Dallas, Texas

Stepping onto the open porch that was supported by six large, square, white pillars, JR immediately understood why Sue Ellen and John Ross weren't waiting at the door for him; it was very likely that she hadn't even heard him because she was occupied with something much more important than greeting him upon his arrival home after work. Unlocking the front door and walking inside, he hung his hat on the coatrack and placed his attaché case down on the floor before following the sounds of his son's distress, heading upstairs to the nursery. Entering the colourful, cosy bedroom, he wasn't at all surprised to find his wife looking stressed and distressed, his son screaming his little lungs out, and Mrs Smith looking calm and cool but not actually having much success transferring her attitude to John Ross. He didn't know what had happened to upset John Ross so much, but instinctually he knew he had to at least try to fix the situation, so walking over, he smiled at Sue Ellen and Mrs Smith before murmuring a few words and lifting his son out of the baby nurse's arms.

Holding John Ross at an arm's length facing him, he stayed still for a few moments in order to allow his son to see whose arms he had been transferred to, and as soon as he saw that he recognized him, he relaxed his arms a little and brought him closer to him. Although he was still crying, it wasn't quite as loud and frantic as it had been a moment ago and going with the assumption that the change of situation was distracting him, he continued with his actions, carrying him around the room as he spoke using a quiet, even tone. "Hey son, what's wrong? Why are you crying? I know it's not because mama or Mrs Smith weren't paying attention to you, and you smell just fine, so what is it?" Pausing for a few seconds to allow John Ross time to respond, even though he didn't expect him to do much but continue sobbing and whining because he wasn't really a talker yet, JR noted that he was rubbing his eyes before accepting his sounds as a reply and continuing their conversation. "Oh? You want daddy's attention. Is that it? If so, you're in luck because I'm here and I have a story for you if you'll listen. Would you like that?" he was unsure most of the time whether John Ross ever truly understood what he was saying, however, he was more confident now that he did because his whines and whimpers were becoming quieter and less frequent as he spoke, especially when he heard his tone change to indicate he was asking a question. Picking a soft brown teddy bear up off the rocking chair and handing it to John Ross, he sat down slowly, positioned his son on his lap so he was looking up at him and then began speaking again using the same soft tone he had been using earlier, "this story is about a baby bear…"

Listening to her husband patiently and lovingly tell a slightly mixed up version of the Goldilocks story, Sue Ellen visibly relaxed as John Ross' cries lessened and eventually stopped, and her heart swelled with pride and happiness as she watched the next few minutes playing out. She was fairly sure John Ross was overtired from the busyness of the past few days and not having settled for his afternoon nap earlier and she was pleased that if she couldn't help him right now, at least JR could, and as John Ross' eyes drooped and eventually closed, she felt a great sense of relief. It was a privilege for her to be able to spend all day with their son, so she was never resentful of the time and attention JR gave him when he came home at the end of the day, and she tried hard not to feel bothered when he so easily did something she was unable to. In this situation, although she had been stressed and upset about not having calmed John Ross herself earlier, her pride and happiness at seeing JR do so overruled any potential negative feelings she may have had. It was lovely to see that despite JR having had a less than ideal childhood himself, he was a wonderful father and a good man. She needed to talk to him about her conversation with Miss Ellie because he deserved to know and he deserved a chance to move forward now that she knew there was a possibility of healing the wounds, but that conversation could wait until later. Right now it was time to make sure he understood how much she loved and appreciated his relationship with John Ross, and then it would be time to focus on how his first day back at work had gone. Tonight though, she definitely wanted to settle down on the couch and talk with him and maybe do a little more than talking, though she knew that whether that happened depended on how angry or emotional he became after their conversation about his childhood. It was complicated; she could see potential for a renewed positive relationship, but before that could happen there were a lot of hard conversations that had to be had and old memories that would have to be relived. They would likely need Doctor Williams' help mediating the situation if JR and his parents ever did sit down to talk about the past, but she hoped that eventually it would all be worth it.

Placing John Ross down gently in his crib, JR looked up at Sue Ellen and smiled as he noticed the way she was staring at him and John Ross; she loved him, that much was obvious, but there was something more, she looked proud and emotional and that truly made him happy. After a long period of not being anyone's number one priority or favourite person, he was finally at a point in his life where he was and it felt fantastic. Motioning to his wife that John Ross was sound asleep, he then took her hand and led her out into the hall, and as he left the room, he gave Mrs Smith a nod of appreciation. The baby nurse was a qualified woman who didn't lose her cool easily, but she wasn't a magician and he understood that with children sometimes nothing helped, so he didn't blame her for the situation he had come home to. Right now his family was his priority though and since John Ross was settled and asleep, that meant it was time for him and Sue Ellen to talk and relax together. He had had had a long day and he wanted to tell her all about it, but from the way she had looked when he'd first entered the nursery, he had a feeling that they might need to discuss her day first, otherwise she'd be completely distracted. Wrapping his arm around her waist and guiding her downstairs, he smiled to himself as she relaxed into him, and as they reached the bottom of the stairs, he was completely ready when she finally stopped them from walking and just moved to bury her face in his chest as she hugged him silently. Stroking her hair gently for a little while, he knew she was grateful for his gentleness and understanding, because after a couple of minutes she pulled away, looked up at him, smiled, and kissed him softly, whispering, "thank you" as she did so. Nodding and kissing her back, he then wrapped his arm around her waist again and guided them into the living room, "you're welcome darlin'. Now, let's go and get a drink, I'm sure we could both use one".

To be continued…

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