Dallas, Texas

Pulling up outside their new home, Sue Ellen gasped at just how grand and magnificent it was. Although she and JR had been in their own little bubble recently, the progress on the old Wade ranch house, now the new Ewing house, was a reminder that life went on and they weren't the only people in the world. With JR's money and demanding attitude, their contractor knew exactly what he had to do and the timeframe in which to do it; Mr and Mrs Ewing would benefit from his expertise and ability to control the workmen, and he would personally benefit by doing everything he had been instructed to do and had promised to have done. Because of that, things were off to a good start and definitely on the right track for completion on time and on budget.

Walking toward the house, JR took everything in. Upon purchase, the house had been in a state of disrepair from years of lack of attention and general maintenance. At one time, peeling paint; damaged, broken wood; old, weathered and warped windowpanes and a number of other structural and cosmetic issues had been present. Now though, that image was all but a distant memory, because in just a few weeks, major work had been done on the exterior of the house and if the unkept landscaping hadn't been a tipoff, no one without previous knowledge of the property would've guessed it wasn't an occupied, well-maintained and well-loved home.

"Thank you", awed by the grand beauty and realisation that the large home was theirs and theirs alone, Sue Ellen's mind blanked and for a moment, forgot the current state of her marriage to JR. The life his wealth and ambition had provided them was absolutely lovely and she was extremely thankful that she was the one he'd chosen to share his social and financial privileges with. They had come to an agreement that neither one of them was in control of the other, however, as they both held somewhat traditional views of marriage, there had always been a little bit of an unspoken agreement that if Sue Ellen was to commit to something large, she would first run it by JR. It wasn't a necessity, just a courtesy, and it worked for them; she upped their social capital by socialising with the right people and donating to the right causes, and he upped their financial capital by working hard at Ewing Oil to be the best and do the best. In their own personal lives though, they were more or less equals; there was a give and take in what they wanted to do and what they did, and when it came to the topic of their living situation, that hadn't changed. If JR had still been a single man, or Sue Ellen hadn't made it clear that she wanted something different, he probably would've never even considered moving away from Southfork; however, he wasn't single, he had a determined and persuasive wife and a marriage that had been proven to benefit from having their own space, away from Southfork. When Sue Ellen had suggested they purchase their own home, JR had been receptive to the idea, though, he had also expressed a few concerns about the impact it would have on their relationship with the family, namely, his father. Luckily though, things seemed to have worked out and both Jock and Miss Ellie seemed pleased that they had purchased a property so close to Southfork. The house had needed a reasonable amount of work done to it and was still nowhere near ready, because apart from strengthening, nothing had been done to the interior yet, however, it was coming along nicely and both JR and Sue Ellen were extremely pleased to see that that was the case.

"You're welcome darlin'", responding in a quiet voice, JR didn't need it explained to him why she was thanking him. They were equals, but he was the one that had the ability to make things happen in such a fast, no-nonsense way, and she was thankful that he had used that ability to achieve this. They had marital problems that they hadn't yet completely resolved, however, right now, those things were the furthest thing from their minds. "This was a wonderful idea, your wonderful idea. None of the other homes we looked at were quite right, but this one is, I know it because I feel it. It's perfect; classic, timeless and beautiful. Just like you". Stepping onto the open porch that was supported by six large, square, white pillars, JR looked straight at his wife as they spoke. He meant every word he said; the large, white house was stunning and immediately captured the attention of anyone looking at it, just like Sue Ellen did. He wasn't comparing her to a house in an offensive way, all he meant was that the way she was awed by their new home was the way other people were awed by her presence all the time. She was a former beauty queen who had always had low self-esteem and he had always been surprised at how little she felt about herself sometimes; he wanted her to realise that her quality as a person, a person he admired and loved, wasn't based solely on appearance, it was based on a deeper connection. Sue Ellen Ewing evoked feelings in him that no one else had ever made him feel and it was one of the many things he absolutely loved and would always love about her. The house was the perfect choice for them and she was the perfect choice for him. They still had a number of things they needed to discuss with each other and although when they did attempt to discuss those things, he did grow frustrated, he also felt very positive right now. Visiting their new home and spending time with John Ross was a great reminder of the amazing things they had achieved together and he held hope that experiencing the good parts of their life again would have at least a small impact on her worries about the future. He was committed to being a better husband and he wasn't going to give her any reason to doubt that, but he was beginning to get worn out by repeating the same things to her over and over, so he hoped that she would soon start to understand and allow herself to trust that he was serious.

Hearing her husband's compliment, Sue Ellen blushed and smiled. She knew she was beautiful, but she'd always had a little bit of a hard time accepting that other people could think so much of her, so hearing JR complimenting her always gave her a little thrill. It really pleased her though that he had indirectly called her a classic, timeless beauty. No one could predict the future and no one could guarantee that he would always feel the same way about her physical appearance, but something inside her was telling her that that wasn't the big drama she had initially convinced herself it was. JR seemed to love her, in every way, and despite what the negative side of her mind tried to convince her sometimes, his affections weren't just skin-deep. Although she felt that way though, something inside her felt the need to ask for clarification. "A timeless beauty? How can you tell? I'm twenty five; hardly old enough for you to bestow that descriptor on me", speaking in a quiet voice, she looked up at her husband, wanting and needing reassurance. Her low opinion of herself and tendency to jump forward and worry about hypothetical issues probably made her look pathetic and needy, but at certain times, that's exactly how she was, and if JR loved her, he would do exactly what she needed him to do; he would reassure her, not berate her.

Crinkling his forehead, JR was both confused and a little frustrated. Somehow, even in giving her a compliment, she managed to find a way to question his feelings for her. He was aware though that although she was stronger now than she had been in the past, that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't still a little vulnerable and didn't still need reassurance of his love for her. He had hurt her a lot in the past and the way her mother had raised her had definitely impacted the way she perceived certain things; because of that and because he wasn't a heartless bastard, he did what she needed him to do and he did it without making it into a bigger issue than it was. "How can I tell? I just can. From the moment I laid eyes on you at the Miss Texas pageant, I knew you would win, because not only were you an extraordinarily pretty young lady, you had something else about you too, something that exuded class and humbleness. You were shy, but confident; you were sexy without trying and without flaunting every asset you have; you were smart and genuinely seemed to care about the topics you were answering on; and the combination of all of those things was just devastating. You're right, you're only twenty five, but I don't think that makes any difference to my assessment. I call you a timeless beauty now because I still see all of those qualities in you and I don't think they'll disappear any time soon; you are you, and by that I mean you are so much more than a pretty face. Saying that though, I really do think you're a timeless, classic beauty physically too. You're young and we've only seen each other grow older by five and a half years, but in those five and a half years, I've seen enough of your personal care routine to know that you take a lot of pride in your appearance and I don't see that changing in the future. I have no doubt that you'll always be beautiful; I foresee you aging gracefully, probably more gracefully than I will, but even if you don't, I really do think your overall demeanour enhances the way you appear to people. None of that really matters too greatly though; I love you, all of you, and I married you for life, not just for the next few years. Twenty five, forty five, sixty five, eighty five, it doesn't matter, I will always love you. Please, never forget that". Switching into supportive husband mode, he found himself lost in the moment as he spoke; she honestly had no reason to worry about her age, which is what it sounded like she was worried about, so if she needed reassurance that she didn't need to worry, then the least he could do was give it to her.

Although she and JR weren't in a perfect place in their marriage overall, in the moment, Sue Ellen had no thoughts other than the ones relating to his comforting and encouraging comments. Once again, she was making a big deal about something that didn't really require deep analysis; JR was wonderful though, instead of getting annoyed by her, he was doing exactly what she needed and wanted him to do, helping her work through her fears and repairing the gap in her self-esteem. She was well aware of how frustrating her mood swings could be, but until she was past the peak of an issue, it was difficult for her to recognize when to rein in her emotions. "Thank you. I love you JR, so, so much…" thanking him for his kind words and reciprocating his statement of feelings, she didn't elaborate on how she felt about her own behaviour or how good he was to her to go along with it. Instead, she simply leaned up and kissed him, slowly and softly at first, but after a few moments, allowing it to turn into something more heated and passionate. She was probably confusing the hell out of him, because the past few days had been awful for them and in contrast, their day so far had been the complete opposite of awful; whether she was confusing him or not wasn't really at the forefront of her mind in the moment though. It wasn't the end of her personal issues or their marital issues, she still needed to sort out her inherent thoughts and behaviours in the future, but for now, she was content to enjoy a closeness with her husband that she had sorely missed.

To be continued…

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