On the home front life went on as, seemingly, normal. For Irene little had changed, except now the house felt emptier during the day and the night. She devoted all her time to little Neil and his upbringing. In a way she was jealous of how oblivious he was to the world around him. He didn’t even know there was a war going on.
Without Elsie around Donny felt the loneliest he had ever felt. He needed a way to fill up his spare time, so he devoted himself to his piano playing, a skill his mother encouraged. He became quite proficient, especially for his age, but it was no replacement for his friend.
With the war raging and young men going off to fight Tony had no troubles finding a job and contributing to the war effort. He quickly rose to the top of the ranks and became a supervisor at an assembly plant, watching over dozens of workers, many of whom were women. The long hours took their toll though, and Tony seemed to grow older by the day.
Bitty continued on with her studies, though she found it difficult to focus on school when her brothers and friends and classmates were going off to fight. She wanted to help in any way she could.