Dallas, Texas

"JR?" hearing the familiar sound of JR walking down the hall, Sue Ellen called out to him from the nursery, "would you please watch John Ross for a moment while I make his bottle. He really seems to be enjoying his play gym this morning, so I don't want to have to put him back in his crib while I'm away". Knowing that it wouldn't take her long, but not wanting to have him start crying or fussing because she took him away from his fun activity, she requested JR's help and was happy when he nodded and took a seat on the floor next to his son, immediately taking over her role as supervisor and parent. Quickly leaving the room, Sue Ellen smiled to herself; in many ways, JR was constantly surprising people, but none more than with his parenting skills; he was a wonderful father and husband and she was thrilled to be the woman who got to experience that side of him the most intimately.

Sitting and watching his son swat at the colourful hanging objects, JR chuckled happily to himself; John Ross was still very young, but he was convinced that he was already showing signs of being smart, just like his daddy. It still surprised him how much he actually enjoyed being a father, but he was thrilled that their bond was already established and by all accounts, strong. John Ross cooed and smiled when he saw a familiar face, but with he and Sue Ellen, JR knew there was something more, John Ross knew they were his parents and they loved him, he had to. In his enjoyment as a father, it had never really occurred to him to treat the time he spent with John Ross as if he were simply minding him, like a babysitter or nanny, not a father; it had always seemed like a logical thing, he was his father and he should act like it. That didn't mean that he liked or wanted to change diapers or clean up spit up, but he did those tasks, occasionally; the majority of the time though he did enjoy the benefits of being a man, in both gender role expectation and as a result of his immense wealth. It was nice to not be expected to be a hands-on father, it meant that he was praised for his efforts, even if they paled in comparison to those of his wife, his mother or the baby nurse; it was also nice to have the means to hire a baby nurse to help out, because she really was a blessing. However, just because he had and used the help available to him didn't mean that he was stupid, incapable or unwilling; he could and would perform the dirty tasks by himself if necessary, he was simply lucky that it wasn't often that it was necessary. For now though, John Ross was clean, alert and ready to play and that was fine with JR, he liked being a part of his son's development and he liked seeing him express happiness. He wanted to be a good father and his son's reactions to him and Sue Ellen's affection for him when she talked about him as a father were anything to go by, he wasn't the only one that thought he was doing a good job.

Returning to the nursery, Sue Ellen brimmed with pride as she stood in the doorway and watched her husband and son interact; the scene in front of her was sweet and loving and she still couldn't believe that she was lucky enough to be part of it all. John Ross was still very little, but he knew who his parents were and he knew that they loved him and that made her extremely happy; she had worried so much about parenting and raising a child, but she was beginning to see that if she put a good effort in, then she reaped good rewards. She and JR still had a lot to learn and a lot to overcome before they were anywhere near perfect, but parenting was no longer a scary, greatly overwhelming task; it was challenging and could be exhausting at times, but it was worth it and would always be worth it. "Is somebody hungry?" walking over to her son and husband, Sue Ellen hoped to distract and redirect John Ross' attention away from his toys and entice him to instead be excited by his bottle. It wasn't the end of the world if he cried, but she didn't like upsetting him or seeing him upset, so she always aimed to introduce new things in a more sensitive and less direct way if she could. He was just a baby, but he wasn't insentient or stupid, he had feelings and she wanted to make him as comfortable and happy as she possibly could. Turning his head at the sound of his mother's voice, John Ross looked at her curiously before whimpering a little as his father picked him up and handed him to her as she sat down in the rocking chair. Luckily for all three of them though, his distress was only temporary and he calmed as he instinctively latched on to the teat and began to drink, much to the relief of his parents. Looking at their son and then at each other, both JR and Sue Ellen felt happy and completely satisfied; starting and becoming a real family really was one of the best things they'd ever done together and although neither could really verbally express how greatly the felt about the issue, somehow, they both knew. It was only just beginning and there would be a multitude of challenges for them to face in the future, but together, it was possible and they would succeed.

"…well, Kristin goes back to school in the fall and we each have our activities, but I am having a few second thoughts about going back to Austin, it's only an hour's flight, but it seems so far away now that John Ross is here". Speaking quietly to Jock as they waited for the rest of the family to come downstairs for pre-dinner cocktails, Patricia planted the first seeds of her plan. She had made up her mind the previous day while out shopping with Sue Ellen; the easiest way to benefit from the Ewing money and connections was to reside within the general Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and that was exactly what she now intended on doing. She had to be smart about the way she presented her decision to the Ewing family though, because she didn't want to be perceived as a gold-digger, even if that's essentially what she was. "That is true; family is the most important thing in this life; money is useful, enjoyable and gives us the power and drive we need to succeed, but without a family to share that success with, not much else matters", speaking honestly, mostly about his own life experience, Jock felt proud. For the most part, his life was about his family; granted, he was focused on improving their financial status and building their collective power just as much as he was on improving their kinship, but he was a lucky man; three generations of Ewings lived at Southfork and most of the time, they lived happily. It pleased him to know that Southfork was a true family home and he had no problem informing people of the way he felt, so when Patricia mentioned being far away from John Ross, his mind automatically moved into a place of promoting the benefits of being close to family, not questioning the real motives behind her statement. "You know, Dallas is a nice place and if you want to be closer to your first grandson, it is possible. We have very good schools here and Kristin's a social girl, she'll easily make new friends. I'm sure Sue Ellen and Miss Ellie could introduce you to a few of their friends too, so it's not like you would be all alone either…" grinning, as if he'd just come up with a brilliant solution to her problem, Jock looked at her and stated the obvious, just as JR and Sue Ellen entered the room. "Why don't you move up here, to Dallas?" going pale and then looking at her husband, Sue Ellen panicked and froze; the last thing she wanted was for her mother to be closer all the time, even if she had been a pleasant person this weekend. Staring at JR, waiting for him to interject, she was speechless and for the first time in a long time, she hoped that his new, nicer persona wasn't all encompassing; right now, she needed scheming JR. This couldn't happen, she was happy with the way their lives were and that included her mother residing two hundred and thirty miles from Southfork.

To be continued…