Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Date: February 19th, 1950
Name: Stephen Dale Curtis
Age: thirty-nine
Dale watched as Eleanor huffed for the third time since they made it back to his house.
She was adorable. He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked and she huffed again.
Eleanor looked up at Dale and forgot why she was sad for a second. He was so handsome. "I just wish that we could've just stayed. We have a house there," She tried reasoning with Dale, but she knew that they had to come back home.
She had to finish her last semester of school and Dale had to teach.
Dale chuckled and kissed her forehead. "That's true, but we have to pack our things, sell my house, get married, and finish school." He reached for his notebook and sat it on Eleanor's lap. "We need to figure a few things out while we still have the time," He murmured.
Eleanor didn't want to think about anything. That week-long break from reality was splendid. "What are we doing?" She asked exasperatedly.
Dale raised his eyebrows at her tone and pinched her cheek lightly. "I love you, princess." He loved her so much. He wanted to let her relax, but they needed to talk. "For starters, I need to talk to my base and ask about relocating to the Beverly Hills station. Once I get that straightened out we can start buying things for the house and put this one for sale," He explained while scribbling down key points for a smooth move across the country.
Eleanor ooed and then grimaced. "Oh, goodness. I have to tell my parents," She facepalmed and fell back into Dale's arms.
Dale rolled his eyes at the thought of Eleanor's ignorant parents. He didn't care if they knew about the move, they would probably say something about how he's brainwashed her.
"That's something we can do together," He said, leaving out the rest.
He scratched his head and thought of more things to write. "Uh, we're getting married on June 24, we can be successfully moved by the next day. I know a good moving company who does cross-country moving," He murmured and wrote down the company name.
Eleanor's eyes lit up. She was marrying Dale in four months! "I'm so excited!" She cheered and kissed his chin. "When we move, can we get a dog?" She brought up the same question she asked the day they got engaged.
"Yeah, sure." Dale was going to get her one before then, but they could put it off. "What do you want to do when you graduate? I know you were still deciding a while back, but I wouldn't see a problem with you being at home with the dog," He wanted Eleanor to do what she loved and if that meant she just sat with the dog and had endless free time, he didn't mind.
Eleanor turned over on Dale's stomach and smiled at him. "You're so sweet," She cooed and kissed him shortly. "I honestly have no clue what I want. Staying home with little Dale sounds nice, I could look around when we move and then make my final decision,"
Dale scoffed and shook his head. "Little Dale?"
Eleanor nodded happily and caressed his cheek. "Yeah, I like that name for our dog. Unless you have a better name," She challenged him with her daring eyes.
"Name him after that actor you love so much," He suggested, knowing that Eleanor would love it.
Her eyes sparkled as she grinned. "Ooh! I love that idea! We can name him Clark Gable, well, saying the last name would be too much. We can just name him Clark," She hummed and placed her head on Dale's chest.
Dale's eyes opened and he looked at the clock. 11:32 PM. He had no clue when he fell asleep. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked down at Eleanor.
She was snuggled underneath his left arm and she was adorable. He caressed her soft cheek and a smile grew on her face. "Princess," He whispered.
Eleanor hummed lightly showing that she was listening even though her eyes were closed.
"It's real late, sweetheart. I can still take you home if you'd like," Dale wanted her to stay with him, but if she wanted to go home he would take her.
Even though her parents would accuse him of something outrageous.
Eleanor shook her head and reached up and touched his face. She loved his facial hair. "I am home,"
"Yes, you are, princess." Dale could've punched the air. It was a little thing, but by God, it was huge to him. "I will always love you," He kissed her head.
-
Two months went by and Eleanor hadn't found time to tell her parents about moving to Beverly Hills. It honestly slipped her mind. She had been spending all of her time with Dale, including her birthday two weeks ago when Dale took her sailing, her parents were very upset that she hadn't spent the day with them.
Dale wasn't pushing her to tell them for two reasons. One, he was busy, and two, he didn't want Eleanor to deal with them.
"Oh, God no." Eleanor gasped nervously. She was so stupid.
Dale looked at her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "What's wrong, princess?" She was rarely nervous or antsy so he was cautious.
Eleanor mushed her face on Dale's shoulder and sighed deeply. "I forgot to tell my parents," She said sadly. They were going to explode. They would've exploded had she remembered to tell them when they got back from Beverly Hills, but now they were going to be worse.
"What did you forget?" Dale asked and took her hands. He kissed them.
Eleanor blushed. "I forgot to tell my parents about us moving," She explained with a small smile. Dale really knew how to make a girl forget her troubles.
"Oh," He answered. "We can tell them today," He suggested and she groaned.
She didn't want to deal with this today. Or tomorrow. Or even the next day. "I guess we can. I want to get it over with," She mumbled.
"Let's go," Dale said and stood up off the couch. He offered Eleanor his hand, which she gladly took. "Don't worry, princess. If they start getting out of hand, you'll just come home with me." He didn't want her to be with those lunatics.
Eleanor hugged him quickly and they walked out of his house and to his car.
When they pulled up in front of Eleanor's house, Dale parked the car and held Eleanor's hand. His sweet woman needed peace.
"Exodus 14:14, The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace," Dale said firmly filling up the silence of the car.
Eleanor's brows furrowed in confusion.
"God is with us right now, Eleanor. Even if your parents act foolishly, God is still with us and He will fight for you. The verse means that God will fight our every battle and He just wants us to rest assured in that truth. He wants us to live in peace, princess." Dale explained and kissed her cheek.
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears at Dale's truthful words. She just wished that everything would be okay and her parent's behavior was only a bad dream.
Dale wiped her tears away with his thumb and kissed her forehead. "We're in this together, sweetheart." He reminded her and got out of the car. He walked to the passenger side and opened her door.
Eleanor gripped Dale's hand tightly and she wasn't planning on letting it go. Dale knocked on the door and it opened not even a second later.
Obviously, her parents had been watching them from the window.
"Oh, Hazie!" Mildred exclaimed happily as she ignored Dale's presence, even though he stood right next to Eleanor.
Mildred hugged Eleanor and she pulled her away from Dale. "You've been spending all of your days at his house, Hazie. We're still your parents and you live under our roof," She said pointedly. "Has that man been keeping you away from us?"
Eleanor shook her head. "No, mama. Dale is my fiance and I love being with him," Mildred pressed her lips together and sat on the couch.
Dale stood next to Eleanor and she instantly gripped his hand. "Where's dad?" Eleanor asked and sat on the couch.
Mildred eyed Dale haughtily before turning her attention to her precious daughter. "He's in the back, Hazie." She didn't like how all of her daughter's time went to that man. "Why is he here? Are you calling off the wedding? It's not too late for that you know?"
Dale rolled his eyes and Eleanor crossed her arms. "Mother, stop that." Eleanor hissed angrily. Her mother was being outrageous.
Dale wrapped his arm around Eleanor's shoulders and kissed her sweetly. "Take a deep breath, princess. I know that she's upsetting you, but we're together and she can't change that. No matter what she says, I'll always be right here with you." He whispered successfully calming her frazzled nerves.
Eleanor rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath as he instructed. "Thank you," She murmured and lifted their connected hands to her chest. It gave her peace.
Mildred went to speak but Leroy walked into the living room and scoffed. "What is this broke man doing in my house? Hazie, is he here to ask for money for the wedding?" He asked snarkily and sat next to Mildred.
The idiotic things that came out of Leroy's mouth never surprised Dale. They were fitting for a man of his stature. He always had to overcompensate for something due to his petite build. It was humorous to Dale.
Eleanor narrowed her eyes at her father in disbelief. "Really dad? Stop calling him broke, he has a name. And we're here to tell you something if you two would stop making assumptions we could get to the point." She didn't want to sound so harsh, but they were getting on her nerves.
Dale kissed her cheek and Leroy gagged.
"You just have to do that here? Where's the respect? Or did your hick parents not teach you any manners?" Leroy pressed with his lips pursed.
Dale ignored Leroy and so did Eleanor. He was just digging now.
Eleanor was regretting her decision to tell her parents. But now she was just going to say it and leave with Dale. They were too immature. "Dale and I are-"
"Oh, Lord have mercy! You got her pregnant? You sloppy white-" Mildred cut Eleanor off, but she couldn't finish her sentence because Dale was done.
"Shut up. Now we didn't come here to listen to all of your crap. If you don't like me, it doesn't matter. I'm marrying Eleanor and we are moving to California after the wedding. If you would've just kept your mouths closed for one second, she could've told you." He stood up and Eleanor did the same. "I'm trying to keep my woman's peace and that means staying away from you two donkeys." He said challenging her parents to say something more. He was going to show them just how sloppy and disrespectful his white tail could be.
Leroy and Mildred looked at Eleanor waiting for her to defend them.
"Hazie," Leroy called her, but she ignored him.
She shook her head and walked out of the house with Dale.
The door shut and Mildred was outdone.
"What just happened, Mildred?" Leroy asked his wife.
Mildred clenched her fists and walked to the kitchen in search of her notepad.
Leroy followed her and sat to watch her.
"That white man thinks that he can come into our house and ruin our relationship with Eleanor. We're her parents and we are looking out for her wellbeing," Mildred muttered angrily as she flipped through the pages. "Oh, he's going to learn not to mess with me." She sang once she found it.
"What are you gonna do?" Leroy asked a little curious and a little unsure.
Mildred ripped out the small part of the page and smiled at her husband. "If we can't stop this, maybe I know someone who can." She said victoriously. "Let's have dinner now, God will handle the rest. He only wanted Eleanor to be kind, He never said anything about marrying a white." She shook her head and Leroy smiled.
He loved his wife.
-
Dale looked at Eleanor and he knew he had to find a way to make her happy. She hadn't dealt with her parent's stupidity in a while, so she was devasted.
"I have a surprise for you," He told her, which was true. She was going to cheer up for sure.
Eleanor's eyes lit up, but she didn't smile. He knew that she would smile once she got her surprise.
"Really?" Her voice was soft and he could hear the hurt still evident.
He turned down the road and parked the car. "We're here already," He told her and she looked out the window.
"What is this place?" Dale's surprises were getting to be a little confusing. The last time he brought her to a strange place, it was their new home. This building wasn't nice so she hoped that he hadn't bought it.
Dale opened her door and walked her to the door. "It's a shelter," He said cryptically. He wanted her to be surprised.
Eleanor looked at the place and shrugged. Dale never put her in harm's way, so if they were going to a shelter, it had to be a safe one.
Dale pushed the door open and Eleanor's eyes widened at the sound of barking.
"Oh my goodness!" She squealed and kissed Dale's cheek. "No way! I can't believe it!" She was freaking out and her cheeks were hurting from the smile that wouldn't and couldn't leave her face.
Dale's heart grew warm at the sight of his woman's joy. "Go on in, princess." He instructed her gently and led her to the front desk.
"Hi, Dale. I see you've brought your wife," The kind older woman at the reception desk said. "Oh, you were right. She's beautiful," Eleanor blushed and smiled at the woman.
She knew that Dale didn't have to manipulate this situation with a threat. This woman was actually kind.
"I wouldn't lie. Princess, this is Mrs. Ronaldie. Mrs. Ronaldie, this is my beautiful wife, Eleanor," Dale winked at Eleanor and kissed her cheek firmly. He made sure to emphasize the word wife, he had a plan.
Eleanor could've melted at the introduction. "Hi," She said bashfully and waved at Mrs. Ronaldie.
"Hi, darling." Mrs. Ronaldie's sweet southern accent brought joy to Eleanor's heart. "Now onto pickin a sweet dog for y'all." She said and stood up. "Come on children," She led them to the back and Eleanor's heart jumped at the sight of adorable dogs.
She held Dale's hand tightly and practically pulled him down the hall as she squealed with joy. "Hi! Oh, you're so cute! Isn't he cute, Dale?" She spoke to the dog in a tone that she used to talk to babies.
Dale looked at the dog and shrugged. It was just a dog to him.
Eleanor ignored Dale's shrug and she moved on to the next dog. "We don't have to look any further," She said lightly. She let go of Dale's hand and kneeled to see the dog better.
He was a strange-looking dog, but he had something special. His eyes were brown and blue, and his fur was slightly matted, but with a little care, he would look perfect.
She looked up at Mrs. Ronaldie and tilted her head. "Mrs. Ronaldie, what's wrong with him?" She asked carefully. He looked as if he'd been abused before and it broke her heart.
Dale hadn't looked at the dog before, but hearing his sweet woman sound so sad made him look. He grimaced but quickly fixed his face. That dog was a dog.
"Oh, my sweetheart. We got him in months ago, poor boy was malnourished and kept in a small space by his previous owners. Broke my poor little heart when he came in, but by God, he's better now." Mrs. Ronaldie said wanting to comfort Eleanor's heart. "Despite his looks, he is a very sweet dog. These people come in and turn him away just because of how he looks," She explained further and Eleanor stood up.
She bit her lip to keep her emotions at bay. She never liked the idea of a defenseless person or animal being hurt. It just broke her heart.
Dale took her hand and pulled her into his chest. "Shh, don't cry, princess. We'll get him and we'll give him all the love and treats," He cooed in Eleanor's ear as she wept softly.
Mrs. Ronaldie walked back to the front of the shelter to give them some space and to search for his papers.
Eleanor sniffled and looked up at Dale. "R-really?" She asked hopefully. Dale never lied or messed around, but she just had to make sure.
He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Of course," He knew that Eleanor would love that dog and he would have to get used to having it around, but he'd do anything for his woman.
Eleanor's eyes watered even more and she kissed Dale's chin. "Thank you,"
Dale let Eleanor out of his arms but kept her hand. "Hi, doggy. I'm going to be your new owner and mother! I'm going to kiss you and cuddle with you when I'm not in class," Eleanor kneeled back down to the dog's cage and made kissy faces. "You're so cute, Clark!" She was in love with this scraggly-looking dog.
Mrs. Ronaldie came back with a folder and a set of keys in hand. "I see you've made a decision," She smiled at Eleanor who nodded happily.
"Yes ma'am! We want to take this sweet boy home," Eleanor stood up and stepped aside so Mrs. Ronaldie could open the door.
Dale wrapped his arm around Eleanor's waist and kissed her neck. "We'll have to buy some stuff for this boy," Eleanor murmured and Dale shook his head. "Why not?" She asked.
"It's been in the trunk of my car for a week. I was planning on getting a dog as an early graduation present, but it seemed better to get one today." Dale explained to her making her gasp.
"You're such a sweetheart,"
Only for his woman.
Mrs. Ronaldie pulled a leash from the folder and unlocked the cage door. "You get to go home, boy!" She cheered to the dog as he walked cautiously toward her. She put the leash on him and handed it to Eleanor.
Eleanor looked down at the dog and she almost started to cry again. "We're gonna take good care of you, buddy." She whispered and followed Mrs. Ronaldie back to the front.
Dale wanted to hold Eleanor and just kiss her. He loved how sweet she was and how she never held back her emotions. He knew how broken up she was about the dog and he knew that she was certainly going to take good care of it.
Sweet Eleanor.
-
Authors of Note
So, I was going to end it on Mildred's psycho plan, but I asked God to help me and He told me to end it on a good note!😉
I loved writing the end, it's so cute! I love animals and I cry when I see stories about how a dog was once scraggly and unloved, but now it's blossoming and loved! It messes me up every time.
Anyway, did y'all like this chapter?
We got through stuff about the move and Eleanor's plans after graduating. That's how I was when I finished high school and then when I finished bible school. I still have no job and plan, I just plan on trusting God with my life and writing. That's it, but the idea Dale came up with is what I really want. To raise my sweet doggo and be at home while my husband works☺️
Enough about me!
So there was a two month time skip for y'all who didn't notice, they're in April now. I also totally forgot that Eleanor's birthday was April 3, so I added a little explanation about that...after I finished the chapter...oopsie! So our fave is twenty-four now! yay!👏🏽👏🏽
I know y'all were excited to see Mildred and Leroy! Your favorite troublemaking couple! Yay! There's much more trouble and drama on the way so be ready! I always give y'all a warning about these things....hahaha!😗
Y'all should already know what's next, but I want to know what you're thinking! What did Mildred do? What do you think is happening next chapter? Are y'all happy about the doggo, aka, Clark? How about Mrs. Ronaldie? Dale calling Eleanor his wife? (I loved that) Tell me your predictions my sweet readers! I want to know! Maybe you'll be right!😌
Anywho, that's all for now! See you guys on Thursday!
Uh, happy May!
Bye!👋🏽