It's just that Elliot's father had disowned him after he became as drunk as a skunk. But when he met Jesse Morgan, they fell in love after getting to know each other. Jesse had gotten prengant long before Salem joined the Army Rangers and they had finally gotten married. They moved into base housing before he went into training. Nine months went by with Jesse telling her half sister Alice about the baby, when she went into labor. Her parents gained custody of the child when she overdosed on heorin. And poor Elliot didn't even know that he has a daughter.