Dallas, Texas

"That boy's late", Jock looked at the grandfather clock in the foyer as he joined the rest of the family in the living room; he was annoyed, JR was nowhere to be seen and they were supposed to be leaving in ten minutes. He had even reminded JR earlier that he if he had work left, then he could go in early in the morning, but he was to be home in time for cocktails; he may not want to go to Lucy's school Christmas concert, but they were Ewings and they supported each other in things like this, no matter how trivial. Jock himself hadn't really wanted to attend, especially when there was so much to be done at the office, but he loved Lucy and he would never disappoint her; Lucy was the daughter he never had and he would do anything to make her happy. Sue Ellen nervously ran her finger around the rim of her glass as she glanced at the clock again, "he said he'd be here, he's probably just stuck in traffic or something". She felt the need to defend her husband, she couldn't be annoyed at JR the same way his father was, he had said he would be home and she believed him; they weren't leaving for another ten minutes anyway, and he was a man, he was able to get ready in a very small amount of time if needed. "He'd better get here soon, I don't want him making a scene by entering late, this evening is supposed to be about Lucy, not JR", deep down, Jock was actually a little excited about seeing his granddaughter's performance and he didn't want anything to go wrong, especially not something preventable. Performing arts wasn't really something he'd ever encouraged with his sons, but Lucy was a girl, she was supposed to do things like this, and naturally, being a Ewing, she had a lead role in the production this evening. "I'm sure he will, he promised he would", she exaggerated a little, promise was probably a bit strong, but he had verbally committed to coming home and she didn't expect that he would break that, especially when it was something that would disappoint his father. Just as she finished speaking, they heard the sound of a car parking in the driveway, Sue Ellen sighed with relief as she realised he was home, she wasn't sure how much more of Jock's criticism she could take, he scared her a little when he was angry.

"…'tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la", Sue Ellen teared up a little as she listened to the children sing, she loved the holiday season, there was just something so joyous and magical about it. She couldn't wait until she and JR had their own children to share memories and traditions with; her own childhood hadn't been amazing, but there were a few good moments and she treasured them. She watched Lucy onstage and she felt proud, she'd only been a Ewing for ten months, but already she had maternal feelings toward her. Deep down though, she knew that Lucy was only her niece, and that was only by marriage; she wasn't her mother and she would never have a real maternal relationship with her; she accepted that fact, but she wanted more, what she wanted now was a child of her own. Instinctively, as if he sensed her emotions, JR took her hand in his, running his thumb along the side of hers; he hadn't necessarily wanted to come tonight, but now that he was here, he could understand why it was important; it wasn't about the play itself, it was about Ewings supporting Ewings. He thought back to his own childhood, it hadn't been much of a childhood really, instead of playing like the other kids, he'd spent most of his time learning about the oil business, he'd never really had time to explore hobbies outside of that. He'd had to work for everything he had, always needing to be the best; but even in all of his work, he'd learned the importance of family, everything his father did was for Ewing Oil and the family, and everything he did was mostly for the same reasons. His work wasn't necessarily the same as applauding at a Christmas concert, and he would have never done anything remotely similar when he was a boy, but he understood why his father wanted the whole family here tonight; they were Ewings, and they stuck together. JR looked over at his wife; her facial expression was saying more than just 'proud aunt', there was a need, a wishful longing. He suspected that she was thinking about their future son again, it wasn't uncommon, she had formed a bond with Lucy and she was eager to expand their family as soon as possible; unfortunately though, they hadn't had much luck in that area of their marriage yet. He wanted a son, but he suspected that his need and want wasn't as deep as that of his wife and parents, he never expressed his feelings though. Of course, he was disappointed each time Sue Ellen said the words, but he always remained positive about it, it wasn't an immediate requirement, they still had plenty of time to have a child. Sue Ellen on the other hand, she was more emotionally attached to the idea; it was something she desperately wanted, not because she wanted a Ewing heir, but because she wanted a child, someone to nurture and love as her own.

"You were wonderful Lucy", Miss Ellie hugged her granddaughter, "mhm, better than all of those other girls, a real Ewing", Jock congratulated her with the ultimate compliment, making the Ewing name proud. He had never had a daughter, but Lucy was the next best thing, he gave her everything she ever wanted and provided her with the life she deserved, the life her parents were unable to give her. The rest of the family congratulated Lucy before making their way to the Oil Baron's Club for a celebratory dinner. "I'll have my usual", JR ordered and looked around the room absentmindedly, he wasn't paying much attention to the conversation, the family were still going on about how great Lucy was, and he really wasn't that interested anymore. He would never admit it, but he was a little jealous of the attention Lucy got for something as useless and trivial as singing, especially from his father. He had never had an interest in performing arts or anything similar, but he knew that even if he had, Jock never would've allowed him to even think about pursuing it, let alone praised him for his accomplishments in that area. JR was used to the double standards his father set and assumed his jealousy was related to that, though he soon realised how silly it was to feel that way. Lucy's childhood was already different to his own childhood, Lucy was a girl and she wasn't held to the same standards as a Ewing son; comparing himself to her was stupid, especially since he was at over twenty years older than she was. Lucy was definitely Gary's daughter though; his brother had always had a head for useless things; as a boy, he'd written poetry, painted and gone for long walks around the ranch by himself, while JR was with their father learning everything about being a real Ewing, a successful man. Gary was never interested in anything of real importance, not even learning how to properly run the ranch; sure, he was able to work it when he wanted to, but more often, he just seemed to enjoy the land for what it was, without human interference. It was something JR just did not understand, he understood land could be beautiful, but it was also an asset, something useful, not only there to look at. "JR?" he snapped back into reality as he heard his father's voice, "…the Wilson contracts, did you read them?" JR took a drink and relaxed, he knew it was just a waiting game, his father was just excited earlier, but now that he'd gotten that out of his system, he was back to talking business, just the way JR liked it.

To be continued…