the Presleys

chapter 3 - 1944

The winter of '44 was the year Vernon Presley came back home. And the year Cece officially met him. He was a sweet guy, she thought. But Elvis' daddy returning home, made Cecilia wonder if her own daddy was ever gonna do a comeback. Recalling the moment though, she was never going to forget the look on her friend's face. The way his eyes lit up and an incredulous smile seemed to take up the entirety of his face.

"Goddamn it's cold.", Elvis shivered, making Cece glare at him. The two kids were out playing, until it had gotten too cold and way too late to stay outside. Pandora was having her daily coffee with Gladys at the Presley house, so they knew where they were headed.

"You ain't allowed to say that.", she scolded him and rubbed her hands on her arms, desperately trying to catch some warmth.

"Oh, I am. I'm nine years old. I ain't little no more. I'm a man, now."

Cecilia laughed at his comment. "You ain't no man, Elvis. To be a man you gotta be suuuuper old."

"Well, you ain't no woman either.", he poorly tried to get back at her.
"Never said I was.", she smiled at him and struck her tongue out, mocking his lame comeback.

"What are we doing this Christmas, E?", she asked him. He looked at the little rocks on the ground and kicked one as they passed.

"You ain't going nowhere with your mama?", Cece shook her head at his question.

"My friends and I do snowball fights. It's a little, well, uh—"

"I'll be there.", she confirmed his doubts. Though what he was worried about was his friends not going easy on her. They often liked to mix pebbles with snow. Elvis sighed knowing very well that there was no way she wasn't gonna come.

They had finally reached the door, already hearing their mothers' chit chat. They smiled at each other until Elvis opened the door. He didn't move aside to let Cece in, like he usually did. He was blocked. Not by something. But by someone.

"Daddy?"

Cece had never heard Elvis sound so vulnerable and small. She took a look at the man and noticed that jail didn't do him any good as he looked as pale and slim as ever. But Cecilia smiled, because Elvis was obviously pleasantly surprised by the sight before him.

Pandora and Gladys came out of the living room just in time to witness the boy jump in his father's arms. A sight that brought the two ladies to tears. Vernon's hand brought Elvis' head even closer to his chest, hardly believing his daddy was back. Cece smiled again and moved closer to her mother. Pandora's eyes moved from the scene before her to her daughter, almost telepathically understanding what was going on in the moment. The kid looked up and saw her mama nudge at Vernon.

"My name is Cecilia, sir.", she struck her hand out, making Vernon's eyes pop open at her little gesture. He smiled and released Elvis.

"I've heard so many great things about you, Cecilia. Please call me Vernon.", he comically shook the little girl's hand, making her blush. Elvis smiled and moved his eyes over at Gladys, who still had that incredulous look on her face.

"I'll go make some more coffee.", she said quickly, drying the tears from her under eyes.

"Oh, we better get going, darling, thank you though.", Pandora interrupted her. "Cece and I got some housework to do and I think you guys need to catch up.", she moved a hand on Gladys' arm, who smiled at her lovingly. Patting Elvis on the head and giving Vernon a hug, the Martins left the Presley home.

"Mama?", Cece looked at her mother, squeezing her hand. Pandora looked down at her and smiled.

"Yes, honey?"

"Do you think daddy is gonna come back? Like Vernon? You think he is gonna hug me again?"

Those innocent little questions rumbled in Pandora's head as a tape of memories flew by her eyes. The first hug. The first kiss. The first date. How could she give her daughter an answer, when she didn't have one herself?

"I don't know, baby."

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The Presley and Martin family, like every year since they had moved to the neighborhood, were doing a joined Christmas. This year Pandora Martin took the reins and cooked all day with the help of Gladys' magic hands. The woman had begged her to help, saying that an extra set of hands were always good. Meanwhile, since it was so cold outside and way too early for a snowball fight, the two kids were in Cece's bedroom where Elvis attempted to showcase his guitar-playing skills.

"I'ma show ya how to play.", Elvis grasped Cece's guitar and set it comfortably on his thigh. Despite his desperate need to show off, Cece's wide eyes looked at the way his fingers moved across the strings. Until he started singing.

"Oh, sweet, sweet, Cece Flora."

He sang looking her in the eye. Cece rolled her eyes and moved to her little book shelf.

"That ain't a real song.", she complained, making Elvis stop.

"Of course it is.", he said. "Well it is now. Now, listen. Oh, sweet, sweet, Cece Flora.", she shook her head again as a small smile played on her lips. She sat on the bed again and the mesmerizing look in her eyes was back.

"You play good."

"Oh, I know I do. I gotta teach ya if we wanna make this duo happen. C'mere.", Elvis showed her the placement of the guitar on her thigh and her little fingers on the strings. As the same sweet sound played soundly in the air, Elvis couldn't help but hum the words he had sung before.

"Oh, sweet, sweet, Cece Flora."

The boy kept humming, not being able to get those little words out of his head. Until those sweet little words were sung by a melodic voice. It was his sweet Cece Flora, singing the lyrics he had dedicated to her.

"Oh, sweet, sweet, Cece Flora."

Elvis blushed at the beautiful sound yet chose to keep any comment to himself, knowing she would've stopped immediately. His blue eyes closed, fully immersed into the melody until his brain decided to show him possible pecs of his future. His future with her. So he joined the little melody, testing out what was unknowingly going to be the most iconic rock 'n'roll duo in the 20th century.

You could've called this their first rehearsal.

Cece stopped playing and looked at him, smiling. "Whatcha say?"

He saw it all.

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