Graceland Beginnings [Elvis]

Chapter 16 - His Time Has Come to an End

The rooster crowed, and I was jolted awake. Someone else was awoken as well, and she jumped out of bed and left the room before I could even turn over. When I did so, my heart lifted, and I grinned.

I didn't go home during the night.

After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, smiling away, I got out of bed and got ready for the day. When I came out into the living room, no one was there, so I headed to the kitchen. The whole family was in there, and Elma was the first to see me. She beamed and ran to me, bombarding me with a hug.

"You didn't leave!" she hollered, and that brought on the attention of her parents and Grace.

"Turns out I didn't," I said. "I'm sorry that I caused a bunch of worry."

Elma let go of me as Lucy came up to me. "Don't think anything of it, Elvis. Come, now. Eat some breakfast. There are chores to do this mornin'."

"Indeed," I said, and I joined the family at the table, and I sat across from Grace. We exchanged smiles before a prayer was said on the food. The topic of my supposed leaving wasn't discussed, and Elma eventually had to leave for school, and Stephen had to leave for work. Elma hitched a ride with Stephen until the edge of the property, then she went her own way, and Eddie joined her on the road running next to the property. I smirked as I stood there next to the steps up to the porch. Those two would get married someday, I was sure of it.

"Elvis, could I talk to you?"

I turned around and saw Grace standing up on the porch. She stepped down next to me as I said, "Of course you can."

"Not here."

She left, and I followed her. We didn't go into the barn, but we went behind the chicken coop. I chuckled. "We've never talked back here before." Her eyes welled tears, and my heart dropped to the grass. "Aw, Grace..."

"I'm just happy. No, I don't know. I'm happy and sad. I was so afraid last night that I would wake up and you would be gone and I would never see you again, but then the cock crowed, and you were right beside me. I wanted to cry of happiness. In fact, I did, once I got back to my room."

I wrapped her up in a hug as the chickens clucked in the coop. "I wanted to cry of happiness, too. I'm glad that I didn't go home, but... I know I will soon. It's just a feelin'."

Her arms wrapped around my back, and we held each other, and I smelled her flowery scent in her hair. "I wanna sleep next to you every night from now on. Just in case. I'll just make Elma promise not to say anythin'."

"She knew you were with me last night?"

"Yes. I woke her by accident when I came back into our room. She figured it out, and I had to assure her that nothing else happened other than us sleeping next to each other."

Of course Elma would think other things. For a girl who seemed innocent, she had her head in the gutter. "She seemed surprised that I didn't go home this mornin'."

"You know Elma—she gets excited. She was just so happy that you didn't leave, even if she already knew you didn't go anywhere last night. It's selfish, but..."

I held her tighter. "I know, I know," I cooed. "You want me here forever."

"Usually, a person doesn't want the person they love to leave. The situation is a bit more desperate because you'll never come back."

"I was sent here. Who says I won't come back again?"

"It's hopeful thinking."

"You're right—it is."

We leaned back a little and shared a sweet kiss. Every kiss I give to Grace from now on could be the last, so I would always have to make it memorable. I held her tight as her hands gripped my shirt material, and our lips moved in sync with each other. We both slipped into a daze as the chickens were clucking away. I didn't want to stop feeling her soft lips.