Location: Beverly Hills, California
Date: June 24th, 1950
Name: Stephen Dale Curtis
Age: thirty-nine
Eleanor was effortlessly beautiful and Dale loved it.
"Hey, do you think I could marry you, sweet thing?"
Eleanor shook her head and laughed. "Not a chance, blondie. I'm taken."
Dale caressed his sweet wife's cheek and smiled. "You're just so perfect and I love you," He was obsessed with her, in a healthy way of course.
Eleanor held Dale's hand and kissed it. She loved his hands, she loved everything about him. "I guess I wouldn't mind marrying you. You are my favorite man and you've been amazing to me." She said appreciatively and lay back on his bare chest, she loved everything about him.
Everything has been wonderful since they got married. Eleanor had even talked to her father twice since being gone, he didn't say one negative thing about Dale. It was nice.
"I thought so, my princess," Dale murmured in pure bliss. "I'm retiring my position,"
Eleanor's heart leaped with joy. "Really? Oh, that's wonderful!" She couldn't have asked for a better day. He was going to be with her forever.
Dale nodded and kissed her head. "I'm going in tomorrow to finalize everything. I want to always be available to you, princess," He left out a few things, but she didn't need to worry. It was all handled.
"Thank you, Dale. What are you going to do now?" She asked curiously and content.
Dale loved his wife. He just loved her. "I'll be working as an English Professor at the University of Southern California. My schedule is much better than before and I'll have more time to spend with you," That was his favorite part about the job. He would have more time on his hands.
Eleanor squeezed Dale's hand and sighed. She could've kicked her legs in the air, she was that happy. "Oh, Dale! This makes me so happy. Can we celebrate with banana splits?"
It was their special thing.
"We sure can, princess."
-
The next morning, Dale woke up before Eleanor, as usual. She wanted to spend the morning with him, but according to the note he left on the dresser, he was making his final visit to the base.
"Clark! Let's get breakfast ready for Daddy," She yelled as she walked down the stairs.
Clark jumped up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. "You're such a good boy," She cooed and kissed his head.
"Ooh, wait! Music always makes cooking even more enjoyable," She explained to Clark, who just stared at her. She walked to the living room and picked a random record. "I've never heard this one before," She mumbled to herself.
Clark started to bark and she heard the door open. It was her Dale!
"You're home!" Eleanor cheered happily and ran to hug her deeply missed husband. "I missed you," She murmured onto his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
Dale sighed and tightened his grip on her. "I love you, Eleanor." His voice sounded strange.
She looked up and her heart dropped. "Dale, are you okay?" She gently caressed his cheek. "And why did you call me Eleanor?" Something was definitely wrong, he rarely called her by her name.
He took her hand and walked to the living room. He sat on the couch and she followed.
"There's a war,"
She didn't hear him correctly. He was just talking crazy. "No." She said firmly and closed her eyes. It was a nightmare. She would wake up soon.
"Eleanor," Dale said softly, he hated life right now. Eleanor didn't deserve to hear this terrible news.
Eleanor shook her head and tears fell from her eyes. "Dale, this isn't happening. No! It's not true! Not when I'm finally happy! We, we just got married," She cried both frustrated and devastated.
"I love you, Eleanor. And I'm so sorry," Dale felt like a load of crud. He was an idiot. "I should've retired before we moved," He wanted to knock someone out, but it was his fault.
She knew something was wrong. Her heart was broken.
Dale held her tightly as she sobbed. His heart was broken.
"D-did you know about this?" Eleanor asked as her breathing calmed.
"I did. B-but they told us everything was going well. I didn't want to tell you because of everything that was going on," Dale answered honestly, he deserved her anger. He deserved to be punched for being so selfish and procrastinating.
Eleanor pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. He was right to keep it a secret. If he told her earlier, she would've had a nervous breakdown.
"When are you leaving?" She couldn't be angry with him, not when she loved him so dearly. He was always looking out for her.
"Eleven," He murmured, and Eleanor held back her newfound tears.
Everything was happening too soon. "How are you feeling about this?" She asked feigning calm. She had to be mature for Dale. Crying wouldn't make anything better.
He hated that she had to be resilient. The look in her eyes told him more than she would ever say. She was devastated and broken. "I feel stupid. If I had made the move to retire earlier, we wouldn't be in this position." He was heated.
Eleanor kissed his cheek and sighed. "Please don't hold it against yourself, Dale. It's not your fault that countries go to war," She didn't want him to feel bad, they only had two hours together.
Dale pulled her to his chest and pressed a kiss onto her head. "You're amazing, princess. I love you," He said earnestly.
"I'm gonna write you every week and send you pictures of me. I never want you to forget how I look, oh, I'll send some of Clark too. I'll be praying for you," Eleanor wanted to cry and yell, but she needed to be okay for Dale. He was always there for her, now it was her turn.
Dale was so proud of his wife. He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost nine-thirty. "Thank you, my darling. What do you want to do with the time we have left together?"
Without a second thought, Eleanor answered. "Can you, j-just be with me?"
Dale's heart cracked and he pressed a kiss on her cheek.
They only had a short while left, he wanted to spend it loving her the way she desired.
-
She didn't want to let him go. Not now, not ever. "I love you," She whispered for the thirtieth time.
"I love you most, princess," Dale said back and kissed her nose.
"Curtis!" Commander Hotchkins yelled from the bus. It was time to leave.
Dale ignored the Commander and brushed the tears off of Eleanor's cheeks. "I will be back and we'll go to Paris. I love you, my princess, and I will be back." He said with confidence. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew that he would come back to his wife. There was nothing that could keep him away from her.
Eleanor pushed the negative thoughts from her mind and sniffled. "And I'll be home waiting for you. I love you, my Dale." She was close to crumbling in his arms, but instead, she slid a note in his pocket.
"Curtis! Report to this bus right now!" Commander Hotchkins yelled again.
Dale loosened his grip on his beautiful wife. He was going to come home to her soon enough.
"Y-you have to come back, back home to me." Eleanor stated weakly, her voice wavered showing just how broken she was. She looked up to the sky to keep her fresh tears from falling. Her heart was crushed.
Dale felt tears build up in his eyes and took a deep breath. This was the hardest thing he ever had to do. "I will always come back to you, no matter what happens. I'm coming home,"
He kissed her gently and it broke Eleanor. He was saying goodbye.
"Oh, God," She whimpered in distress. That was goodbye forever. She just knew it.
A tear fell from Dale's eye and he quickly kissed Eleanor's forehead and walked away.
"God, please be with him," Eleanor prayed and walked to her car and drove home.
As she opened the front door, all of the sadness and pain she kept hidden from Dale came to the surface.
"Dale," She cried and slumped down on the door. "I-i, it hurts so much. What did I do to deserve this?" She screamed furiously as hot tears ran down her face.
Clark came running to her and licked her face to comfort her.
Dale taught Clark to help her because he knew that he would be leaving her.
A sharp pain hit Eleanor's heart at that brutal truth. "My Dale, h-he's gone. No, he, my Dale," She lay on the cold hardwood floor and sobbed.
She had never felt such pain in her life. Not even when those men hurt her. Nothing compared to the physical pain of losing her husband. It felt like he took her heart with him.
She clutched her chest and wheezed as sorrow took over her entire being. This was her greatest fear. Losing her husband to something so terrible.
Her eyes were too heavy to stay open, so she rocked herself to sleep, hoping to ease her pain temporarily.
"Eleanor, princess," Dale called out to her and her eyes shot open.
He was in his uniform standing over her body. "It was just a nightmare," He murmured and kneeled beside her.
Her heart jumped with joy and she hugged him. "Dale," She said lightly and looked up.
"Dale," She said a little louder.
He was gone. He was just in front of her, but he disappeared.
"Nooo!" Eleanor screamed and her eyes shot open.
She looked around and saw that she was still lying on the floor next to the front door.
Her hand shot to her mouth to muffle her sobs. Her Dale really was gone. And so was her heart.
-
"Curtis! Get those boxes in the trunk!" Commander Hotchkins yelled to him and walked away.
Dale wanted to strangle him. He wanted to strangle anyone. "Yeah, yeah. I'm getting it, idiot." Dale grumbled angrily and picked up the supply box. They were getting ready to head out to Korea, but first, they needed to get their supplies stocked.
His heart was in Beverly Hills. His will to live and be a good man was in Beverly Hills.
He watched Eleanor walk back to her car. Everything in him said to run back to her and go home, but he couldn't. He had an obligation. If only he had retired earlier.
"Forget these supplies," He dropped the box, not caring about the contents inside, and sat down.
He needed his wife, his obsession. She gave him reasons to smile and purpose. He once relied on the Navy for purpose, but it was now the source of his ruin. Mentally and physically.
"I'm sorry, princess." He could only imagine how she was taking this.
He shoved his hands in his jacket pocket and felt a paper in his right pocket.
"Now what's this?" He looked at the paper and turned it around. 'To my Dale,' The paper read on the back and he opened it slowly with a smile. It was from his princess.
'Hi, dale! :)
if you're reading this then it means that we're married! It's December 19th, 1949, and I got this crazy idea to write you a note.
um, where do I start? this is a note out of faith, I feel so silly writing this, God help me!
I'm falling in love with a man that makes me feel like a butterfly. You're a strange man, Dale. I don't know how to explain how wonderful you are. I'm glad that I trusted you, now I'm blushing. this is silly.
I never imagined falling in love with you, but here I am! It's crazy, but I like it.
I've given you this letter because I want you to know how much you mean to me. It's hard for me to talk about my feelings because they've been belittled at times, but I know that you won't be harsh.
No matter what happens, if my parents try to tear us apart, if the world caves in, if the sky falls, I'll know that what we have is genuine. It's as if God wants us to be together.
No matter what, I'll never leave you, unless you become a murderer! Know that you, Dale Curtis, have my love with you whenever you go.
And if I'm reserved or quiet, just know that it's only because you seem like a dream. I never expected to be loved by someone other than my parents. I never felt noticed before. I didn't think that a man would want a girl who's been defiled.
I'm sorry for making this sad, but it's how I felt. It's even how I still feel sometimes. So if you catch me staring at you, it's only because you're my dream come true.
Thank you for being Dale.
Thank you for loving me.
Remember that I appreciate you and you're very dear to me.
Yours,
Eleanor'
Dale's vision grew blurry as tears filled his eyes. Good God, his princess was something special.
He held the small picture that she placed in the note and kissed it. It was taken the day they got the Christmas tree for his house. She looked like an angel.
His heart hurt. "Eleanor," He pressed the picture to his chest and tears fell from his eyes.
He never felt so much pain in his life. Eleanor had his heart and he needed to stay alive to be with her again.
He placed the picture back inside the note and folded it up neatly. He couldn't cry like a babe. He had to stay alert and fight well to be with Eleanor when everything ended.
"I'll be back, my princess." He promised and picked up the supply box.
He would go through hell and back if he had to, just as long as he made it home.
Nothing could keep him from reuniting with his wife.
Nothing.
-
Authors Note
Please watch this video to see the best depiction of how I did y'all. 😌 and how I'm feeling after playing y'all 😂😂😂
So as of right now, Dale is off to war. Last chapter he got news that it wasn't going to happen, and this chapter it did in fact happen.
This story is made around the Korean War, this story is tagged as a war story, um and I dropped hints in the chapters foreshadowing this event. The reason I always have the dates on each chapter was specifically for me to remember how long they had before the war started.
Um, so are y'all doing okay? How about that sweet note that Eleanor wrote Dale!🥰 I loved writing the note, it was very sweet.
Only four more chapters until the story is completed!👏🏽👏🏽 don't hate me guys. I'm just a 19 year old who loves to write emotion evoking stories☺️ I promised a happy ending, it will be happy! Just wait and see.
That's all for today, don't be shy. Comment if you liked the story, I really love reading comments, they make me happy!
Let me know what you thought of the chapter. What's your predictions! Will Dale in fact make it home? Will Eleanor make it without Dale? Will Dale's parents do something crazy?
That's it y'all!
Bye! 👋🏽