempting to guilt you into it, because you don't need her as much as she needs us and if she wants any privileges that come from being connected to us, then she has to respect that. She knows that I'm serious, but she also has years of experience when it comes to manipulating you and she knows how to get a reaction out of you. Don't let her; don't let her words and actions upset you. Yes, it's terrible that she demands things and sees us more as a bank and way to boost her own social value than she does as family for the sake of family, however, that's who she is and we need to accept that. She'll come for Thanksgiving, she'll behave and then she'll leave again until she returns at Christmas. I'm sure she'll make a few comments about not seeing John Ross enough, but she won't follow through on making a plan to see him more, but think about it, the last time she did try to move closer to us, you hated that idea. It's not right for a grandmother to miss out on so many opportunities to see her grandson, but in this context, it's also something that we don't mind. Your mother has the ability to bring out the worst in people and I don't want John Ross to be raised around such hostility; I'm happy for her to come and visit, but she has to do it on our terms and she knows that. Stop allowing her to make you feel bad, she's not worth it and she's not right. Relax, next week will be fine, I promise".

In their regular life together, everything was wonderful, but even as strong and changed as Sue Ellen was, a call from her mother still had the ability to get her all worked up, because for reasons that didn't make logical sense, Patricia Shepard still held some control over her daughter; she knew exactly how to manipulate her emotions and reactions. A phone call that should have been a simple confirmation of Thanksgiving plans had turned into a long discussion about the supposed ill treatment of a mother by her daughter. Despite the fact that they were paying for Kristin to get an excellent academic and social education and they hadn't once stopped Patricia from making a day trip to see them or John Ross, she had managed to twist the situation into one where she was the victim and JR and Sue Ellen were out to get her. From what Sue Ellen had described to him, it appeared that while she had tried to defend her position and stay calm, the whole conversation had quickly descended into a hostile disagreement about their past interactions and future relationship and by the end of the phone call, tensions were high and she was absolutely dreading her mother's Thanksgiving visit.

"I know, I know, we're in control and she knows that she must follow our guidelines when she visits here and I do trust that she will, because she's much more respectful when she's around your family. It's just, on the phone and even in person, she knows me well and whether it's a conscious decision to irritate me or it's just who she is, I don't know, but whatever it is, she knows exactly how to get to me and I hate it. You're right, I'm me, I'm my own person, not just her daughter; I'm not someone she can control and manipulate, but even when I fight back against her attempts to control and manipulate me, it always ends badly. She knows my thoughts and feelings about her involvement in our lives when her motives are purely selfish and not simply because she truly wants to spend time with us, but even then, she still continues to attempt to make me feel bad for not handing her everything just because she asks for it. She seems to think that just because she raised me to marry well, she's somehow entitled to benefit from our marriage. She doesn't seem to understand that, one, I didn't marry you because you're wealthy, I married you because I love you, and two, when I married you, I didn't vow to pay her anything; she plays no part in our marriage and I'm sick of her attempting to guilt me into thinking she does. She complains about not seeing John Ross enough, but she makes no effort to start with a small relationship before she moves her plans into something bigger. We dealt with all of this months ago when we visited her in Austin, before Kristin went away to school and I'm not interested in revisiting it, my thoughts and feelings haven't changed and clearly her motivations haven't changed either, so I really don't see the point in talking about it". Annoyed, frustrated and upset, Sue Ellen looked at JR as if she were looking for answers, though she really didn't know what answers she was looking for, because all she wanted was peace and happiness. She was sick of tension and disappointment and she saw no reason to keep rehashing the same scenarios. Apparently though, her mother felt differently.

"So don't. You don't owe her anything, you know that, I know that and she knows that. We'll pick her up at the airport next week, I'll have a little talk with her and you won't have to deal with her attitude or demands any longer. Everything is going to be fine. Trust me". Irritated with his mother-in-law for causing Sue Ellen so much stress and ruining their private evening time alone together, JR was determined to remind Patricia of her place and rights, because apparently, although he'd been clear during their last conversation, it appeared that he hadn't been clear enough. He and Sue Ellen were on a good path in their marriage and relationship; John Ross was thriving; Sue Ellen was finally starting to carve out a life of her own, separate from her pageant and societal titles; and overall, their life together was really shaping up to be a good one. Nothing would ruin that, especially not Patricia.

To be continued…