Dallas, Texas

Although she stirred a little as the first hint of the sunrise began to peek through the drawn curtains in their bedroom, Sue Ellen wasn't nearly as alert in the morning as her husband was, so without stopping to get annoyed or to consider waking up for the day, she subconsciously turned over and returned to her previous restful sleep. Their move in day had gone surprisingly well, especially considering how much controversy their decision had caused over the past couple of months, though by the end of the day, both JR and Sue Ellen were exhausted, as were the rest of the Ewing family. JR and Sue Ellen's evening had ended much more quietly than they had originally planned and anticipated, because by the time they were done unpacking, somewhat arranging things and then performing as appreciative and generous hosts for the rest of the Ewing family, it was late and they were tired. After saying goodbye to the family and putting John Ross down for the night, they had made their way downstairs to the living room with the intention of having a drink and just relaxing together for the first time in their new home, which they did, but not exactly in the way they had both imagined prior to the day. In the back of both of their minds, there had been further intentions than what had actually happened, because it was an important occasion and they wanted to celebrate in an appropriate fashion, but the reality of the evening was that after a long day, they were both worn-out and anything more than kissing was probably unrealistic. Their quiet evening alone together wasn't unenjoyable though, not at all, because even being tired, Sue Ellen's enthusiasm about the whole experience was contagious. For JR, the thrill of owning and living in their own home was really more about the overall freedom than any opportunity to start from scratch when piecing together a room, but that didn't take away from either of them understanding what and how the other felt.

Five or ten minutes after Sue Ellen's initial sleep disruption, JR's body clock kicked into action as it did every morning. Slowly awaking, it took him a few moments to contextualise everything, because even just lying in bed was a different experience now, once he was more awake though, everything fell into place and he grinned to himself. Sue Ellen was sleeping as typically and as peacefully as usual, and with her brunette hair spread across her pillow and over her face, and her pale pink nightgown draping gently over her womanly body, she looked lovely to him. She pretended to be embarrassed by his morning compliments, but he knew she secretly loved them, and he was glad, because he genuinely meant them; she was a beautiful woman, inside and out, even with messy hair and no makeup. Looking at the clock, even though he already knew the time, because rarely did he sleep through his natural body clock alarm, his grin grew. A lot of the time, their mornings weren't nearly as relaxed as they always expressed a want for them to be, but he hoped that now that they were living alone, things would be different, and with their new living situation, he actually had a lot more control over making things different. Of course, John Ross was still young and needed his and Sue Ellen's attention in the morning, especially today, because Mrs Smith, his baby nurse, didn't work Sunday's, but in general, he and Sue Ellen were in control of how and when things happened at home. No longer did they have to be downstairs exactly at exactly eight in the morning for family breakfast; no longer did they have to be switched on and ready for social niceties for pre-dinner cocktails and family dinner, and no longer did they have to wait until 'later' when they were alone in their bedroom to have a proper conversation. Neither he nor Sue Ellen could probably really predict how easily they would adapt or what challenges they would face in the future, but it felt wonderful to actually have options, options for their initial actions and options for what to do when conflict inevitably entered their relationship in some way.

Feeling JR's hand on her face before she actually opened her eyes and saw him, Sue Ellen smiled to herself and him and murmured a few sleepy words. "Good morning", eventually opening her eyes, she was taken aback by the way he was looking at her; she knew he loved her and he was pleased about their new situation, but he looked so happy and she was so thankful to be a part of his happiness. Gently moving closer to him, she then gave him a soft kiss before falling into an easy, relaxed conversation with him; the ultimate physical intimacy that had yet to take place in their new home would eventually happen, but for now, it was nice to just enjoy the moment, especially the peace and quiet. While Southfork in the very early morning was peaceful, it didn't stay that way for too long with seven occupants talking and readying themselves for the day; the change at their new home was a welcome one.

Ten minutes later, in the middle of a conversation that was simultaneously about everything and nothing, Sue Ellen paused for a second before looking at JR knowingly and slipping out of bed. Tying her robe as she walked down the hall, she mentally patted herself on the back as she entered John Ross' new nursery; she had been right, he had awoken, right on time, and thankfully, he appeared to have slept just fine. She had been a little worried about him adapting to a new environment, but so far, he appeared to be dealing with the move just fine, or at least she hoped he was and his good night's sleep wasn't just the result of sheer exhaustion from watching all of the activity yesterday. There was no point in worrying about what may or may not have been just yet though, because at present, John Ross was happy and that was all that really mattered. Talking to him as she picked him up out of his crib, changed his diaper and clothes and then carried him into her and JR's bedroom, she couldn't help but grin to herself as she listened to his happy babbling and felt his small body relaxed against her. Watching JR enter the bedroom, carrying John Ross' morning bottle, her grin widened; her perfect, happy family picture was complete and she loved it. Realistically, a family morning in bed probably wouldn't be an extremely regular thing, because JR still had to work during the week and John Ross was now used to eating in his highchair, with the adults at the breakfast table, but every once in a while, it was nice to have a free, unplanned morning to just relax.

To be continued…