Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Do What We Must Part One-August 1921

Author's Note: Under God's Power She Flourishes flashes back to reveal the beginning of Jimmy's relationship with Angela and delves into the tragedy of Gillian and Jimmy; Do What We Must flashes back to Angela and Clara during the War, and delves into the tragedy of Nucky and Clara

Princeton/Atlantic City: December 1916

Her feet pained her terribly, and the smell of bacon was making her sick. The gentleman she was pouring coffee for was telling her about how terrible the never-ending Battle of Verdun was in Europe. Angela pasted a smile on her face.

As she poured him another refill, Angela watched a young woman walk hesitantly into the restaurant, like she wasn't sure she was in the right place. Unconsciously, Angela started noting details, mentally sketching her royal blue coat with navy blue cuffs, the blond curls that coiled heavily against her neck, the ringlets on either side of her face that grazed her jaw. The girl slipped the coat off and hung it on the peg by the booth. Under the coat, she was wearing an olive green jumper style tunic over a matching olive green skirt. The blouse under the jumper was striped olive green and light blue silk. Everything about her spoke of money. A college girl in town to visit her brother or beau, Angela decided. She drifted over to take the girl's order, internally betting that the girl would order coffee and toast and forget to leave a tip.

"What can I get you?"

The girl looked up and bit her lip. "Are you Angela Ianotti?"

"Yes?" Angela said. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm Clara Thompson. Jimmy, Jimmy Darmody, wrote me and asked me to come see you."

Angela sat the coffee pot down and burst into tears.

Clara stared at her for a moment, before jumping up and helping Angela into the booth. Reaching into her skirt pocket she retrieved her handkerchief and pushed it into Angela's hand.

"Where is he?" Angela asked.

"He joined the Army. He's at Camp Grant, in Illinois."

"Why?"

"I don't know. One night last month Jimmy showed up at my college and told me he had left Princeton and enlisted. A few days ago I got a letter, telling me about you, about the baby."

Angela buried her face in her hands. Jimmy was gone, gone for real. Gone to the Army. "My aunt threw me out. I barely make enough money waitressing to rent a terrible room, much less pay for decent food. What am I going to do? What am I going to do when I can't work?"

"That's why I'm here," Clara said decisively. "You are going home with me. My father, he'll help you. Jimmy is like his son. He's like my brother. You are our responsibility."

Angela thought later that day that she would believe that Clara and Jimmy were really brother and sister. They had the same way of convincing someone to follow their plans, no matter how outlandish. Before she could even think, she had quit her job, packed up her scant belongings, stepped into Bamberger's so Clara could buy her an engagement ring , and was walking into the Ritz-Carlton in Atlantic City.

"Miss Clara! You are home a day early," a man with a German accent said when they arrived on the eighth floor.

"I missed you, too, Eddie," Clara said with a smile. "This is my friend, Angela Ianotti, she's going to stay with us."

"No one told me, I don't have a room..."

"She can stay with me."

Angela looked around Clara's room. She'd never seen a hotel room like it, and she'd spent her childhood in hotel rooms. It wasn't just that it was nice, although it was nicer than any hotel room Angela had ever been it. It was that someone so clearly lived there. Bookshelves lined one wall and were overflowing with books and pictures. Angela picked one of Jimmy and Clara as toddlers, let her finger brush over the image of Jimmy, and wondered if that's what their baby was going to look like, all floppy hair and pouty lips.