Dallas, Texas

Slowing for a moment and squinting to get a better view, Sue Ellen then clicked her tongue, squeezed her legs and changed the direction her horse Chestnut was heading. Southfork didn't belong to her and whatever was going on probably wasn't any of her business but she was curious and if something was wrong she knew she would feel very guilty later if she just minded her own business and didn't investigate. Slowing as she neared the pond, she assessed her surroundings; it was definitely Bobby's horse Ace tied to the tree, what was less clear to her though was where Bobby was. Stopping, dismounting, leading Chestnut over to the pond to take a drink and then tying him to the tree, she then turned around to look for her brother-in-law, "Bobby?" Although she was looking and listening for any sign of him, somehow she still managed to jump in surprise when he made his presence known. "I'm up here", looking up, she let out a small nervous laugh before walking over to the treehouse ladder; of course he hadn't abandoned his horse or anything dramatic like that, he was just sitting in his treehouse, minding his own business.

"Come on up; I won't bite", observing his sister-in-law's jumpy behaviour, Bobby tried his best to sound friendly and cheerful, even if it wasn't exactly how he had felt just a moment ago. The treehouse was his favourite place to come when he wanted to be alone with his thoughts and as of late he had been riding out more and more. His life work life wasn't complicated, not in the way JR, his father, and Ray's lives were; he was an employee and a trainee, but he was also relatively free to do his own thing with his time. He wasn't in control of anything and being a Ewing, he didn't have to worry about working a certain amount of hours just to make enough money to get him through the week. He was very grateful for the financial and social position he was in, because being a Ewing did mean he had options, however, in some cases, it also felt like it limited his options. He wanted to be a rancher, he had no doubts now, but to actually transition into working on the ranch full-time, he had to get his father's permission, and as a grown man, that didn't sit well with him. He had made some progress, he had officially resigned from his position at Ewing Oil and his father was thinking about his request, but before he received any official answer, he was in limbo. Ray was a good person and he was always happy to train him and include him in ranch business, but he was also a busy man with a diverse job and it wasn't always practical for him to have to focus on teaching and training. As well as that, for Bobby, there was a difference between general ranch hand duties and the work he would actually be expected to do in the future and today was one of the days where he felt like he was more of a burden than a help to anyone. He had taken off earlier in the day for a solo ride around the ranch and ended up at his favourite thinking spot, his childhood treehouse, where he had spent the last hour contemplating life and staring off into space.

Surprised by his words at first, Sue Ellen hesitated for a moment before climbing up the small wooden ladder and into the treehouse, taking a seat next to Bobby. Sitting in silence for a moment, she then spoke, "I'm sorry if I'm invading your private time. I was riding and saw Ace tied to a tree but I couldn't see you, so I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt". He hadn't looked annoyed by her presence, in fact, he'd been friendly earlier, but sitting next to him now she had a feeling that his mind was a million miles away and he really hadn't been expecting to have to talk to anyone for a while. "You're not, and thank you", looking at her briefly for a moment before looking out the pond again, Bobby kept his response short and added no additional information, and suddenly Sue Ellen felt awkward and out of place. Looking off in the same direction as her brother-in-law, she silently wondered what to do next; she could either leave now because she knew he was ok, or she could do what the curious part of her wanted to do and ask him exactly what was affecting his mood.

"Bobby? I don't mean to pry, because it's none of my business, but is everything ok? There's nothing wrong with wanting to spend a little time by yourself, but if you don't mind me saying, you seem distracted…" cutting her sentence short before she also noted that he seemed sad, she looked at him compassionately and hoped that he didn't snap at her for being nosy. Luckily for her, Bobby wasn't JR and he didn't automatically assume she intended to use his vulnerability against him, or that she was snooping just because she enjoyed gossip. "I guess I am a little distracted. I came out here to think, because a few things in my life are up in the air at the moment, but I'm fine, really. Everything will sort itself out soon and I think you and JR will be very happy when it does, but at this moment in time nothing has quite been confirmed yet and that uncertainty is affecting my mood". Listening to his response, Sue Ellen was still a little confused, because he was so vague about what exactly was on his mind and how she and JR tied into his mood, however, emotionally, his reassurance that everything was ok did make her feel a little better. "Bobby, do you remember when you and I were speaking earlier in the week? You told me not to worry about a reality that isn't real and to instead focus on what is real. Doctor Williams quite often says something very similar to me. You have a lot going for you and I'm sure that as you said, everything will sort itself out soon, but until then, if there's nothing you can do then you're better off not thinking about it at all, because trust me, concentrating on the 'what ifs' of life will slowly eat away at your happiness". She had no idea if what she was saying was relevant or helpful to him, but she said it anyway, because she did care and she did want to help. From the look on his face, he was considering what she was saying, though she wasn't sure whether it was in a positive or negative manner, and when he responded, her level of understanding diminished even further. "Mhm, I suppose you're right", there was nothing weird about his short response acknowledging her advice, however, the way he chose to continue his sentence baffled her, "so, how do you like living in your new home?" as far as she was aware, the two topics weren't connected and she wasn't sure why he had connected them. Considering his question and beginning to answer, she was sure she would find out soon enough though; Bobby was a good talker and now that they were talking, she was sure he would open up a little more as time went on.

To be continued…