Jimmy and Reese were married shortly after the New Year. Richard moved in with the Darmody's as well, the house having ample space plus he was practically family anyway.
Rather than having the damage to the mansion repaired, Jimmy ultimately decided to have it demolished. Still, the property itself was vast so, at Reese's suggestion, he donated it back to the city which Mayor Bader graciously accepted later naming it 'Bader Field' after himself. Jimmy's only request (again- Reese's idea but he loved it) was that the park contain a play area for children in Angela's memory.
Later that winter, the newspaper reported that a new American Legion club was opening up and the men went down to see what all the fuss was about. They both became members and enjoyed the camaraderie of socializing with other veterans. Jimmy had a soft spot for one of the older fellas in particular. Bitter, belligerent, and frequently picking fights when he'd had too much to drink, he saw in Paul Sagorsky what could have easily been himself in twenty years had Reese not come along when she did. Richard became smitten with the man's daughter, often called to take him home after a rough night, and she returned his affections. By spring, Jimmy and a very pregnant Reese stood happily on the sidelines cheering as Richard spun his sweetheart around on the dance floor at one of the club's parties.
Still, there were times over dinner that Jimmy and Richard would discuss some of the topics raised at the club's monthly meetings: the lack of jobs, the poor healthcare, the overall mistreatment and misunderstanding of the Lost Generation as they'd come to be known. Reese also noted as she read the papers that there was corruption within the Harding administration with rumors swirling that it went as high up as the Attorney General; the politicians lining their own pockets while plundering the funds allocated to the Veteran's Administration. It made her very angry, and also reminded her of why she originally wanted to study law in the first place- to advocate for the rights of others. She discussed her feelings with Jimmy (they talked openly about everything) and expressed an interest in practicing again after the baby was born and old enough to be weaned from nursing. Her intelligence and compassion were some of things he admired most about her so, in addition to preparing one of the spare rooms for the baby's nursery, Jimmy also converted Angela's old portrait studio into a home office for her.
The baby was due in August and she spent the remainder of her pregnancy reading up on the statutes of the day. Leander was most helpful, giving her access to the volumes in his personal library as well as recommending others from the County library that might suit her interests.
On a rainy summer night, after almost 26 hours of labor, Reese and Jimmy welcomed their child into the world. Dr. Mason met Jimmy in the living room- where he'd been pacing so frantically that Richard thought he'd put a hole in the floor- to advise him that he had another son. He rushed with joy back to the bedroom. His wife was covered in sweat as well as a little blood, but he'd never seen a sight so beautiful before in his life. She was cradling the babe, already cooing a soft lullaby, and she stared up at him with eyes full of love. Jimmy didn't want a junior, so they decided to name the child after his godfather- Richard.
Reese began taking on clients on a pro bono basis when Richard was a toddler. Her family would always come first- she made sure that the customers knew that upfront- but working from home gave her the freedom of pursuing her passion while staying close to the children; Jimmy or Richard always available to watch the boys if she were in a meeting or on a telephone call.
The years passed and the family thrived. Given Reese's knowledge of the pending financial doom, Jimmy slowly started moving his funds out of the markets towards the latter part of the decade. They weathered the Depression with little hardship, but always tried to help others who may have been less fortunate.
Tommy grew up to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps, joining the Army after Pearl Harbor. While he'd seen their visible battle scars, neither Jimmy nor Richard openly spoke about their experiences Over There in front of the children. However, given his enlistment, both men thought it prudent to have a heart-to-heart with him to at least try to prepare him for some of the sights he might see (although a person is never really prepared for such things). He was assigned to Easy Company and parachuted into France on D-Day, later earning a Silver Star for his valor during the Battle of the Bulge.
When the War ended, Tommy returned home to marry his high school sweetheart, Emily Rohan. True the girl had grown up a "Thompson", but she hated her step father for the way he treated her late mother…always back and forth with those two while he openly saw other women on the side. Nucky tried to buy her affections, as well as her brother's. He may have succeeded with Teddy, but she was not for sale opting to legally change her name when he was sentenced to prison for tax evasion in 1941. Jimmy thought it ironic, his son and Nucky's daughter, but the girl had a fiery spirit about her that reminded him of Reese and he welcomed her into the family with open arms.
As for young Richard, he took after his mother grew up to be an attorney himself. After a successful stent as Atlantic County Prosecutor, he was asked to take on a teaching role at the University of Pennsylvania, leaving the shore for the Main Line where he eventually raised his own family.
AUTUMN, 2004
Bryce Forrester strode confidently across the campus at Villanova on his way to the law library. While his parents had prompted, Bryce had done his own leg work and checked her MySpace page as well as her student profile and was anxious to make Reese Darmody's acquaintance. Her family was Old Money too- dating back to the Gilded Age- which was tempting enough but she was also beautiful; long ginger colored hair and indescribably blue eyes (a family trait). He opened the door, took a deep breath, and began to look for her.
Reese was seated alone at a table a few feet in front of him, her nose in a book and a pencil in her right hand which she subconsciously tapped in the air between her middle and index fingers. She bit her lower lip in deep concentration and didn't hear him approach.
"Reese Darmody?" he smiled enthusiastically.
"Yes," she replied, not looking up.
"Bryce Forrester."
More smiles this time and an eager hand extended to shake hers.
"Hello," she said, finally regarding him. She thought she recognized him from one of her classes, but didn't recall. Named after her great-grandmother, Reese came from a long line of successful attorneys and was more focused on her studies at the moment than conversation.
"We're in Dr. Siegel's Criminal Law class together," he offered.
"Right…" she smiled politely.
"Listen, Reese, I heard you were putting a study group together to do the outlines. Any openings left?"
"Sorry Bryce," Reese shrugged innocently, "I assigned the last outline this morning. But, you know what, I think my friend Sara has some spots open in her group. Let me get you her number."