several months pass and shelby returns to town to celebrate christmas. during the festivities, she announces that she and her husband, jackson (dylan mcdermott), are expecting their first child. everyone except m’lynn is thrilled, and she explains to her friends that the doctors had warned that shelby's illness means that pregnancy would be very unwise. shelby knows this but says she is unwilling to go on without having children. unable to give her any words of wisdom, truvy suggests they try to focus on the joy of the situation instead.