Dart’s mood today is more playful and flirtatious than passionate. He mocks himself because he picked the best woman in the world to be his wife, and now he’s ungrateful because he has to wait so long to make her his wife.

He does a long riff about all the ways he’d like to hold her: squeezing tight with her head on his shoulder; wrapped in each other’s arms, rocking back and forth; behind her as she brushes her hair; at arm’s length as they gaze into each other’s eyes; her arms around his neck as she sits on his lap.

“I hope we’ll always want to walk holding hands, or brushing elbows, or entwining little fingers. I want to be with you, Dot, to talk with you. Not about anything in particular tonight, but just to talk and  hold you. Remember how we like to talk while caressing?”

He asks her if neither Hal nor Homer is able to make it to the wedding, would Doug or Gordon be able to stand up for him? If not, he could ask Al Forbush, although they have little in common. He’ll get another letter off to Hal very soon.

In a continuation of his earlier shopping frenzy, he just bought what may be his wedding night pajamas. They’re very nice, and he’s keeping them wrapped and out of sight until June 20.

He agrees that money is the best gift for El and Norm, but the question now is, how much? Also, does Dot have any idea how much Norman’s tie clip gifts cost? He needs to add that to his pre-wedding budget.

“Come on, honey. Let’s quit this foolin’ around and go to bed. Last one there has to get up and close the window in the morning. Now let’s cuddle up and talk ourselves to sleep.”

#          #          #

It’s 2:00 in the morning and Dot has been babysitting for Carter Ford. She had a piece of Harriet’s birthday cake, set her hair and moved all the clocks in the house forward one  hour in preparation for Daylight Savings Time. She really wants to get to bed because she’s picking Nancy up for church tomorrow.

She didn’t write while babysitting because she was hemming a dress she bought today. It’s about the same shade of blue as the stationery she’s using with a patch of brown down the front. She really hopes Dart likes it as much as she does because he’s the one she tries to dress to please.

She got a thank you note for her thank you note from Mrs. Vessie today. Fearing this pattern could go on forever, she has decided to be sensible and not write Mrs. Vessie a thank you for the thank you for her thank you.

Realizing that last statement proved how tired she is, she signed off with a giant “I LOVE YOU!!!”