Dallas, Texas

Splitting her attention between eating her Thanksgiving dinner, feeding John Ross his small bowl of mashed sweet potatoes and listening to the conversations happening around the dinner table, Sue Ellen smiled to herself contently. While the previous day hadn't gone exactly as she had planned and her mother had once again attempted to gain something more than love and sentimental relationships from her visit to Dallas, she had dealt with it much better than she had in the past and overall, she hadn't allowed her mother to ruin her good mood. She wasn't stupid, she knew that her mother's apology and promise to do better in the future was likely something she just said rather than actually meant, however, it didn't matter too much to her because the rest of what was going on in her life was good and she didn't feel the need to dwell on the negatives. In a few days, her mother would return home to her own life in Austin and it was likely that she wouldn't contact her again until it was time to make arrangements for Christmas, and while it saddened Sue Ellen to know that her mother was so much good talk and little real change and action, it also suited her. As unfortunate as it was, they had a better relationship when they weren't close to each other and although there was definitely tension when it came to the topic of financial support, she had learned to just shut down the conversation and move on instead of arguing about it. The possibility of her mother becoming more involved in her life and John Ross' life was somewhat worrisome, however, at the same time, she knew it was probably more of a farfetched daydream than a looming reality, so she wasn't too worried. If it did become a reality though, she felt equipped to deal with it better now than she would have been in the past, because she knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to tell her mother that she wasn't happy with the way she spoke to her or about certain things. John Ross wouldn't be raised in the same negative atmosphere she had been, she was sure of it and because of that surety, she felt secure in her decision to allow her mother to see her grandson whenever she wished, though she also made sure to put that responsibility back on her mother. After their conversation yesterday, her mother's subsequent behaviour and attitude had changed and whether it was real or not, she didn't care, it was just nice to be able to spend a few days at Southfork with her family and the Ewings without the whole visit turning into something unpleasant for everyone. Of course, she wasn't going to be too upset when her mother got on the plane and returned to Austin in a couple of days, but for now, her presence in Dallas wasn't as unpleasant as it had been in the past.

Across the table, Miss Ellie observed her son, daughter-in-law and grandson and couldn't help but smile as she considered everything. While she still wasn't totally happy with the idea of losing them at Southfork, she was still supportive of their decision and seeing how happy they were with the decision, she knew her encouragement and love was the best thing she could give them. With the home they had chosen to make their own just a few miles down the road and on land that was adjoined to Southfork, she really didn't have that much to complain about anyway. Sue Ellen had assured her that their daily routines wouldn't change too greatly and she knew Jock would insist on at least two family dinners a week, so she wouldn't really be losing a lot of time with her grandson and for that, she was grateful. She didn't know how Patricia could live with not seeing her grandson growing as he was, however, she never questioned that situation too much because if her own observations and from what she had heard from Sue Ellen was correct, the relationship between JR, Patricia and Sue Ellen was very complicated. She didn't need or want to know the exact details of why things had been so icy between JR and Patricia in the past, at least not right now, not when Patricia was a guest in her home, so for now, as things appeared to be bettering anyway, she was pleased and content.

As Teresa cleared their dinner plates and then set their dessert plates in front of them, Jock took a moment to look around the room and take everything in. Past Thanksgivings had always been dramatic, however, this year, so far, things had been quiet and largely uneventful and for that, he was grateful. Thanksgiving was supposed to be about families coming together and for the first time in years, that's exactly what it was; the Ewing family and Shepard family had managed to come together harmoniously, without bringing unnecessary drama with individual members to mess up the group dynamic. A lot had happened in the past year and it hadn't all been good, but they had all managed to come out the other side unscathed and happier and as the head of the family, that made him proud. To know that JR and Bobby were no longer competing for his attention at Ewing Oil had lifted a weight off his shoulders and he was sure it had done something for their brotherly relationship too. Things were good; he and his wife were happy, he had two good sons, a grandson and granddaughter, a daughter-in-law who had really begun to come into her own and although Southfork was set to lose three of its residents soon, he was even ok with that. With the proposal he had set out, both JR and Sue Ellen, and Southfork Ranch would benefit greatly from the new Ewing-owned land and on a more personal and less business related level, the relationship he had with JR would probably improve a little too. Some, but not too much space was a good thing and with the way he had planned everything, he was sure that that thought wasn't going to let him down.

To be continued…