Dallas, Texas

"I'm sorry… I know I get caught up in my own thoughts and insecurities too much sometimes…" walking closer to JR, Sue Ellen stopped in front of him before wrapping her arms around him and whispering the rest of her apology. "I trust you, I truly do, and I want to be able to support you completely, I just need you to understand that I also have opinions on where I would like us to be in the future". Pulling back to look him in the eye, she then finished what she wanted to say, "I understand what you're saying though, I do need to give you time and space to do things before I react in an unnecessarily dramatic way. You and your daddy have six weeks until Bobby leaves, and you are both very capable businessmen so that should be plenty of time to figure out a plan. It's premature for me to assume the worst right now and I'm sorry that I did". Not really sure what else to say, because she was beginning to realise that she had overreacted a little and JR's words had reassured her that they were on the same page when it came to him travelling for business, she simply hugged him again before changing the subject, "I was very proud of John Ross tonight. I was a bit concerned when you called earlier to say you wanted him there for family dinner at the Oil Baron's Club, because he's still so young and he doesn't understand why he's free to make loud noises in some places but not others; however I think he did very well". In all honesty, John Ross had been well behaved but he hadn't done anything remarkable, Sue Ellen knew that, she was just a proud, happy mother and she liked to share her happiness with people who cared.

"Darlin', you don't need to apologise for having opinions, all I want from you is to pause for a second before you upset yourself with your opinions. Your happiness is just as important as mine and I think we're finally in a position to both be happy with the same things", looking Sue Ellen in the eye as he responded to her earlier comments, he then leaned down and kissed her, slowly and passionately. Sue Ellen could be an insecure mess sometimes, but she meant well and he loved her, and after everything they had been through, he needed her to know that. Pulling away from their kiss, he finished speaking, "I love you Sue Ellen, I love the life we've built together, and I agree about John Ross, I think everything went very well tonight, I didn't doubt it would though, he's been to restaurants before and he's more than entertained by Ewing family gatherings. I suspect all of the excitement tonight tired him out too, so maybe he'll sleep late…" As it was Friday evening, he was looking forward to the upcoming weekend, he and Sue Ellen always made an effort to do something with John Ross as a family, but before their family day began tomorrow, he was looking forward to celebrating the changes at Ewing Oil with his wife. Before any of that though, he needed Sue Ellen to relax, let go of her anxieties, and allow herself to live in the moment instead of stressing out about what she imagined the future held.

"Mm, maybe he will…" hearing the change in JR's tone of voice, his earlier words of support and reaffirmation of love, and feeling the depth of his feelings for her in the way he kissed her, Sue Ellen's mood improved very quickly. She was lucky, she had everything she had ever wanted in her life, sometimes she needed just needed a reminder to calm down and consider everything in context, because when she did, she quickly realised just how far she had come and how little she actually, truly, had to worry about in life. "You know, with all the excitement tonight, I think it's time for me to go to bed too…" leaning up to give him a soft, lingering kiss, she then turned, walked past him and grinned as she looked over her shoulder, "join me?" She knew he probably found her incredibly difficult to understand at times, but he loved her, she loved him, and as he had said earlier, together, they could and would work through complications in their lives. In regard to their issue earlier, she now felt much more calm and confident; JR was a smart businessman and a dedicated family man, he knew what needed to be done and when it needed to be done by and it wasn't worth her time or energy worrying about it. Instead, her time and energy were better spent focusing on her family, herself, her charitable commitments, and her social activities; she had the luxury of not having to worry about money or domestic tasks and she was allowed to enjoy that and other luxuries in her life.

A few miles away, at the Longhorn Bar in Braddock, Bobby Ewing grinned to himself as he walked from the bar to his table. He was happy, satisfied, and optimistic, not just about where the rest of his evening was heading, but about the bigger picture too, where his life was heading. He had a job he wanted, his family were happy and supportive of him, and with all of the changes set to happen, he was sure to meet a few new women, maybe even one that made him as happy as Sue Ellen made JR, or his mama made his daddy. He wasn't ready to get married just yet, he'd already tried that once and it had ended disastrously and had honestly emotionally scarred him a little; he wasn't a man without needs or wants though and while he was fairly good at satisfying his physical needs and wants, emotionally, he still hadn't achieved what he one day hoped to. As it was at present though, he was young, single, attractive, wealthy, and ready to have a good time; whether a good time meant something serious and permanent or simply something quick and casual depended on how he felt about the woman he was with. He was open-minded and he had a feeling that the recent changes in his life, whatever happened now was leading toward something bigger, better and happier for him.

To be continued…