𝙼𝚒𝚕𝚔 & 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | (Austin!Elvis x Black!OC)

Ch. 11

Summary: Honey and Elvis finally get a real date

Warning: Racial issues, makeout session, brief talk about sex, swearing

Song: Cry to Me by Solomon Burke

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'We'll talk about this in the morning.' Is all she said to me that night.

I got the worst sleep of my life, dreading to see daylight hit the sky. I didn't wash up or nothing, cause I was too afraid to leave my room. I stayed in my dress all night, sitting at the edge of my bed and thinking about what I'm going to say to her.

As expected, once I do decide to leave my room that morning an argument ensues.

"You're sneakin' out, singing on stage, lettin' your hair down, kissin' white boys. This ain't how I raised you. I thought I could trust you, that you matured into a fine young woman, but you been provin' to me that you ain't nothin' but a child still. Ever since Elvis came back around you ain't been yourself. He ain't gon' do nothing but bring trouble to ya." She roughly scrubs the dishes.

"Ma-"

"Ah!" She points a soapy finger at me, a sud or two dripping onto the titles below. "I don't wanna hear it!"

"Ma, I love him!" She freezes, looking down into the sink water, both hands on either side of the bowl. "I'm sorry about not tellin' you about the singing, and for sneaking out, and everything else in between, but that don't mean you can constantly make me feel ashamed for who I am." She dries her hands, walking around the kitchen and pretending to be busy so she can avoid making eye contact with me. "Ma, I have loved Elvis since the day I could walk. I can't control it, and I thought you of all people would be the one person on this Earth to understand."

She pauses in front of the refrigerator. Her eyes glisten like mine, but she still says nothing.

"I'm scared, Mama," is all I have to say, before we both break. She finally turns to look at me, walking over to wrap her arms around me.

I sob into her dress, holding her tight. "I pushed him away for years cause I didn't want any of us getting hurt, but every day I'm not with him only hurts my heart, Ma. I love him. So much." My lip quivers against her shoulder. "I'm sorry about the singing, but a lot of people say I'm real good at it. And Vickie says people like blonde hair now. Things is changing. We don't gotta be scared no more."

She pulls away, holding my face in her hands with a sigh. She wipes away the tears that have fallen from my eyes. "I never meant to make you feel ashamed of who you are. You're beautiful and strong, I have no doubts about that. I just worry about ya. I don't want nobody hurtin' my baby." She sighs. "I guess I can't be mad at ya, you just like me when I was your age." I sniffle, furrowing my eyebrows at her words. She smiles sadly, wiping a tear from her own face. "Used to go down and sing with all the sharecroppers. How you think I got your daddy? Just a thing us James women got."

My eyes widen. She did what?!

I giggle excitedly, wanting to hear more. She rarely talks about this kind of stuff. It usually makes her too emotional and distant whenever Dad's brought up in conversation, so I try to avoid doing so and just let her talk about it when she wants to. I remain silent, wanting to give her all the space she needs to continue.

She sits on the edge of the stairs, looking off into the distance in a trance while she recovers some of her memories. "Used to know a guitar playin' sharecropper. He was a sweet boy. I'd go out and sing with 'em when the Beau family wasn't lookin'. I had eyes for your daddy, but I knew better. Didn't know he was lookin' back at me that whole time. One day, his family went out of town. I didn't know he stayed back. He followed me when I went to meet that boy, listened to me sing. Told me that was the day he knew he was in love."