Dallas, Texas
"Would you like anything else Mrs Ewing?" setting Sue Ellen's cup and saucer down on the coffee table, Francisca, JR and Sue Ellen's new housekeeper, then looked at her employer and waited for her next instruction. It was only her first day working for the Ewing family and it was only Sue Ellen's third day living in her new home, so neither of them had quite found their exact rhythm and routine just yet, however, things seemed to be running smoothly so far and both women were pleased with the arrangement.
"Thank you", acknowledging the coffee sitting next to her, Sue Ellen then considered Francisca's question, thinking back to when she and Miss Ellie would have coffee or tea together. From what she understood, agency staff usually had a pretty good grasp on what domestic tasks were required of them and how they should schedule those tasks into their day, so she really didn't need to direct her toward completing the basic tasks she was hired to do. That probably wasn't what Francisca was asking though, she was probably asking about additional tasks, because in serving Sue Ellen a cup of coffee, she had been fulfilling a request, not simply following her to-do list. "That's all for now", shaking her head as if to say no, Sue Ellen was relieved when she received a smile and nod in response; being in control of her own household was different to just being a resident at Southfork and it was now clear to her that it would take a little bit of getting used to.
A little while later, after juggling the tasks of carefully drinking her coffee, reading John Ross a story and then watching him as he shuffled and crawled around on the floor to reach out to the toys she had placed just out of reach to encourage him to keep moving on his own, Sue Ellen then looked at her watch. Had it really only been twenty minutes? She had felt so busy and accomplished, but apparently only a small amount of time had passed and despite being proud of handling things on her own for a while, she hadn't really accomplished anything remarkable or praiseworthy. Turning her attention back to John Ross as his attention was drawn to one of his squeaky toys, she couldn't help but grin as he babbled and giggled happily to himself as he discovered and rediscovered the connection between squeezing the toy and producing the high-pitched sound. In an effort to not become overbearing and overprotective like Jock had accused her of being and her mother had alluded to months ago, she was trying her best to allow John Ross a bit of controlled independence. Teaching him new things by showing him, talking to him and assisting him, was her job as a mother, but after a little bit of thinking, she could also see that perhaps there was room for her to step back just a little. Providing him with a few options and allowing him to just entertain himself for a little while was good for him; he was still relatively young, so his attention span wasn't very long, and he didn't have nearly as many skills as he would eventually acquire, however, as the scene playing out in front of her evidenced, he wasn't incapable.
Allowing her mind to wander as she watched her young son playing, it soon became clear to her that her plans to return to the world of work and hopefully, the world of adult friends, were very good ideas. John Ross was young and needy, but he was nowhere near as needy as he had once been, and JR had other things to think about during workhours; she needed to have a life of her own to enjoy in addition to the life she had with her family, it would be good for all of them. She was too young to just stay home and ignore that at one point, she had had a life outside marriage and motherhood, and recently, within the last year, she had really begun to discover her own identity. Additionally, she was very lucky, she and JR didn't have to worry about money, so she didn't have to worry about domestic tasks if she didn't want to, and that meant she had more time to focus on her son, her husband, herself and others. It was time to re-evaluate her life and start living in a way that would benefit everyone, not just her close relationship with John Ross.
An hour later, after allowing John Ross to tire himself out with his various books, toys and general movement, she fed him, changed him and put him down for his usual morning nap. He was adjusting well to their new home and she was relieved. Walking downstairs, she then made the call she had finally decided to make, and when she did, she was relieved to hear that not only did her old boss at the women's charity remember her, she also sounded thrilled to have her ready and willing to re-join the team. She would have to make more of an effort to organize playdates outside of her and John Ross' weekly class, and she knew she had to work on making friends outside of people who she really only had a relationship with because of their common identities as mothers, but she was taking things one step at a time for now.
Wandering around the house alone, she knew she and JR had made the correct decision; she absolutely loved having her own space, her own time and the freedom to choose what to do with those things. Interestingly though, although she had only lived away from Southfork for a very short period of time, there were already things she missed about her former living situation. While Francisca was polite and seemed nice, there was still a formality between her and Sue Ellen that Sue Ellen didn't feel with Teresa, and while she knew her mother-in-law was only a phone call and a short distance up the street, she somehow felt distant from Miss Ellie. Looking at her watch again and seeing it would be time for lunch soon enough, she then picked up the phone and dialled, waiting for JR or Diane, his secretary, to pick up. She didn't usually make a habit of calling JR at work, however, she was a bit lonely and she wanted to hear a familiar voice. Her new life was definitely taking a bit of getting used to, but she was confident that in time, everything would work out exactly as she had always imagined.
To be continued…