Member-only story
Eleanor Williams grew up on a farm in Southeast Virginia and spent the first 18 years of her life there, never going farther than a couple of miles from her home. She was a homebody, and as she admits, she was sheltered.
At 18 years old, Eleanor gave birth to a baby girl and found herself being a single mom.
She adored her beautiful baby and named her April Nicole.
Just after the baby was born, Eleanor decided to make a trip for the first time in her life. Her older brother had been stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas and had a friend named Kevin to whom Eleanor had started talking and writing to.
Eleanor was going to take the bus from Virginia to Kansas, and she was taking her newborn baby with her.
She was excited not only to meet Kevin but to travel and leave Virginia for the first time.
Eleanor traveled by bus for a few hours before reaching her first layover stop in Washington D.C. They would be there for three hours before continuing on.
While waiting there, a friendly woman approached Eleanor, telling her how beautiful her baby was. She asked if she could hold the baby, and Eleanor said yes.
