Dallas, Texas

"JR?" handing her husband his drink and then taking a seat next to him, Sue Ellen decided now was as good a time as any to broach the topic she'd been considering all afternoon. John Ross was getting older and was learning to play independently, so now instead of splitting their attention between entertaining him and talking to each other, pre-dinner drinks at their home was more of a time where they could all spend time as a family but could also have a bit of time to be adults and have full conversations. "Will you tell me about Jenna Wade?" she and Bobby weren't and hadn't ever been exceptionally close, but she was an empathetic person and did care about him and she had noticed that lately, he seemed to be more distant and lonely than he had in the past. It was no secret now that when Jock retired, JR would take over Ewing Oil and Bobby would take over the ranch, much to the pleasure of both Ewing sons, however, it was also obvious to her that where JR was thrilled with the way things were playing out in the present, Bobby wasn't quite as satisfied. Bobby hadn't explained much to her, about anything really, but she had a feeling that it wasn't just work bothering him; his questions about her and JR's new home and his expressed desire to spend more time with John Ross hadn't gone unnoticed and she had a feeling that they weren't just unrelated sentences meant as small talk. Bobby seemed sad, reserved and lonely lately and she was concerned; she herself had gone through a period of adjustment after graduating college, and again after marrying JR, and she found herself wondering whether perhaps he was having a hard time with the way his life was right now. He had a lot going for him, he was wealthy, handsome, sociable and kind, but he was also 'Jock Ewing's son' and 'JR Ewing's brother', he had never really done anything serious on his own and the things he had done on his own merit weren't worth a whole lot outside of a high school or college environment.

"Jenna? Where's this coming from? I've already told you most of what I remember, but I suppose I can answer some specific questions. What do you want to know?" crinkling his forehead, JR took a drink and waited for his wife to elaborate. It had been years since he had seen Jenna and months since he had thought about her; they were living in what had once been her family home and he sometimes got the sense that Bobby was reliving the past whenever he visited, but other than that, she never crossed his mind. Additionally, Sue Ellen had never met Jenna and apart from the basic history of their home and its place in Bobby's past, he didn't really understand why she would be asking about her. He was happy to answer her questions though, he had always liked Jenna and fortunately for both he and Sue Ellen, he could talk about her without feeling awkward, because she was a completely neutral woman in his life, she had always been Bobby's girl and he had never even considered trying to change that.

"Well no, you haven't really told me anything. I feel like I know more about her daddy than her. Miss Ellie once showed me a picture of her and Bobby together at one of the Ewing barbecues, and I've heard bits and pieces about the old days, but I feel like I'm missing huge chunks of her story, or more specifically, her and Bobby's story". Briefly explaining, Sue Ellen wondered how much she should tell her husband about her chats with his brother; she knew that honesty and transparency were key to a good marriage and she wanted to make sure made a continued effort to be a good wife, but she also wanted the opportunity to be a good friend and family member. She didn't want to put herself in a situation where she had the best intentions, but JR found out about her and Bobby's interactions and overreacted because she hadn't told him anything about them, but she also didn't want to hurt Bobby by revealing all of the private details he had told her in unspoken confidence. She was sure she could be both a good wife and a good sister-in-law though, and as she continued to speak, she kept her intentions in mind.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but Bobby has been quieter lately than he usually is, and every time I've spoken to him recently he's seemed a bit withdrawn from his own life, but interested in the small details of our lives. I can't really explain why, but I think he misses Jenna. I can't say for sure though, because I've never met her and I have never asked him, but he seems too interested in things that are vaguely connected to her for it to just be a coincidence. I could be wrong, he could just miss being in a serious relationship, but I don't think it's that general. Your mama told me once that Jenna was Bobby's first real love, and Bobby has told me a couple of times how much he enjoys spending time with children, and from the way he is with John Ross and Lucy, I don't doubt that that's true and he's looking forward to making your daddy a grandfather again someday. I know men don't dream of marriage and domesticity like women do, but I don't know, there was something interesting about how he said things and the way he acts sometimes. As well as that, it's clear to me from his level of curiosity about this house that he still sometimes thinks about his past here, his past with Jenna. I'm not stupid, I know that he wasn't thinking about us specifically when he enquired about whether we noticed and fixed the squeaky window in the third bedroom on the right of our upstairs hallway, or whether we have looked around the attic. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it seems quite obvious to me that Bobby is nostalgic for the past, but I don't understand why he has to be nostalgic for the past rather than happy in the present. If he and Jenna loved each other so much, why aren't they together anymore? Like I said before, I feel like I'm missing important pieces of the puzzle, because it doesn't make sense to me. What happened after Lucas Wade died? What happened after that Ewing barbecue where Bobby and Jenna looked like the happiest couple on the dancefloor? Why is Bobby suddenly so withdrawn from the present and focused on the past? Is there something going on now that I don't know? Is it personal or business related?" speaking in a strong, inquisitive manner, her voice then dropped to an embarrassed whisper as she continued, "and lastly, am I acting totally out of line here?" She wasn't sure whether her curiosity was bordering on nosiness and invasion of privacy, or whether she was being a total hypocrite by wanting to know such private details of someone else's life when she disliked when people did the same to her, but she hoped it wasn't, because she was asking out of genuine concern and some genuine frustration. She wanted to help Bobby, but she needed to understand his thoughts a little more before she could.

To be continued…