ELVIS AND CIMORELLI

"Ready to fly"

ONE WEEK LATER

The Colonel managed to convince Elvis to go on a four day tour with the biggest names in music at the time. Two of those names being Hank Snow and his son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow. Elvis was over the moon about it, but Gladys wasn't happy. The Presley and Cimorelli family were having dinner in the apartment the Presley family were renting. Unfortunately, Gladys managed to bring the topic of the tour up at dinner and how she wasn't ok with it.

"So, without a say to your daddy and me, you quit your job as a truck driver, so you can go tour the south with this Colonel fellow, who we have never met!" she said.

"Mama, it's only four days," protested Elvis.

"Yeah!" yelled Gladys, before pouring herself another glass of vodka. "Four days! And then what?!"

"I knew a fella once, who got his record on the radio" added Vernon. "It was all over, in a flash."

"Mama," sighed Elvis. "I- I'm just tryna take care of you and Daddy, that's all I've ever cared about. I ain't ever gonna get us back to a place where Daddy gets in trouble with the law, just to put food on the table-"

"Elvis!" cried Gladys. "How dare you?! As the Good Lord warns us, 'Do not wear yourself out to get rich!' Don't trust your own cleverness!"

And with that, Gladys threw her apron down and went to her and Vernon's room. Elvis took a deep breath, before Katherine spoke up.

"Elvis," she said. "You've upset your mama."

"...Yeah, I know... I'm gonna go talk to her."

"Hey, Aaron," asked Lisa. "I know this is probably a bad time to ask, but when all of us are done eatin', you think maybe the girls and I could sing with you, for the family?"

Elvis smiled.

"Sure thing, 'Chelle," he grinned, before going to talk to his mom.

Lisa's heart fluttered at the nickname. She and Elvis had been best friends, since he and his parents moved to Memphis. They always called each other by their respective middle names. Lisa liked everything about Elvis, ever since they first met. She'd been crushing on him for years, but he didn't know that.

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Gladys sat at her little desk, where she looked at her makeup, hairbrush, and a picture of Elvis, when he was a baby. When she looked up at the mirror, she saw her son standing in the doorway.

"You know, Mama, I was thinkin'... Maybe, I'll buy you one of those pink Cadillacs you saw, back when you was workin' at the hospital."

"I don't need no pink Cadillac," she said, coldly.

"Satnin..." Elvis said, kindly. "I just gotta be makin' the most of this thing, while I can... It's like Daddy says, this could all be over in a flash."

"I'm not fearful of it bein' over, Booby," admitted Gladys. "But I saw it in that girl's eyes... this is something... beyond us...." she said, before getting choked up. "It's something... that can come between us."

Elvis ran over to his mother, before the first tear fell from her eyes.

"Oh, no, no... Mama, hey..." he said, as he cupped her face with both of his hands. "Ain't nothin' ever gonna do that. You're my girl, my satnin... you'll always be my bestest girl."

After giving her a much needed hug, Elvis looked at his mom.

"I will call you every night."

"You promise me, Booby?" asked Gladys.