Dallas, Texas

"Bobby?" walking into the Southfork dining room after her appointment with JR and Doctor Williams, Sue Ellen was surprised to find not her mother-in-law, but her brother-in-law supervising John Ross as he examined the food on his plate before attempting to get it in his mouth. It wasn't that Bobby was an unwelcome person in her son's life, because he wasn't, she was really just surprised to see him at home in the middle of the day, with Miss Ellie nowhere to be seen. Whatever his reason for being with John Ross though, she was pleased to see him, because it was good for John Ross to spend time with his family members one-on-one as well as in a large group, and from his relaxed, happy manner, it was good for Bobby too.

"Oh, hi Sue Ellen. I hope you don't mind. Ray and I are going into Braddock later so I came up to the house to change out of my dirty clothes and have lunch…", looking at his sister-in-law, Bobby motioned to her to join him, partly because he wanted the company and partly because it was easier to supervise his nephew when he didn't have to turn his head. "…anyway, I came down, had lunch and then mama and John Ross arrived from upstairs and mama asked whether I'd watch him while she prepared his lunch. That was no problem of course, I love children; I don't know whether JR ever told you, but I used to coach little league when I was in high school and then I did it on and off throughout college. That's really beside the point though, John Ross is my nephew, of course I didn't mind watching him. Anyway, long story short, mama got a phone call from a very flustered sounding Linda Bradley just as she brought John Ross' lunch out and she asked whether I'd mind supervising him eating while she put out the fire". Analysing his sister-in-law's expression closely, he was pleased when she smiled at his mention of loving children and didn't appear to be upset by or preparing any objection to his mother's actions. "I know you didn't ask, but I'm sure you were wondering where mama is", speaking a final sentence, he relaxed completely when she looked directly at him and smiled; she was JR's wife, but she wasn't JR, she wasn't immediately suspicious of people's actions or accusatory of their intentions.

Letting out a small laugh at his almost over-explanation of the situation, Sue Ellen smiled genuinely at her brother-in-law, "you're right, I did wonder where Miss Ellie was, not because I don't trust you, just in general; so thank you for answering. As for spending time with John Ross, you're family, of course I don't mind you being around him, in fact, I welcome it. I think sometimes people misinterpret my intentions; I want John Ross to grow up with a clear understanding of who his parents are, but that doesn't have to come at the expense of a relationship with the rest of his family". Pausing for a moment, she found her mind drifting to the distant relationship her mother and Jock had established with John Ross. Before she got too caught up in her thoughts though, she was pulled back into the present by the sound of her son giggling as he squished some of his food in his hand before it eventually made its way into his mouth. "I don't think JR ever told me about your coaching days, but I vaguely remember you telling me something when you were home from college one time. I suppose it's a good thing you love children, John Ross is probably going to be a dribbly, sticky mess by the end of this meal and since your supervising, you're on clean-up duty", grinning as she spoke, she let out another laugh at the way Bobby's facial expression changed. "Don't worry, I'm joking. I'm here now, I'll do it. If you're actually babysitting though…" not wanting to explicitly tell him not to be like his father or some of the men the ladies in her mother and baby group were married to, she stayed silent, though from his facial expression, her message had gotten through loud and clear.

"Don't worry Sue Ellen, if I can clean up after the animals on the ranch, I can certainly clean up after a baby. It's not my favourite thing to do, but I'm not remiss, I'll do what I have to do…" unsure of why it suddenly felt like they were having a serious conversation, one he had no business being a part of, he felt compelled to change the subject. "So, uh, how was your afternoon?" not realising where she had just returned from, he was surprised and annoyed with himself when instead of smiling and regaling him with a story about her charity work or shopping, she looked at him seriously and somewhat sadly before answering, "it was fine. I don't know where JR and I would be without Doctor Williams though…" from both her words and her facial expression, it was obvious to him that his question had brought some less pleasant memories back into the forefront of her mind. He didn't know what to say or how to react to her question, he had his own opinion regarding his brother's marriage, but it wasn't something he made public very often and he had a feeling that even now, Sue Ellen wasn't asking him to. "Don't worry about a reality that isn't real, focus on what is real. You and JR are together now and I know it probably doesn't make much difference to you what I think, but I know my brother, he's different now to how he was in the past and that's a good thing". Giving her a small, encouraging smile as he spoke, he wasn't surprised when her serious, sad facial expression turned into something more optimistic and genuinely happy.

"Thank you Bobby. You're right, you've just said what everyone else has said and what I already knew, I just needed to hear it again". Despite coming out of their therapy session much happier than she had gone in, and despite feeling happy and playful just moments before, she had also continued to struggle with allowing negative thoughts to overtake her mind, however, having Bobby around had helped her, even if he hadn't said anything profound. Staying silent for a moment as she thought about everything and tried to readjust her mood to reflect the actual reality of her life, not the imaginary reality she psyched herself into believing was real, she found her mind drifting once again, this time landing on a somewhat unexpected topic. "You're a really good listener, did you know that? Don't quote me on this, but I have a feeling that one day, some emotional lady is going to come to you looking for guidance and probably comfort, and her issue might be something to be genuinely concerned about, or it might be totally irrational, but either way, I have this funny feeling that you'll know exactly what to say". There was more she wanted to say, but she didn't want to cross too many boundaries or make him feel uncomfortable, not after he had attempted to bring their conversation back to something neutral and nonintrusive earlier. Seeing Miss Ellie appear from upstairs, she mentally congratulated herself for not saying more, because she didn't feel like explaining to her mother-in-law why she and Bobby were having a heart-to-heart, and she was sure Bobby felt the same way.

Greeting his mother and then looking at his watch, Bobby mumbled a few words about meeting Ray before scarpering out of the dining room. How his formerly cold-hearted brother had managed to snag and hold on to a woman like Sue Ellen was a mystery, but he knew the way things were now and he respected the sanctity of marriage enough not to involve himself too deeply in investigating such things. Walking out into the cool air, he took a deep breath and began the short walk back down to the stables; he needed a minute to clear his head, Sue Ellen's tone and expression had shaken him. A man could very easily get in trouble if he wasn't careful, but luckily, he was careful and he cared too much to allow any of his deep, subconscious thoughts to bubble to the surface and ruin the way things were now.

To be continued…