Dallas, Texas
March 1978
Running his hand over John Ross' soft brown hair, JR studied his son's tiny body, watching his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm as he slept. Fatherhood was nothing like he'd expected. While he remembered Lucy as a baby, he didn't recall her being this placid. Either Mrs Reeves, the baby nurse, was a miracle worker, or babies were just different, because most of the time John Ross seemed content to pass the hours quietly, needing little more than food, cuddles, and sleep.
He had never really thought about what having a son would be like beyond the idea of being a father. He'd certainly not imagined he would want to spend time with the boy or find himself thinking about him when they were apart. Until Sue Ellen had asked him to see a doctor with her, he hadn't given much thought to children beyond knowing they'd have them one day. Now that John Ross was real, it surprised him just how attached he felt.
His growing attachment only made him more concerned about Sue Ellen's behaviour. She said she loved John Ross, but she didn't seem to find any joy in him. At home, it was almost always him suggesting they include the baby, not her, and he wondered how much time she actually spent with John Ross when he wasn't around. Mrs Reeves was more than willing to handle all the hard work, feeding, bathing, and clothing the baby, and was paid well for it, yet it troubled him that their hired help showed more affection for the boy than his own mother did.
He had understood at first, Sue Ellen was likely tired and in pain. The doctor had told him it hadn't been an easy birth, things had moved quickly but not by the book, resulting in an emergency caesarean, which was major surgery they hadn't prepared for. But now, nearly three weeks on, Sue Ellen should have been recovering and starting to take a more active role in motherhood. Instead, exhaustion seemed like a convenient excuse not to.
It worried him. Sue Ellen had practically begged him to see a specialist to help them conceive, but now that they had their son, she wasn't interested. It seemed like everyone was more eager to coo over little John than she was, even Patricia, who had rarely showed genuine warmth in the decade he'd known her. If Patricia was acting more maternal than her own daughter, then something was wrong.
How to help his wife was a mystery to him. He could only push her so far without sounding accusatory. Sue Ellen didn't want to talk about John Ross, and asking her why either led to silence or tears, neither of which he wanted to provoke.
Sue Ellen had heard JR's car pull into the driveway at least half an hour ago, but she'd yet to see him and she was fairly certain she knew why.
JR was just like everyone else, obsessed with the baby. Every conversation people had with her revolved around the baby, and she was sick of it. No one asked about her, no one seemed to care. All they wanted to discuss was whether the baby was sleeping and eating well, whether he was relaxed or high-strung, and who he resembled most.
She'd given up her body and her identity to bring the baby into the world, and no one seemed to notice or appreciate it. If she disappeared now, she doubted anyone would even realise it. She wasn't needed anymore. She'd done her job, given the family their next generation, and now she was surplus to demand.
Miss Ellie was worried that Sue Ellen's baby blues were lingering longer than usual for a new mother, that she was missing important moments with her son. Ellie feared that when Sue Ellen finally woke up from her haze, she'd be full of regrets. Jock's concerns were a bit more self-centred.
He wondered if Sue Ellen's lack of connection with her son was due to some instinct warning her that something wasn't right. If anyone should be feeling that way, it ought to be JR, after all, it was possible John Ross wasn't really his child. Yet JR didn't seem to sense a thing.
Jock himself adored little John, not just because he was a sweet baby, but because of what he represented in the family. Regardless of paternity, John Ross was a Ewing, son of someone named John Ross Ewing. He was John Ross Ewing III and the heir to everything that had come before him.
Still, despite paternity not being crucial, Jock couldn't help but feel a strong desire to know the truth for his own peace of mind. Unfortunately, it was proving difficult to get all four of them, Sue Ellen, JR, John Ross, and himself, anywhere near a lab. Their annual health insurance physicals were coming up, which would be an opportunity for blood tests. He had a contact who could intercept the results, but even that was tricky to arrange. They had until the beginning of April to get their check-ups done, giving them a few more weeks. Without sounding too eager, though, it was hard to find out much about JR, John Ross, or Sue Ellen's schedules.