Dallas, Texas

Returning to the living room festivities following performing her hosting duties in the kitchen with Francisca, Sue Ellen surveyed the living room, pleased with what she saw. Her home had been the destination for thanksgiving, the annual Ewing Christmas party and now Christmas day celebrations, and no longer did there seem to be a cautiousness about the break from tradition, now, everyone seemed quite comfortable with celebrating not at Southfork but at the other Ewing family home.

No one really said it aloud, but things were beginning to feel normal again. Miss Ellie had been gone now for three months, Pamela and Will four and a half months, and while their absence was felt, there were moments where things felt lighter, like there wasn't a dark cloud hovering over their gathering. She couldn't speak for Bobby or Jock, but she definitely felt better than she had in a while; she felt like she'd grieved and was well on her way to living with things as they were now. She couldn't speak for JR either, she'd truly worried at times that he hadn't properly grieved his mother's loss, but he continued to reassure her verbally and behave emotionally in a way that indicated he was doing better too, so she hoped that that was what was actually going on inside his head.

Observing John Ross, Charlie and Lucy in the corner of the room playing with John Ross' new trainset; Jack and Jenna beside the fireplace, their heads close enough to indicate they were involved in a private conversation; Jock pouring himself a drink; JR and Kristin speaking politely, and her mother and Bobby doing the same, she made her decision.

Taking a seat beside her mother and brother-in-law, she listened, waited, and when an opening presented itself, entered the conversation herself. Bobby was more than capable of looking after himself but she knew more than anyone how her mother could be and what a relief it was to have someone else to engage with at times.

Her family's arrival for the holiday had been uneventful compared to previous visits, partly because they were being respectful of the recent bereavements, and partly because Patricia's last face-to-face encounter had ended in an argument, one that had led to silence and distance between them for months. So far, things had been relatively good as her mother had been quiet and polite, and although she knew there was likely benefit in having a deeper discussion with her mother about their relationship, she truly didn't feel like doing that, not after an emotionally exhausting few months.

Across the room, beside the window, Lucy followed the vague directions John Ross gave her and brought the remote controlled train to a stop at the station, allowing he and Charlie to unload the passengers and freight before sending the train on its way again. At almost two, John Ross was far more engaged with his gifts this Christmas than she remembered him being last Christmas, but still, Bobby's gift was one that he'd have to wait a number of years to play with independently. She didn't take any issue with being needed the way John Ross needed her though, it was nice to feel like people wanted her around, and she was having a lot of fun playing conductor, or driver. Having Charlie by her side helped too, where Kristin always acted as if she was too mature for toys, Charlie, being younger and an only child, mostly just seemed to enjoy having company and was always interested in involving herself in whatever was going on.

A few yards away, Jenna briefly glanced in Charlie's direction, then returned her attention to Jack. He wasn't Bobby, but she couldn't have Bobby, so Jack would do. Their arrangement wasn't serious and there was little commitment, they both knew it and they were both happy with it which made things simple and satisfying.

Seated with a direct line of sight to the fireplace, Bobby found it difficult to stay engaged in a conversation with Sue Ellen and her mother when Jenna and Jack continued to interact in such an openly flirtatious manner. He couldn't blame Jenna for the way she behaved, nor Jack really, they had a history of their own, one that had started when he'd been married and firmly committed to that relationship. Since technically becoming single again, he'd been hands off with Jenna too, giving her little hope that things would change. Pam was gone and wasn't coming back, he thought about that every day; he thought about a lot of things though, including Jenna. His stomach was in knots and although it was easy to blame grief for his discomfort, he knew that was not the only reason.

Just feet from Bobby, JR did his own reading of the room as Kristin prattled on in his ear about her boarding school experience. He'd heard it all before and didn't need to hear it again, despite the coaching Patricia had likely given telling her otherwise. He believed she appreciated the opportunity he was providing and he had made it clear from the beginning that all she needed to do to maintain that opportunity was to keep her grades up and stay out of trouble. She didn't need to prove anything additional to him, it was actually in his interest to keep her and Patricia far away from Dallas on a daily basis.

More interesting to him than his sister-in-law was his brother, his cousin and the game Jenna was playing with both of them. There was absolutely no way Jenna didn't know Bobby was watching her every move, listening intently to every light laugh and attempting to guess what the whispers being passed between her and Jack were about. He knew from what Sue Ellen had told him that Jack was happy to keep things casual, but on Bobby's end, he could almost see his thoughts. His brother was not pleased, but that wasn't necessarily because he wanted Jenna for himself at present. There were surely questions going through his mind about how deep Jenna and Jack's relationship ran, just how intimate they were, and what that meant for the future, but Bobby wasn't in a position to ask those questions. He felt for his brother, he was after all a new widower, but he couldn't pretend he didn't also enjoy the show that was unfolding before his eyes.

Someone who wasn't so sure about what he was witnessing was Jock; his family were beginning to recover and so was he, but he could see the potential for trouble from where he was standing. When he'd agreed months ago that Jenna and Jack coming together wasn't a bad idea Bobby had been a married man with a baby on the way, but now, Bobby's wife was gone, his son was gone, his ex-fiancée was single, and his cousin looked to be in line to step on a few toes. He himself couldn't imagine moving on with another woman after Ellie's passing and he had to believe that Bobby felt the same way, but he could also see the way Bobby was looking at his cousin and ex-fiancée; Jenna and Jack weren't being particularly discreet and grief didn't eclipse jealousy.

To be continued…