Post by melindajo2000 on Jul 13, 2012 19:44:08 GMT -6
Donna had been gone a year, with their daughter Margaret, and Ray was more desperate than ever to get her back. He knew why they broke up; the reasons were logical, and Donna was always after him to see the logic in everything. But in his heart he knew that he’d lost the great loves of his life when they walked out the door, and foolish Ray had done nothing to stop them.
He tried to move on- he had his scattered affairs from time to time. He buried himself in work. He even tried to pick up a book now and then, but he really wasn’t the reading type. He was a man’s man, who defined himself by his livelihood and his personal life, so when his wife left him, needless to say his ego took a bruising.
At first it was all about his ego. How dare Donna want to improve her life, when he was more than happy with things the way they were? They were fine, a bit stagnant, but they were fine, and he liked it that way. Apparently Donna hadn’t, or else she would never have left him, but that was her problem, wasn’t it?
He tried to hate her. He tried to tell himself that she was the one missing out, when it was he who had missed out on everything. Donna’s latest hairstyle. Margaret’s first words, her first steps, her first teeth. Most of all he missed the life that Donna had provided him with. It was, well, comfortable, and he was a cowboy- he craved comfort at the end of the day.
How he missed having someone to lie in bed with, talk about the day, the weather, his hopes and dreams. At the end, Ray had to admit he wasn’t too good at the last parts, but still he tried. For a long time he blamed Donna because she was the one who left, and it was always easy to pick on a quitter. He had been in it for the long run, even if he hadn’t always shown it.
But now, after a year of thinking and dwelling, Ray had come to see that he had indeed played a part in the split. He was so stubborn, he was always right, and he liked things his way. Perhaps he wasn’t the easiest person to live with, but who was? He was a Ewing after all, and Ewings were notoriously hard to live with. But didn’t Donna love him? When did she quit loving him, or at least decide that living away from him was easier than living apart?
He had to find out. Ray asked for some time off, then he boarded the plane to Washington D.C. He’d always promised to call ahead of time when he wanted to visit, but this couldn’t wait. He wanted-no, needed- to know when Donna stopped loving him , so much that he had to fly halfway across the country for answers.
He was lucky- Donna answered when he knocked. He’d been just about to give up when finally she answered.
“Ray? What on earth are you doing here? Margaret’s birthday was last month.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry I missed that. Is there any way I can see her?”
“She’s napping right now.”
“That’s okay, I’m here to see you anyways.”
“You are?” A puzzled Donna asked.
“Yes. May I come in?”
“Of course.”
“This is some place you have here. Kind of puts Southfork to shame.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Ray. Southfork is in your blood. It’s what makes you you.”
“So do you.”
“Excuse me?”
Ray looked at her. “Donna, what I’ve come here to say isn’t easy for me to say. I know I’m stubborn and I have my pride, but pride be d**ned when it comes to the woman I love.”
“Ray…” Donna looked around uncomfortably.
“I love you, Donna. I can’t help myself. I know that things between us went bad, and for that I’m sorry. If I could do over again what has happened in the past, I would. I know I closed up on you, and I pushed you away with both hands. I tried to tell myself that it was for the best that we parted ways, but I was only fooling myself.”
Donna stared at him. “Oh, Ray…”
Taking that as a sign of encouragement, he pulled her close to him, so close she could feel his breath on her face. “Donna, I know I’ve made it difficult for you to love me…”
“Loving you was easy. Living with you was not.”
“Okay then, I know that I made it difficult for you to live with me, and for that I’m sorry. But all of my words in the world don’t mean anything if I’m not prepared to back it up. Donna, I’d like to move to D.C., to start again, to be a family. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but I’d like to get to know my daughter, and most importantly, I’d like to get to know you again. I always said that ranching was in my blood, but you know what? You’re in my blood too. I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything. I will do anything if you just let me right the wrongs that I created.”
Donna tearfully spoke up, coughing over her first words. “You weren’t all that bad. I know that I can be just as stubborn as you. You have your faults, but I do mine. I just never thought that this day would come…”
“Well it’s here, I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. As long as you want me, I’ll be here for you and Margaret.”
“Oh Ray,” she sighed. Ray loved it when she called him by his name. “I think I’d like that. You’re willing to move here…for me?”
“For us. For too long you put your life on hold for our family, and it’s about time I do the same. I love you, Donna Krebbs, and I want…I need…to be part of your life. Let’s be us again. What do you say?
She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his back. “How soon can you be here, cowboy?”
“I’m here, and I’m never letting you go again.”
“You know, Margaret is still sleeping…how about a nap?”
“But I’m not tired…” Ray started until he saw the gleam in her eyes. Yes, he was definitely doing the right thing, and there was no looking back. For either of them.
The end
He tried to move on- he had his scattered affairs from time to time. He buried himself in work. He even tried to pick up a book now and then, but he really wasn’t the reading type. He was a man’s man, who defined himself by his livelihood and his personal life, so when his wife left him, needless to say his ego took a bruising.
At first it was all about his ego. How dare Donna want to improve her life, when he was more than happy with things the way they were? They were fine, a bit stagnant, but they were fine, and he liked it that way. Apparently Donna hadn’t, or else she would never have left him, but that was her problem, wasn’t it?
He tried to hate her. He tried to tell himself that she was the one missing out, when it was he who had missed out on everything. Donna’s latest hairstyle. Margaret’s first words, her first steps, her first teeth. Most of all he missed the life that Donna had provided him with. It was, well, comfortable, and he was a cowboy- he craved comfort at the end of the day.
How he missed having someone to lie in bed with, talk about the day, the weather, his hopes and dreams. At the end, Ray had to admit he wasn’t too good at the last parts, but still he tried. For a long time he blamed Donna because she was the one who left, and it was always easy to pick on a quitter. He had been in it for the long run, even if he hadn’t always shown it.
But now, after a year of thinking and dwelling, Ray had come to see that he had indeed played a part in the split. He was so stubborn, he was always right, and he liked things his way. Perhaps he wasn’t the easiest person to live with, but who was? He was a Ewing after all, and Ewings were notoriously hard to live with. But didn’t Donna love him? When did she quit loving him, or at least decide that living away from him was easier than living apart?
He had to find out. Ray asked for some time off, then he boarded the plane to Washington D.C. He’d always promised to call ahead of time when he wanted to visit, but this couldn’t wait. He wanted-no, needed- to know when Donna stopped loving him , so much that he had to fly halfway across the country for answers.
He was lucky- Donna answered when he knocked. He’d been just about to give up when finally she answered.
“Ray? What on earth are you doing here? Margaret’s birthday was last month.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry I missed that. Is there any way I can see her?”
“She’s napping right now.”
“That’s okay, I’m here to see you anyways.”
“You are?” A puzzled Donna asked.
“Yes. May I come in?”
“Of course.”
“This is some place you have here. Kind of puts Southfork to shame.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Ray. Southfork is in your blood. It’s what makes you you.”
“So do you.”
“Excuse me?”
Ray looked at her. “Donna, what I’ve come here to say isn’t easy for me to say. I know I’m stubborn and I have my pride, but pride be d**ned when it comes to the woman I love.”
“Ray…” Donna looked around uncomfortably.
“I love you, Donna. I can’t help myself. I know that things between us went bad, and for that I’m sorry. If I could do over again what has happened in the past, I would. I know I closed up on you, and I pushed you away with both hands. I tried to tell myself that it was for the best that we parted ways, but I was only fooling myself.”
Donna stared at him. “Oh, Ray…”
Taking that as a sign of encouragement, he pulled her close to him, so close she could feel his breath on her face. “Donna, I know I’ve made it difficult for you to love me…”
“Loving you was easy. Living with you was not.”
“Okay then, I know that I made it difficult for you to live with me, and for that I’m sorry. But all of my words in the world don’t mean anything if I’m not prepared to back it up. Donna, I’d like to move to D.C., to start again, to be a family. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but I’d like to get to know my daughter, and most importantly, I’d like to get to know you again. I always said that ranching was in my blood, but you know what? You’re in my blood too. I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything. I will do anything if you just let me right the wrongs that I created.”
Donna tearfully spoke up, coughing over her first words. “You weren’t all that bad. I know that I can be just as stubborn as you. You have your faults, but I do mine. I just never thought that this day would come…”
“Well it’s here, I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. As long as you want me, I’ll be here for you and Margaret.”
“Oh Ray,” she sighed. Ray loved it when she called him by his name. “I think I’d like that. You’re willing to move here…for me?”
“For us. For too long you put your life on hold for our family, and it’s about time I do the same. I love you, Donna Krebbs, and I want…I need…to be part of your life. Let’s be us again. What do you say?
She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his back. “How soon can you be here, cowboy?”
“I’m here, and I’m never letting you go again.”
“You know, Margaret is still sleeping…how about a nap?”
“But I’m not tired…” Ray started until he saw the gleam in her eyes. Yes, he was definitely doing the right thing, and there was no looking back. For either of them.
The end