Austin, Texas

"You sound surprised. You didn't forget our arrangement did you?" looking at her calendar, Patricia knew she wasn't wrong and waited for Sue Ellen to apologise for making it sound as though her call was completely out of the blue. She had been looking forward to another visit to Dallas; she wanted to see her grandson, her daughter and Southfork, and most of all, she was ready for a break from her daily life in Austin. "No mama, I didn't forget. I have just been busy these past few weeks and this week has arrived much faster than I originally expected. Your flights have been arranged and I will personally meet you at the airport on Friday. You will stay the weekend and I will then take you back to the airport on Monday. Then we will see each other next in another two weeks, when you and Kristin arrive for Christmas. You don't need to worry about a thing, it's all arranged. I didn't forget". Listening to her eldest daughter's response, Patricia was reassured that everything was ok with her plans to visit Dallas, though from years of experience, she knew Sue Ellen's vague reference to the past few weeks being busy meant something much more than baby play group, DOA meetings and whatever it was she and JR had planned on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Something in Sue Ellen's life was amiss and she would have to probe to find out what it was, because Sue Ellen had never been particularly forthcoming with information about her personal life and it appeared that time and distance hadn't changed that. For now though, she was just pleased that her call to confirm their plans for later in the week were going ahead without issue. After talking for a little longer, she was content when the conversation ended and after saying her goodbyes, she hung up.

Dallas, Texas

Hanging up the phone as her call ended, Sue Ellen shook her head and waited in the foyer for a moment to clear her mind before she returned to her previous activity. When she was with her son, she wanted him to always have the best side of her, she didn't want him to sense her distraction or upset, so taking a moment to calm herself before seeing him again was always a good idea. She had been telling her mother the truth when she'd said she hadn't forgotten her visit, but she had been busy and it had sneaked up on her faster than she'd originally assumed. It was typical, just as she and JR were getting back on track with their relationship, her mother was due to arrive. Although recent visits hadn't been nearly as bad as she always assumed they would be, things hadn't changed that much between them that she believed they had absolutely no reason to worry. Things weren't awful though, her mother did seem to be a little mellower lately, so she hoped that personality would stick and her visit would happen in a seamless, drama-free manner.

Walking back into the living room, she was pleased to see that she hadn't missed too much; John Ross and Miss Ellie were just as she had left them a few minutes ago, playing his new favourite game, stacking wooden blocks as high as they could before gleefully knocking them down. So far, motherhood had been wonderful. Obviously there were the initial stresses of worrying whether she was doing well enough or even able to give him what he needed when he cried, but after a while, as with any first-time mother, things began to fall into place and although new challenges were always arising, she no longer felt lost or incapable, she felt confident and happy. Motherhood had introduced her to a whole new world of feelings and experiences and now that she and JR had re-entered a good place in their marriage, her level of happiness in day-to-day life was only increasing each day. It wasn't a quick process, but she was beginning to make new friends and get out of the house more, and in turn, so was John Ross. She knew John Ross adored the singing and interactive games they played in their weekly mother and baby group and she personally enjoyed meeting and being able to relate to women her own age again; for a few years, that hadn't been the case and it hadn't been good for her mental health.

She still attended DOA meetings occasionally, but in general, the work she did for the women's charity organization was mostly actual charity work, not the lunching and gossiping she had been so involved in before her pregnancy. It meant more to her to be able to spend time with her son, her husband, her friends and family than it did to spend time with a bunch of gossipy women who at times, seemed like the least empathetic people she'd ever met. Now, her work for the DOA was mostly a keeping up appearances thing and a favour to Miss Ellie, not because she was deeply interested in the club itself. She was interested in returning to her old 'job' at the charity she had volunteered at prior to her pregnancy though, because she had genuinely enjoyed the work she did there and the sense of accomplishment she got from hearing and seeing the success stories of the women she'd assisted. Thus far though, she hadn't done anything about reintroducing that commitment to her life. She enjoyed being social and useful, but first and foremost, she knew she had a commitment and responsibility to do right by her own family and by herself, so before she even thought about adding additional responsibilities to her plate, she needed to be completely secure in her own life and in the roles she played for her family. John Ross wouldn't be a baby forever and at some point, he wouldn't need or want her to be available to him all the time, but for now, he was young and she wanted to make the most out of the time in his life. She would return to some of her pre-baby life in the future, but for now, she was taking things one day at a time and she was thoroughly enjoying it.

To be continued…