Denison, Texas

Watching as heavy raindrops pelted the kitchen window, blurring the usually clear view of the lake, Sue Ellen felt herself drifting between consciously thinking and dreamily relaxing. She, JR and John Ross were only seventy miles north of home, but there was something about their surroundings and the atmosphere inside the lake house that made her feel like they were in another world, far away from the one they knew so well. At the lake house, whether it was sunny and warm, or rainy and cold, time seemed to move differently and things that held so much meaning at home seemed to be insignificant or inconsequential. Their last visit had been in the fall and at the time, they hadn't exactly been on the best terms with each other, however, after spending a little bit of time away from Dallas, connecting as a couple and as a family, they had managed to find common ground and had returned home refreshed and ready to tackle their issues. The lake house itself was an inanimate object, it wasn't responsible for fixing anything, but she did credit its location and ambience for assisting change. The first time she and JR had visited was a weekend she would never forget and because of the change that had occurred there and had had an impact on their marriage as a whole, she really did believe the secluded, tranquil, private home and grounds was somewhere very special. At the lake house, business took a backseat, the wider Ewing family became all but a memory, and the slow, sleepy way of life was something to revel in. It was nice to get away from Dallas for a few days and although staying inside the house all day hadn't been something they had planned or expected to do, it didn't bother them either. There was plenty for them to do indoors and as long as the rain didn't turn into anything more severe, the steady, rhythmic thrumming of the rain teeming down onto the roof, the lake and the windows, was very pleasantly relaxing.

Pouring two cups of coffee and mixing a bottle of formula for John Ross, Sue Ellen then neatly placed everything onto a tray and made her way back into the living room, taking a moment to pause and observe the scene before making her presence known. Deep down, she sometimes wondered whether JR was going to wake up one day and decide he was completely bored with being a good husband and father and go back to his old life, however, at moments like this, where he appeared to be genuinely loving the new life they had made for themselves, her insecurities melted away. There was no way John Ross was following the elaborate story his father was telling him verbally and with the assistance of some of his many toys, but looking at JR's facial expression, that small fact didn't really matter. For JR, having his own son to share his life and legacy with was an absolutely joyful experience, even if John Ross was still much too young to understand the significance of his father and grandfather's jobs and how, in a perfect world, he fit into the succession plan. JR was well aware of his wife's steadfast opinion when it came to not forcing John Ross into a career at Ewing Oil and instead allowing him to choose his own path in life, and he agreed with her, but there was nothing wrong with having hope that his son's decision would be to carry on his birthright. On a more basic and presently relevant level, the story of Ewing Oil's origin was an exciting one and even if John Ross didn't really understand, he wasn't stupid; he was able to distinguish tones of voices and he could tell the difference between his father's regular spoken tone and the more enthusiastic, nostalgic tone he was using right now. For Sue Ellen, the scene in front of her wasn't heart-warming because she was particularly enthused about any of the Ewing men involving themselves in the oil industry, an industry where the excitement often came from dangerous situations, but because it was another reminder that she finally had everything she had ever wanted. It was nice to see JR enjoying and embracing fatherhood and it was wonderful to see John Ross thriving because of their interactions with him.

Dallas, Texas

Dismounting after a long, physically challenging ride, Bobby patted Ace, his horse, before leading him over to the pond to rehydrate and rest for a few moments. Looking up at the greying sky as he caught his own breath, he was torn, torn between selfishness and doing what was right for everyone. He'd left Southfork earlier for a reason and he had no desire to return too quickly, and in different circumstances, he could have quite happily spent a couple of hours brooding in his childhood treehouse, looking out at the pond and across the vast ranch. As it was though, he knew Ace, he was a loyal, loving companion and for the majority of the year he was a great working horse, however, it was no secret that he was spooked by thunderstorms. With the risk of the greying sky turning into something much more severe than a short rain shower, and the fact that he wasn't a bad person and would never intentionally want to inflict harm or distress on such an innocent, loving creature, the decision was easy, and after taking a few moments to himself, he began his journey back.

An hour later, as heavy rain pelted the roof of the stables, Bobby used slow, deliberate strokes to brush Ace's hair, allowing the repetitive, calm movement to influence his own mood too. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the unpleasant things in his life and he was growing very tired of having to deal with them just because he was the only Ewing son left at Southfork. The reality of the situation at Ewing Oil was that JR had never let him have access to anywhere near enough power or influence for him to be in any way, shape, or form responsible for the challenges they faced now. Even if he had though, it really wasn't fair for his father to try to blame any one person, whether it was him or JR, for what looked to be an industrywide issue and a national economic issue. He was sick of hearing his father talk about every possible negative situation Ewing Oil could end up in and in his honest opinion, the sooner he separated his personal and business lives, and the sooner he was able to transition into full-time ranch work, the better. He liked travelling for work and he liked being paid to wine and dine influential people and potential business partners, but the novelty of his job was beginning to wear off and he was ready to move on, in business, and possibly in his personal life too. Southfork was a big house, but sometimes it didn't feel big enough, and although he still held a small grudge about JR and Sue Ellen's choice of home and the lack of consultation with him about it, it was becoming more obvious to him every day that they had made the right decision. He loved his father, but he was beginning to become impossible to be around, so for everyone's sake, something had to change, and that change had to happen soon.

To be continued…