Dallas, Texas

Pouring two drinks, one for him and one for Harve, JR placed the stopper back on the decanter and stood still for a moment, thinking, before turning around to hand his old family friend and trusted attorney his glass, asking the question he gathered was the reason for their meeting today.

"It's all settled?"

"It is. I received notice earlier that the courts have accepted Bobby's application to oversee Lucy's interests as Jock requested, that was the last of the estate administration that needed seeing to."

Nodding, Harve was matter-of-fact in his words but his tone was full of reverence. He'd been Jock Ewing's friend for decades, they had more than a professional relationship and that was obvious in how he spoke.

"So, what now?"

Unsure about the next step as most of his recent experience with probate and estate administration being in relation to those who had spouses or who he wasn't a direct beneficiary of, his mother, Pamela, and Jason all coming to mind, he asked Harve for direction.

Thinking on it, Harve didn't give him legal advice but instead personal advice, "now it's up to you to lead the family in the right direction."

As the oldest Ewing son, Jock's namesake, he'd been placed in the position of head of the family much earlier than he'd ever expected to be, however he'd also been preparing his entire life for the role. Bobby had been his daddy's favourite son, Gary his mama's favourite son, and he no one's favourite, but in recent years he'd come to terms with his place in the family and he didn't resent past behaviours so much anymore. He knew his daddy had been happy to call him his son and proud to pass on his business to him, and while he and his mama hadn't sorted out their relationship entirely before she'd unexpectedly departed from his life, they had had a few interactions that didn't leave him cold when he thought about her.

Grinning, he touched his glass against Harve's, he could do as he was asking and he intended to do it well.

Later that evening, with Sue Ellen at his side, John Ross at their feet, he cleared his throat to get the attention of the rest of the family as they gathered in the Southfork living room.

"I have a few words to say."

He had a lot of things on his mind and eventually he'd say them to those who needed to hear them, but for now they were gathered for one purpose.

"It goes without saying that losing a family member is never easy." Making eye contact with Sue Ellen, then Jenna, then Jack and then Bobby, he saved his eye contact with his niece until last as he continued. "Our family has had a particularly difficult year."

They'd had a good run for a long time, until it had ended, not attending a funeral for years and then attending several in quick succession. He knew how exhausted it had made him, and he didn't consider himself to be the most emotionally aware of all of his family, so he could only imagine how difficult it was for everyone else.

"Moving forward is easier said than done, but we're doing the best we can and I think it's going well."

Someone, somewhere had said there were five stages of grief, he wasn't sure about that, a lot of the time he'd felt numb and withdrawn more than anything else, however what he did know was that acceptance was one stage and as far as his family went, they were all accepting of their new reality, as sad as it was.

"I'd like to remember daddy tonight."

Four months on and everything legally settled, his recently updated will clear and reasonable, leaving nothing open to interpretation or necessary to challenge, it was time to remember the man who had left them one summers day.

The first to speak following his statement, Jenna raised her wine glass, "to Jock."

Joining his wife, Bobby added, "to mama too, and Pam, Will, and all the others we loved and have lost."

Meeting Jack's eye as he too raised his glass, he empathised what his cousin had gone through months ago. Not overly close with his father, Jack had still been bereaved upon hearing the news of his death, the news of Jock's loss coming so soon afterwards piling more pain on top of the pain he was already experiencing.

"To family."

At thirty-one weeks pregnant, Sue Ellen's comment felt very significant to him. They were already a family, he, Sue Ellen, and John Ross, but in less than two months their family would be growing by one, another son or daughter. He considered their unborn baby part of the family already, their movement inside Sue Ellen unmistakable and wonderful, but his or her arrival would make it all official.

The first time around he'd had a lot of concerns and so had she, concerns about how their family would be, what they'd teach their children, how their children would perceive the family they were a part of, but this time he had very few concerns and he knew Sue Ellen was much more relaxed too. Being a parent wasn't easy, they definitely benefited from having the support of their family and paid help, but they were also more confident in their own abilities to do what needed to be done without it having a negative effect on them or their son.

"To family," all repeating Sue Ellen's words in unison, the mood in the room was commemorative but not sombre.

Bobby and Jenna were happily married, he and Sue Ellen were happily married, Jack was happily single, and Lucy, Charlie, and John Ross were all happy and well cared for. It had been a tough year, but things were not all bad; everyone was healthy and healing and they had each other. The present was still, a moment necessary to catch their breath and reflect, but he saw the future and it was bright.

To be continued…