Dallas, Texas

"Thank you for everything you've done for me Miss Ellie…" listening to the way her daughter-in-law spoke and studying her body language, Miss Ellie couldn't help but feel as though there was something more to their conversation than was being said aloud. Hearing that Patricia was 'just fine' and was 'already back to her old self' was a positive thing, but for some reason, there seemed to be deep sadness and other underlying emotions attached to the way Sue Ellen and JR were speaking. Knowing Sue Ellen and knowing the difficult relationship she and her mother shared, she had a feeling that whatever had happened in Austin was personal rather than medical and it had shaken Sue Ellen a little. She knew her daughter-in-law, she was sensitive and a lot of the time, she suffered in silence for a long time before her emotions all came spilling out, intentionally or not. Things had been different over the past few months, she and JR had been communicating with each other and with other people a lot more clearly and directly thanks to Doctor Williams; every so often though, a little push was needed. Although Miss Ellie wanted to give Sue Ellen that small push she sometimes needed to start talking about her feelings, because she loved her like her own daughter and she wanted to be able to help her through whatever was going on in her life, she knew the present was not the time or place to do so. It was Sunday afternoon, the whole family was present in the Southfork living room, JR and Sue Ellen were clearly tired and Sue Ellen hadn't once mentioned feeling down in any way, so to approach the subject out of the blue just didn't seem appropriate; their conversation could wait.

"Oh Sue Ellen, you know we love having John Ross with us, so don't even mention it…" stepping a little closer to her daughter-in-law as she responded to her comment, Miss Ellie lightly touched her hand and then looked at her again. "I'm here for you Sue Ellen, I love you and I want the best for you, we all do, so if you need to talk, or not talk, please don't hesitate to call me, or just come over, you don't need an invitation to come here", speaking in a quieter voice, she hoped Sue Ellen knew she was being honest. Watching as her daughter-in-law nodded slightly, she knew her message had been understood as intended when Sue Ellen looked at her with her big, brown, expressive eyes and politely responded, "thank you". Sue Ellen's eyes were both a blessing and a curse to her; they really were a window to her soul, and right now, she appeared to be sad, but also grateful. They would talk, not today, perhaps not tomorrow, the next day or even within the next week, but at some point, when Sue Ellen was ready and willing, they would have a nice, long conversation, maybe a good cry and then hopefully, Sue Ellen would find it in her to focus on the much happier parts of her life.

As Sue Ellen observed and listened to her mother-in-law's kind words and actions, she had mixed feelings. On one hand, she was so thankful and happy to have Miss Ellie in her life, not trying to be anything other than a caring family member, but on the other hand, she hated that the motherly words of her mother-in-law were a reminder of just how unmotherly her own mother had been, was, and would always be. As she was thinking about her own experiences with mother figures, she was soon distracted and reminded that she wasn't the only 'child' in the situation; she was a mother to a child herself, and while John Ross had been squirmy and eager to move around earlier, he now seemed to want to be close to her. Crouching down, she took his hands, assisted him in pulling himself upright and then watched with pride as he attempted to use his feet to walk toward her rather than crawling in the way he was now a master at. He was unsteady on his feet and soon found himself back in a sitting position on the floor, but just the small reality of having his mother's undivided attention and praise, and the new, exciting action he was learning was enough to make him smile and let out a small, happy squeal.

Picking John Ross up off the floor, Sue Ellen found her mood completely different to how it had been just moments ago; she loved being a mother and she was doing everything in her power to ensure John Ross loved having her as his mother. Whispering a few happy words in his ear and giving him a kiss, she then rested him on her hip before turning part of her attention back to her conversation with Miss Ellie. Remembering her mother-in-law's earlier comment about how the family loved having John Ross around, and conscious that her son was watching her, fascinated by her words and actions in a way only a small child could be, she made sure to involve him in her response as much as she could. "You love your time with grandma and grandpa, cousin Lucy, and uncle Bobby, don't you?" she knew he couldn't speak yet, but he wasn't insentient, he had thoughts and feelings and he was capable of basic communication. Smiles, giggles, squeals, attempts at words, and excited hand gestures were almost as much fun for his family as they were for him, and anything Sue Ellen and the rest of the family could do to encourage him to communicate with them, they did.

Half an hour later, after socialising with the rest of the family for a while, JR, Sue Ellen and John Ross arrived home. It was still a relatively new experience for them, living in their own home, away from Southfork, but it was one they adapting to quickly and happily. It was nice to be able to escape from the drama of the outside world, or the internal family drama they so often faced, and after putting John Ross down for his afternoon nap, the pleasantness of a quiet, private space of their own was obvious. Being back in Dallas, in their own little cocoon, wouldn't fix the issues Sue Ellen was facing; she would still have to talk everything out with Doctor Williams, and she would still need and want JR's love and support, but the comforts of home were already having an effect on the pain and anger she had experienced just hours earlier. It was nice to be around people who genuinely loved her, genuinely wanted the best for her, and wanted nothing but the same love, encouragement and well wishes in return.

To be continued…