Dallas, Texas

"Knock knock", setting John Ross down on the floor as they entered the Southfork living room, Sue Ellen smiled as she noticed the look of relief on Bobby's face as he looked up and identified his visitors, they clearly weren't interrupting anything important and their presence was welcomed. "Bo bo", watching John Ross toddling at speed across the wooden floor and onto the rug, toward the armchair Bobby was sitting in, her smile grew as she saw how excited he was to see his uncle and how quick Bobby was to reciprocate, scooping him up into his lap as soon as he appeared at his feet. "Hiya partner, are you excited to see your uncle Bobby? I'm excited to see you", silently watching Bobby as he allowed John Ross to touch his face and helped him get comfortable on his lap, Sue Ellen took a seat on the couch across from them and waited for things to settle before speaking. "I think he is excited, he had a good morning with Mrs Smith, then he had a nap and now he's wide awake again and I think he's excited to be around different people. What about you though? How are you feeling?" Asking in a kind, casual manner, Sue Ellen hoped she could get Bobby talking about their outing the previous evening, so she could then inform him of Pam's visit without seeming as if she was being nosy and trying to involve herself in something that wasn't really her business.

"I'm fine. I slept well last night and woke up with a few bruises but other than that, I feel just fine. Mama insisted I stay home today though, so here I am. I am glad to see you and John Ross though; frankly it's not all that fun sitting at home when you're supposed to be taking it easy, it's not the same as being home on the weekend". Bouncing John Ross on his knee as he spoke, Bobby was grateful to Sue Ellen for the distraction her and John Ross' visit was providing him with. Being cooped up inside when he was 'sick' wasn't nearly as fun as it had been when he'd been a child, now instead of reading comic books and having his mother bring him hot chocolate, he was reading all about the grad schools of Texas and listening to the clock ticking, indicating the time that was slowly passing by. "Miss Ellie just wants to look after her little boy. Actually, speaking of your mama, where is she?" listening to Sue Ellen speaking, he had to smile, his mother certainly did want to look after her little boy, the problem was he wasn't little anymore, and he wasn't actually sick, so her attentiveness had felt more suffocating than anything. "She's at lunch with Mavis, she wasn't going to go but I insisted; her hovering over me last night and this morning was more than enough, probably for both of us if I'm being honest. Please, do stay though, I like the company". Seeing Sue Ellen nod and smile, accepting his answer without trying to analyse his health or tell him off for growing tired of his mother's attention, he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and continued to bounce his nephew on his knee, much to John Ross' delight.

Sensing her brother-in-law was sick and tired of talking about his health; Sue Ellen decided to change the subject and hold off on telling him about Pamela's enquiries just yet, so nodding her head toward the books and papers spread out on the coffee table, she gave him a quizzical look and waited for him to explain. "Grad school, it's part of my deal with daddy; JR gets Ewing Oil, I get the ranch, but daddy wants me to get my masters first. I've sent in my applications, past the final application date and without GRE scores, but I've done it and now I'm just waiting to see what they say. These are the prospectuses for the programs, I guess I did things a little backwards, I was in a hurry so I applied to every college in Texas that offered anything remotely relevant, only now that I have a whole day of free time am I actually having a proper look at each college and what they have to offer. Don't get me wrong, I loved college the first time around and I'm not dreading going back, it's just that on weekends and when I'm home during the week, I usually have other stuff I'd rather do than read a bunch of academic catalogs; I can't really do any of that other stuff now though, so here I am".

Surprised by his honesty, Sue Ellen didn't really know how to respond to what he had said; she had known Bobby was returning to college, but it sounded like once again, Jock had nudged the situation along at a quicker pace than his son was actually ready for. Bobby clearly wasn't unhappy, and he didn't really have any reason to be, he was getting everything he had wanted, without too much personal sacrifice and at a relatively young age, so she was pleased for him; her feelings toward Jock weren't so positive though. "Oh, that's interesting. I loved college too… good luck, I'm sure you'll do great though", offering only a short response before she was interrupted by the sight and sound of John Ross' squirming and grumbling, she was glad to hear Bobby speaking again. "Someone's getting a bit antsy. John Ross, do you want to go outside?" watching Bobby slowing his bounces down and hearing him suggest a change of scenery, she breathed out and relaxed. Her brother-in-law and son were clearly sick of being cooped up inside, and she was anxious to change the topic, moving away from Jock's wishes for the future, so going outside sounded wonderful.

A few minutes later, Sue Ellen placed John Ross down into his wagon and made sure he was secure before standing up again and motioning to Bobby to start walking. The atmosphere between them had changed again since moving outside and she couldn't explain why, but it just felt like the right time to tell him about Pamela. "So, I had a visitor today…" looking at her brother-in-law as they walked under the large trees that lined the driveway, she smiled as she noted the look of surprise on his face; he didn't know who her visitor was, but she could tell he was glad to be talking about something other than Jock, Miss Ellie, or grad school. "It was Pamela, the young lady from last night, I'm sure you remember her", grinning as she spoke, she remembered the way he had spoken about Pamela on the way home the previous evening; he hadn't been rude, but he had been very clear that he found her attractive. "We've met before and she came to see me again today. She wanted to know how you were…" eyeing him to see whether he was reacting the way she expected him to, her grin grew as he turned his head and looked at her expectantly before asking how she had responded. "I said that I wasn't sure as I hadn't seen you today but yesterday you seemed ok and I was sure you were fine, but if she wanted to she could come and see you for herself. I hope that wasn't too forward of me". Feeling more comfortable with the conversation now that she could tell from his words and facial expressions that he was interested, she waited patiently for him to ask how Pamela had responded to her suggestion, because when he did, she could then tell him the most exciting part, and her role in the situation would move from matchmaker to spectator.

"Well, um, no, she was a nice girl; pretty too, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing her again. Is she coming to visit later, or…?" feeling ridiculously giddy and anxious, Bobby looked at his sister-in-law boyishly as he waited for her answer. He wasn't an inexperienced teenager, he was a young man who had had both casual sex and serious relationships, there was no reason for him to feel embarrassed or overly excited because Sue Ellen had suggested a pretty girl like Pamela come and visit him, but that didn't stop him from feeling that way. "No, she didn't want to intrude on your personal life by just showing up here at Southfork; I told her that her visiting wouldn't be intrusive, it would show you she cared, but I guess she's more on the reserved side. She did give me her phone number though, so I could call her to tell her how you were, or I suppose, since it's clear you're interested, for you to call her…" Listening to Sue Ellen's response, Bobby had to laugh; his sister-in-law was fairly reserved herself, if she were in Pamela's position it was likely she probably wouldn't have just shown up at Southfork either, but now that she was happily married and seemed to enjoy helping others, her actions and suggestions were a little bit less conservative and proper. "Mhm, I just might… what else did she say?" Grinning back at Sue Ellen, he considered the whole situation; he had been set up with many women over the past couple of years, mostly unsuccessfully, but this time, he had a feeling things might just be successful. From the small exchange he had had with Pamela, he liked her, and from what Sue Ellen was saying, she felt the same, so even if things didn't work out in the long-term, he saw no harm in at least calling her.

To be continued…