Dallas, Texas

April 1978

"Go and see your wife, JR."

The comment had come shortly after Bobby and Pamela arrived, and it had been weighing on his mind ever since. His daddy had been so proud when John Ross was born, but now, with Bobby and Pamela's intentions so clear, that pride seemed to have shifted to worry. Jock hadn't spelled it out, but the implication was there: he and Sue Ellen ought to have more children, and soon. Otherwise, they risked being outnumbered. Gary had a daughter, Bobby potentially had one too, and JR only had one son. If Bobby had more children, especially a son, there'd be real competition ahead, especially now that Bobby was taking an interest in Ewing Oil.

With that in mind, JR had made a decision, one he wasn't entirely sure about at first, but he'd convinced himself it was the right thing to do. Now he just needed to convince Sue Ellen it was a good idea, and to do that, he'd first need to persuade her to resume their marital relations.

Lying on top of the bed, the guest room unfamiliar and unwelcoming, Sue Ellen's tears were silent, only her strained breathing giving her away. She didn't understand JR sometimes, didn't appreciate his attempts to manipulate her into something she had been upfront about not wanting. What hurt the most was that he could see her pain, yet it didn't change his feelings or approach. He still wanted her to do what he wanted, despite her clear, logical opposition.

She'd sleep alone tonight and as long as she needed to, until he got the message. She'd done her duty, given him a son, and she wasn't about to go through it again just so he could win some imaginary contest with his younger brother.

"What do you think about having another?"

"Another what?"

"Baby."

"Why? Ours is barely two months old."

"I just don't want Bobby to get ahead of us. You hear him and that girl."

"JR, we have a son."

"Yes, but they could have several children before we even have one more. You know it took a long time the first time."

"It's not a competition."

"Isn't it?"

"No."

"Daddy has three sons. We could too."

"Are you forgetting the age gap between you, Gary, and Bobby? It's far greater than a year."

"Knowing us, it'll still be more than a year. I just think we should start now, get ahead of the inevitable wait."

"No. I won't do it."

"Why not?"

"JR, it's easy for you, all things considered. It wasn't easy for me, and I won't do it again any time soon."

"It wasn't easy for me."

"I know, I misspoke. I meant it was a lot less of a process for you than for me. I don't want to go through it again, and I don't think a doctor would say it's a good idea either."

"Let's see a doctor together."

"No. I won't consider this at all."

The walls of Southfork could be thin. Sometimes Jock overheard things he didn't want to, and other times he overheard things he could use to his advantage. This particular argument was an intriguing one that left him conflicted. JR had his head in the right place, his heart almost there too, but his approach was always just a little too heavy-handed. If he'd simply made his wife feel included in the decision, it might've worked. Instead of sleeping alone tonight, he could've been enjoying her company.

Unfortunately, Bobby was enjoying his wife's company just a little too much, and Jock worried that soon it might be too late.

JR had been high and he'd been low, but now he was very low. Julie had completely betrayed him, with Cliff Barnes, no less, Sue Ellen refused to sleep in their bedroom, and while for a while it seemed he might be making progress in ridding Southfork of Pamela Barnes, that now seemed unlikely.

He hated feeling betrayed, hated feeling out of control, and especially despised the idea of anyone seeing him like that. Something had to change, and it had to change soon.

Rattling a colourful ball in front of his face, Sue Ellen felt a small spark of joy seeing how easily she could capture the baby's attention. He was fed, burped, changed, and awake, seeming perfectly content to lie on his back and watch her. Mrs Reeves was nearby if she needed help, but so far she hadn't, and that gave her a boost of confidence. She wouldn't want to be alone with little John for hours just yet, but the small steps she was taking to spend any time at all alone with him seemed to be helping. He was what she'd wanted, it had just taken her a while to adjust to the change. It wasn't complete yet, but it was a work in progress.