Boston, Massachusetts - January 1932
Rose Kennedy sits up in bed, her baby bump looms in front of her. She looks over at her husband, who is still asleep next to her. She looks at the alarm clock on the bedside table, he isn't scheduled to wake up for another hour, but she's restless, and changes the alarm to break the silence now. Joe Sr. begins to stir at the sound of the alarm, and slowly rises. He sits up in bed and rubs his eyes.
"Jesus, there aren't enough hours in the night."
Joe Sr. looks over at his wife, who's looking down at her bump. He can tell she wasn't able to get much sleep, she has bags under her eyes.
"Restless night?" He asks, but he already knows the answer, and he doesn't really care.
"It wouldn't stop kicking all night. Oh Joe, I'm so bored of this. Being locked away in the house until the baby comes."
Joe rolls his eyes, they've had this conversation before, and it always ends the same way.
"You remember what the doctor said."
"That I wasn't a 'spring chicken' anymore. Oh, I remember. I don't like his nerve."
"Rose, you are almost 42 years old."
"Don't remind me."
"I'm only saying that you must rest. Women your age have trouble giving birth. Sometimes the baby comes out unhealthy or worse retar—"
Joe Sr. stops himself, but he realizes that he's already made the mistake. He reminds himself that Rosemary is just a bit slow, not retarded. There is a long silence, and finally Joe Sr. can't take it anymore.
"I think I should get dressed, I have a long day ahead of me."
Joe Sr. leaves the room, but the damage is already done, Rose has retreated to the place she goes when she's reminded of something sad or when she simply doesn't want to talk anymore.
Joe Sr. looks in the mirror in the bathroom, he touches his face. He seems older, and for one moment it feels like he's wasted his time. He looks at the clock, he has to go. Joe Sr. is almost at the door when he stops in his tracks and looks at the door that leads to the master bedroom. He decides to check in on Rose, tell her that he's leaving. He opens the door and finds Rose right where he left her. She's looking off into the distance as if she sees something, a bible rests on her baby bump.
"Darling?"
Rose turns from the focus of her stare to Joe Sr.
"I'm leaving now. I have that fundraiser for that Roosevelt chap."
"Alright."
She doesn't say it, but she's angry with him, and for once Joe Sr. understands why. He turns to leave, but stops and turns to look at her.
"I'm sorry, about earlier. I wasn't thinking."
Rose looks at him, her eyes with that same sharp and narrow gaze. Joe Sr. always felt sorry for whatever child might be at the receiving end of it, but he hated it when it was him.
"No, you weren't."
Joe Sr. sighs, "Sometimes I feel like I'm in a marriage with a paper doll. One wrong fold and I can't recover it."
He storms out of the doorway, slamming it behind him. Rose chokes back tears, because Kennedys don't cry.
Rose is still in bed when Joe Sr. returns home that afternoon. He sits down in a chair near the bed rubbing his temples, Rose looks up from a letter she's reading.
"How was the fundraiser?"
"Expensive, like they all are. But it's for a good cause."
Rose smiles, "And you're certain Roosevelt will reward you for your help?"
"Of course. I need a job in government, Rose, and I'll pay for it if I have to, and I have to."
Rose goes back to her letter, she doesn't like talking about her husband's political aspirations. She'll help should one of their boys ever run, which they will, but that doesn't mean she likes talking about bribes and politics and blackmail.
"Jack writes from Choate. He asks us if he can be the baby's godfather."
Joe Sr. laughs, "That little ass sure is full of himself for a 14-year-old. A brother who's a godfather? It's never been heard of."
Rose frowns at Joe Sr., "Don't be so hard on Jack, he just wants to make you proud."
"Then he should stop being such a troublemaker."
Rose sighs, she knows that Joe Sr. loves his children, but she also knows that he loves some of them more than the others, Jack was not one of them.
"I'll write him back that we should very much like for him to be the godfather."
Joe Sr. laughs, but then looks up at his wife, who has a determined look on her face.
"Oh Rose, you can't be serious. He isn't even an adult! What will everyone think?"
"They will think that Jack loves his brother and wants to be apart of his life in a beautiful way."
Joe Sr. scoffs, but doesn't raise another argument to Rose's decision, instead he gets up.
"I should go write to Joe Jr., I owe him a letter."
"Alright.", Rose looks up at him, "I know that Jack would like one to."
"Maybe later." Joe Sr. leaves, and Rose rolls her eyes. She pulls up her lap desk and began writing, Dear Jack,. He may not get a letter from his father, but he'll always get one from his mother.
One Month Later
Rose wakes up to a sharp pain, one that she recognizes. She's felt it eight times before this moment, and she shakes Joe Sr.
"Joe. Joe. Joe!"
Joe wakes up with a start.
"Jesus Christ, what is it?" He's obviously annoyed.
"The baby.", says Rose, "it's coming."
Joe Sr. rubs his eyes and puts on his glasses.
"Jesus Christ I hate it when the little buggers decide to come in the middle of the night."
"Oh Joe, it isn't a time for jokes."
"I'm not joking!"
He gets out of bed and goes into the living room. Rose manages to get out of bed and starts getting dressed.
"I called an ambulance!", Joe Sr. yells from the living room, "I don't want to risk the traffic!"
"But it's the middle of the night!" Rose replies from the bathroom. She's trying to put her hair into a bun. Joe Sr. reaches the doorway.
"Right. I completely forgot, but it's too late now."
Rose nods, "Remember to get someone to look after the children. We can't just leave them here."
Joe Sr. rushes out of the doorway to make some phone calls. Rose looks into the mirror, and for a moment she's scared. What if the labor is long and hard? What if Joe Sr. is right and her age affects the baby's health? She doesn't think about any of that anymore, she can't, the ambulance is already there.
Rose sits in the sterilized hospital room, her contractions don't hurt much, it's only the start. Joe Sr. sits in a chair, watching her.
"Do you think the children are alright? I didn't like leaving them alone."
Joe Sr. sighs, "I told you, your mother is probably there now, and they won't notice, they were sound asleep when we left."
Rose nods, she takes comfort in his words. He looks at her, and speaks:
"This is a beautiful moment, Rose. I know our marriage hadn't been the happiest, but it's times like these that I realize just how much I love you."
Rose smiles, she moves to speak when the pain comes again, this time it hurts more, she cries out. Joe Sr. takes her hand, and everything is alright.
The baby is born on February 22, 1932, he's healthy, and there don't seem to be any complications. Jack and Joe Jr. travel from school, but the girls have been there for a month. They are an ideal family, all of them crowded into the hospital room, smiling at the baby.
"We should name him George Washington.", says Jack, "it's only right, considering that he was born on his birthday."
"I don't think so, Jack." says Joe Sr. "We're going to name him after my assistant, Edward Moore."
"Well we should at least call him Teddy.", says Kathleen, "Edward is too long."
"I think that fits him nicely.", says Rose, "Teddy Kennedy."
Two Months Later
Now the family is standing outside of a cathedral, Teddy has just been baptized.
"Alright, now the mother and the baby's godfather together."
The rest of the family go off to mingle with one another, and Rose and Jack stay for the picture.
"Thank you for all of the letters." Jack says, "Dad seems to think two to three letters a year is all I need. I'm glad you send so many, it makes the weeks less lonely."
"He loves you, you know." The two smile for a picture and look toward Joe Sr., who is talking to Joe Jr., they're smiling.
"I know, just not as much as Joe Jr.", Jack says it with a sense of clarity. Rose looks at him, her eyes are sad. Jack smiles, "Don't worry about me, Mom. I don't mind, the love he gives me is enough."
She smiles, and Jack looks down at little Teddy, who has grabbed his finger with his fist.
"So,", says Jack, "is Teddy really the last Kennedy?"
"I think so," Rose says, "I'm not a 'spring chicken' anymore. I don't think I want to risk it."
"The last Kennedy," Jack laughs, "what a thought."
He and Rose laugh, and then turn back toward the camera. The photographer looks at them and says:
"Alright, now everybody say 'Kennedy'!"
"Kennedy!" Rose and Jack smile, and the camera flashes, and one moment becomes a memory.