Austin, Texas

Listening to his wife and mother-in-law's conversation, JR couldn't deny he was momentarily convinced that perhaps Patricia had had an epiphany, did want to change the way she lived, and was honestly just seeking a little bit of familial comfort, however, after a few moments, he also remember who he was dealing with. Patricia was dramatic, it was part of her personality, even in everyday life when she didn't have any ulterior motives, but when she did have ulterior motives, she wasn't only dramatic, she was also manipulative and often used her talent for exaggerating things to make other people feel guilty. He liked to think of himself as a strong man, but after seeing how much his father controlled his actions and how much influence Patricia still managed to have when it came to Sue Ellen, he knew he wasn't quite as powerful and in control as he had thought, even if both he and Sue Ellen tried hard to be.

Seeing the way Sue Ellen was looking at him, he knew something had to change; she appeared to be confused and conflicted and that wasn't right. From what he could work out from her facial expression, she was torn between feeling guilty, sympathetic and obligated to be a good daughter, and feeling annoyed, used and generally tired of the way her relationship with her mother worked. She obviously loved her mother and in her heart, she wanted them to have a good relationship, but the way their relationship was, it wasn't very often that they just spent time together, without reason or expectation of some kind of benefit for doing so.

Sue Ellen looked as if she wanted to say yes to her mother, but she also knew what saying yes actually meant, especially if her mother was 'injured'. His wife wasn't stupid, just the previous evening, after first seeing and speaking to her mother, she had predicted exactly what was currently happening, and she had not been happy about it. When she was away from her mother, Sue Ellen could very clearly see how things worked and she was very clear about what she did and did not want, however, when she was actually in her mother's presence, things changed a little. If she couldn't bring herself to tell her mother how she felt, then it was up to him, because it was no use to anyone to keep pretending everything was completely fine.

If Patricia wanted something more from them than to see her daughter and grandson, then she would have to ask for it, and if she did, he knew Sue Ellen would not be happy. Sue Ellen knew her mother had a manipulative side to her, and she knew she wasn't happy to just live the life she had and was always scheming to obtain more, but time and time again, she was disappointed when it became clear things hadn't really changed. To find out her mother wanted nothing more from her than to live the good life in Dallas for a little while, would crush her, even if she already knew it was probably somewhat true. JR didn't doubt Patricia loved John Ross and Sue Ellen, but there was absolutely no way she was only seeking a better personal relationship with them; she wanted money and status, it wasn't a secret, but it was an uncomfortable truth to acknowledge sometimes.

Looking back and forth between Sue Ellen and Patricia, JR didn't really know what to do or say. Sue Ellen clearly wanted him to answer her mother's request for him, however, he knew that with the sympathy and small amount of empathy she did feel for her mother at the moment, he had to be tactful. He couldn't allow Patricia to keep calling the shots in their interactions, it was silly and unhelpful, but at the same time, to be unnecessarily harsh toward Patricia, especially when she was down, would upset Sue Ellen, even if it was probably exactly what Patricia needed to hear.

Considering the situation, he was glad to have a few options to choose from. If Patricia wanted to see her grandson, then she was allowed to, that wasn't an issue, as long as she was respectful of his and Sue Ellen's parenting decisions, which after the last couple of visits and Sue Ellen's words with her about criticism, he believed she would be. He had to set all boundaries about everything else before they even thought about leaving Austin though; he could not and would not have her arriving in Dallas mistaken about her rights and privileges and without any return ticket. Alternatively, if he ignored Sue Ellen's present sympathetic attitude toward her mother's feelings and only took into account all of their history, he had good reason to tell her no now, and in the end, even if it came after a little bit of annoyance, Sue Ellen would thank him. Whatever he chose to do though, he knew questioning Patricia's newfound want for familial closeness was something that had to be done, because entering into an agreement with unclear terms was a disaster waiting to happen.

In the back of his mind, JR knew he had other options too; he could always attempt to call Patricia's bluff by offering her something more lucrative than a week in Dallas, perhaps a week at a health spa and a small payment to assist her in her time of hardship. If she took that option, it would be very clear that money and nice things was more important to her than family. It would probably deeply upset Sue Elle though, not only because she would see her mother for who she was, but also because Patricia would probably say a number of nasty things to them if she was caught out, and Sue Ellen didn't need to hear those things, she'd heard enough negative comments from her mother to last a lifetime. For now, he would offer what he felt comfortable with and what he thought Sue Ellen wanted, but if Patricia wanted anything to happen, she would have to understand it was on their terms.

Clearing his throat, JR couldn't help but grin at the slight shock on his mother-in-law's face; she had directed her request at Sue Ellen and expected Sue Ellen to respond, but she wasn't, he was, and he had no intention of just allowing her to make the decisions and get everything she wanted. Before they made any final decision, he would have to speak to Sue Ellen privately; they had to be on the same page when they returned to Dallas, with or without Patricia, preferably without if he had his way. For now though, before they got anywhere near making or not making any offers, it was time for a few home truths.

To be continued…