A Never Ending Love

 

Preface

Love stories start in many ways, this one starts long ago before the participants were even born. If it weren’t for each set of parents falling in love, the children they had would never have met.

Vincent Donovan, had been a military psychologist until he retired. He was constantly moving from place to place never settling down long enough to meet a woman and fall in love. At least not until the spring of 1960. The year he met a young woman in the town of Kaiserslautern, also know as K-town to the soldiers stationed nearby. A group of soldiers were given a few days leave to do what they wanted, so they went sight-seeing at the Humbergturm, an observation tower, built in 1900, offering a great view over the Palatinate Forest. She was there with a group of ladies who had come to visit that day as well.

Francesca Sternberg was of Spanish and German decent, giving her an exotic look that captured the heart of young Vincent. He learned that she was staying with her grandmother during the summer. Vincent’s heart soared with this news and he soon started pursuing this lovely woman. They dated while he was stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. His duties included, helping the injured soldiers deal with their sudden physical handicaps as well as their mental challenges having witnessed so much carnage during their tour of duty.

In the spring of 1962, Vincent learned he was being transferred back to a US based hospital. He had to work fast to win his lady’s heart. He bought a ring and wrote a special note to her. When they next met, he gave her the note and when she was finished reading it he was on one knee, with ring in hand, asking her to marry him. She did love him and she agreed. They were married two days later in a small military ceremony at the base, then he and his new bride moved to New York. Over a year later, Francesca gave birth to their first son, Trevor, two years later Franklin Vincent Donovan arrived.

Being from the military, Vincent loved to travel and when the children were old enough, they started going camping each summer with them. Their favorite state to camp in was Montana. It was a beautiful place and had many parks and lakes to stay.

One summer when the boys were thirteen and eleven, they went to Cooney Lake. The boys went for a hike then decided to cool off by taking a swim. They didn’t think to put there swimming trunks on so they just shed their clothes and skinny-dipped in the lake. It was about dusk and they never dreamed that three young girls would happen upon them. When the boys heard the young ladies giggling, they headed to shore to find their clothes. When they reached it, the oldest of the three girls she looked to be fourteen or fifteen was holding their shorts and t-shirts in her hands.

“Looking for these?”

“Yeah, so give them here so we can get dressed,” the oldest, Trevor said to her.

“You aren’t supposed to swim in the lake without clothes,” she said, not giving up the clothing. She stood about five feet, five inches with long reddish brown hair tied in a ponytail. She glanced over to her sister and cousin who were laughing so hard she thought they would wet themselves. “Their young eyes aren’t ready to see you with bare asses. She threw their shorts to them but kept the t-shirts. “What are your names?” She turned her back quickly when they started out of the water to put their clothes on.

“I’m Frank and he’s my older brother Trev,” the youngest boy said, after slipping his shorts on.

“I’m Elaina, and those two giggling fools are Miranda and Maria. Miranda is my sister and Maria is my cousin.”

“You live around here?” Trevor asked, taking his t-shirt from her.

“We live in Laurel. My father sells horses to the park. We delivered four today and then Daddy treated us to a picnic,” Elaina explained.

George Blakely was 37 when he first laid eyes on Elizabeth Andrews. She looked about his age, he thought. She had Auburn hair and blue-green eye. She was working a booth at the Texas State Fair carnival. She was working the ring toss game and he had to win her something. Hank Morgan, his best friend, was with him. He thought she was cute too and the two of them played against each other trying to win a prize. George walked away that night with the biggest and best prize…her heart. A year later, they were married.

Two years after they were married, George was struck in the head my a horse. He lost most of his hearing and deemed legally deaf. He picked up on reading lips and sign language quickly. When George set his mind to something he accomplished what ever it was.

Elizabeth and Hank learned quickly as well. They had to or George would ignore their notes or didn’t try to read their lips. He figured if they loved him and wanted to converse they could learn his language.

Hank and George both dreamed of owning a ranch so they pooled their life saving together and found a ranch in Laurel Montana to buy. After struggling a few years it became lucrative. They found wild horses around the country and broke them to sell. The Blakely family became well known for their ranch and the horses they trained at their Laurel Montana ranch. When the adopt a horse organization started, they helped by working with the new owners in getting the horses trained for riding.

In 1961, Elaina was born. She was their second child. They had a son, Reese a couple of years before her. Elaina was an unexpected but pleasant surprise to the family. George and Elizabeth had some marital problems and were on the verge of getting a divorce when Elizabeth found out she was pregnant again. Elaina saved their marriage and two years later, the Blakelys were blessed with another girl, Miranda.

“Where are you from?” Elaina asked.

“New York. We’re camping on the lake this weekend,” Frank told her.

“I’ve been there,” Maria said in a quiet voice.

“Did you visit the museums and theaters there?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah, Mommy takes…I mean took…a lot of pictures for magazines.”

“Her parents just passed away a few months ago. She isn’t handling it too well,” Elaina said when Maria ran off with Miranda following her. “I better go back with them. It was nice meeting both of you.”

“Same here,” Frank said, smiling. “Trev, she was beautiful.”

“You noticed that, did you?” Trevor teased.

“Yeah, I want to marry her,” Frank said, causing his older brother to start laughing.

“You don’t even know her last name, Frankie. Besides, she is older than you.”

“Not much. Besides, it doesn’t matter.”

When the boys returned to camp with their parents, Trevor had to tell his father what Frank had said about the girl he met. Vincent knew his youngest son was headstrong and if he wanted something, he set out to get it. However, he never in his wildest dreams thought Frank’s path would ever cross with the Elaina girl again.

Elaina was an exceptional student and was able to graduate a year early from high school. She then went on to college in California where she studied law as a major and animal science as a minor. She had finally decided to become a veterinarian when she listened to an FBI agent who came to her college for career day. After talking to the agent, she was hooked.

When she went home and told her mother about her career choice, she was against it but her father backed her all the way. Elaina had always been her father’s little shadow and he was beaming with pride the day she left to go for the training session. She never dreamed her career would lead her back to the man who wanted to marry her.