New posts

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ray&amp;Donna" data-source="post: 45055" data-attributes="member: 42">I do apologize if my alternate timeline is somewhat confusing.  I guess I picked and chose elements from the episodes leading up to Bobby's death...without actually killing him <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />***Miss Ellie knocked on the sliding glass door.  She was hoping Ray was home so they could discuss his plans for the evening.  She’d always been able to talk freely to him; in many ways he was more like her than her other sons.  She loved both he and Donna—they were members of her family, and she couldn’t imagine a life without them on Southfork.“Miss Ellie.”  Ray opened the door and welcomed her in.  “Would you like anything?”“No, Ray, I’m fine.  I wanted to invite you to come to dinner tonight.”“Yes, ma’am.  I’ll be there.”  He smiled at her, and a silence fell between them.“Donna went with Pam and me to the dress shop today.  She really misses you.”“I know.  I miss her, too.  We’re both taking the time to sort some things out now.”“Good.  I want to see my grandchild grow up here, and I’d like to see the two of you together again.”“Yes, ma’am.”  She placed her hand on his and he walked her out.  He stared through the glass as the ranch hand drove her back to Southfork.  The distance to Southfork represented the distance between he and Donna now; two people who shared the same space but needed a way to bridge the canyon between them.  The late afternoon sun cast a pall over the ranch, covering it in shadows.   Ray smiled to himself, locked the door and went to shower.***Donna sat in the living room, her fingers absently playing the piano.  Dinner would begin soon, but no one else had arrived.  Clayton was the first person to come in, and he went to fix himself a drink.“Donna?”  Clayton broke the silence.“Hi, Clayton.”  She squeezed his hand as he came close to her.  “I was beginning to think I was going to eat dinner alone.”“No, no, Ellie’s invited everyone tonight.  Were you just sitting here all by yourself?”“Yes, but I needed the quiet to do some thinking, about everything that’s gone on lately.”“I was out on the range with Ray this morning.  He smiled when I mentioned your name.”“I miss him.”  She smiled to herself as she thought of him.  “But I’ve got a problem.”“If you wanna tell me about it, I might be able to help you.”She sighed.  “Dave is coming in late this week.  He wants me to speak at a function about the oil business.”“I see.”“And it’s the kind of thing I would want Ray to be there for.  But I know he’s not comfortable with politics and the oil business, and I’m afraid if I do it and I ask him to come…”“…you’ll upset the applecart?” He finished her thought.She nodded as she looked away.  “We’ve been communicating so well lately.  I’m just afraid that if I do this, he’ll think I’m trying to pull away from him again—and the last thing I want to do is pull away.”“I think if the two of you talk it out, he’ll see how important it is to you,” he reassured her.“Thank you.”  She stood and hugged him.  They both could hear murmurs as the rest of the family started to arrive.  They walked toward the main hall and when she saw Ray they both smiled.  He took her hand and they walked into the dining room together.</blockquote>

Verification: 6 + 4 =