J.R. deliberately counted every one of the thirty-seven seconds required for the plane to barrel from one end of the runway and soar into the atmosphere above. The internal noise softened the blow of the resentful silence his wife rewarded him with as they observed take-off from the first class departures lounge. "Darlin', let's go home," he tenderly placed his palm onto the small of Sue Ellen's back and ushered her forcefully toward the nearest exit. Within a matter of hours, Kristin would be settled in California, and their affair and his near-death would all be a bad memory.
The months flew by and, for the most part, Kristin's existence in California was of little consequence to him but for the monthly check automatically wired to her. He actively focused all his efforts upon rebuilding his reputation within the oil business and a permanent reconciliation with his wife, the latter of which was notably less successful. Infidelity was perhaps his worst character flaw and Sue Ellen's eternal patience had worn thinner than ever. They lived in a parallel state, not as husband and wife but rather acquaintances who happened to share the same bed. Yet, every now and then, there were infrequent points in time they collided for the better and John Ross was often the force around which they could revolve.
It was one of those very moments that the phone call shattered.
"It's Kristin - - calling from California," Sue Ellen's hand remained firmly wrapped around the curve of the telephone. Her voice was monosyllabic, devoid of emotion and detached from her inner turmoil. "She just gave birth to a baby girl." Her brow wavered momentarily, "You have a daughter." Supposedly, she should be thankful that Kristin had not produced him another son who would undoubtedly rival John Ross for their father's affection, yet she was equally devastated. She had always dreamed of a little girl, even if only one in a house full of boys.
J.R.'s heart plummeted from his chest and faithfully rebounded into its socket. It hadn't occurred to him that they had reached the nine month mark. In fact, any consideration of Kristin and their child had fallen by the wayside completely. He studied the panicked, deer-like expression that flickered upon his wife's features momentarily, "Darlin'?" Too little and far too late. A wave of nausea flooded Sue Ellen's stomach and she fled to the sanctuary of their en-suite. The door violently slammed shut behind her and J.R. was alone.
He wandered aimlessly out onto the terrace and let the cool breeze envelope him as he revered the vast Texan landscape beyond his family's ranch. A daughter. A son and heir had always been his primary concern and John Ross ensured that his father's legacy would remain intact for another generation, but the promise of a new baby girl in the family warmed his heart in a most unexpected way. His mind became clouded by the vision of a small child with all the precociousness Lucy possessed in her infancy. He could still recall the day he returned his niece to Southfork and the joy her mere existence afforded his parents. That simply wasn't a feasible option this time around; the complexity of his predicament rendered him immobile. His mother may have been able to overlook his father's indiscretion forty years after the fact and permit Ray Krebbs to remain on the ranch, but his betrayal with Kristin was still raw and one his wife was unlikely to ever accept. J.R. suspected that his father would also rebuke the existence of an illegitimate heir, however hypocritical that response may be in retrospect.
The snap of a lock refocused his attention to the bedroom where Sue Ellen reappeared with reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks. J.R. discretely closed the French doors and ambled toward her with a sorrowful expression, "Sue Ellen." His affairs had been plenty and every one struck an arrow to her heart but none cut quite so deep as his betrayal with her own blood. Yet, hard as he tried, J.R. couldn't find it within him to feel completely remorseful if the result was another child.
"I'm tired, J.R.," she dismissed him, her tone harsh as she climbed into bed and protectively pulled the sheets over her shoulders in an effort to draw a line under the conversation. She was exhausted - emotionally, physically and spiritually. She was burnt out from the relentless deception and humiliation. "We can talk tomorrow." Like her husband, Sue Ellen had foolishly convinced herself that Kristin's announcement had been an all-too-convenient lie to avoid the inevitable repercussions of an attempt upon J.R.'s life, and she resolved to wait patiently for the nine months to pass by before he delivered an adequate punishment for her sin. She should have known that in reality the devil's due was hers to pay.