The 22-Year Friendship

Ch. 31: Little Ones

*Welcome the little ones in this chapter, and let's be excited for Elvis and Priscilla!*

[short chapter]

After Elvis and Priscilla's wedding, my family and I decided to relax together back home in California. Elvis invited us to Memphis to do fun activities, but i was worn out.

On June 9th, I received a phone call that I wasn't expecting for months. It was Priscilla. 

Me: "Hello, Prescott Residence this is Lillian."

Priscilla: "Lilly it's me, Cilla."

Me: "Hello Cilla, how are you?"

Priscilla: "Fantastic.. Guess what?!"

Me: "What?"

Priscilla: "I'm pregnant!" 

Me: "Already? Well, congratulations Cilla! I know you and Elvis will be fantastic parents." 


That news shocked me, only because it was only a month after Elvis and Priscilla married in Vegas. But, I was so happy for them both! They were finally going to have a little one of their own. For Elvis, watching and playing with  my children helped him practice being a parent sorta. But he was a natural when it  came to kids. 


Elvis and his guys came to California and planned to visit my family and I. He was going to film his twenty-sixth movie, Speedway. We had a lot of things to talk about because the last time I talked to him was June 1st. 

Me: "The gang is all here. Hi everyone. Congratulations Elvis, you're going to be a daddy soon!" 

Elvis: "I know, I'm excited to meet the lil' one. How are you doin'?"

Me: "James and I have came to the conclusion that we're having twins. The doctor even said so last week, but we didn't believe him." 

Elvis: "Two lil' ones! Mama would of loved seeing you have twins.. It would of brought her back when she had my twin Jesse and I."

Me: "What have you all been up to lately?" 

Elvis: "The guys and I stopped at the Grand Canyon and it was breathtaking. We messed around up there, you know. I'm going to start shootin' my new movie with Nancy Sinatra." 

Me: "You and Nancy reuniting 7 years after you first met each other. That's nice." 


Elvis, James, and the entourage played football in the backyard while I reclined near the poolside. William was swimming in the pool, while Joshua and Rita were taking a nap on the couch. The guys were being rowdy as usual, but it was only one of the few times Elvis could be a kid again.

I was reading the newspaper, and I was intrigued to learn that Mick Jagger and Sloan welcomed a baby girl named Michaela Evelyn Jagger on June 5th, 1967. There were many negative comments about her and Jagger, some saying she was "living in sin". I felt bad, so I congratulated her over telegram about her new joy in her life.  


This afternoon turned out to be amazing after Nancy Sinatra dropped by. She brought some dog biscuits for Rose and Ruby as well as infant baby clothing. Our families had been friends for a long time, and we were always close. Elvis was surprised to see her at my house.


Elvis: "Nancy, what are you doing here?" 

Nancy: "I decided to stop by! I heard that you would be here sometime this week... Besides, Lilly doesn't mind me stopping by and dropping off gifts for her pups and for the babies next month." 

Me: "Thank you Nancy, I really appreciate these humble gifts. Join me inside to drink some tea?" 

Nancy: "Certainly. Elvis, see you in a couple of days to shoot our movie together!" 

Elvis: "Alright Nancy, be prepared to have fun on set!" 


Nancy and I had a long conversation about children, pregnancy, life, and Elvis. At the time, Nancy was a successful recording artist who had to go through a difficult divorce from her husband, Tommy Sands. Elvis quietly walked in and I quickly changed the subject to exciting events, such as Speedway. 

As we were talking, the phone rang. Elvis went to pick up the phone. His eyes widened when he answered the call. 


Me: "Elvis, who is it?" 

Elvis: "She says her name is Gabby... it's not the Gabby I dated, is it?" 

My eyes widened. I tried not to make it obvious, but it was Gabby, the girl he dated years ago. He didn't know I kept in touch with most of his ex-girlfriends, and I never told him. I felt like he would think that it was unnecessary to keep in contact with them, but I was still friends with them. 

Me: "No, it's most likely Gabriella Quincy. She's an old dance collague of mine." 

Elvis: "It sounded like Gabby, but I think my mind was just foolin' me. Here's the phone." 

Me: "Hello, this is Lillian. To whom am I speaking to?" 

Gabby: "Very silly Lilly, it's Gabby Duncan... Who answered your phone? It certainly wasn't James." 

Me: "It was Elvis..." 

Gabby: "I definitely called you at the wrong time! I just wanted to let you know that I have sent you a bunch of clothes and toys for your little ones. I hope you enjoy them when they arrive!" 

Me: "Thank you! James and I will be waiting for your package." 

Gabby: "I knew Elvis answered the phone... His sweet, southern accent was recognizable the second I heard it... I became an emotional wreck for about 20 seconds. Guess what?" 

Me: "What?" 

Gabby: "I'm expecting my first child with my husband! I'm so excited, and I know I can get great tips on motherhood from you. I'll call you tonight if that's alright." 

Me: "That would be swell. Congratulations, and we will continue to have this conversation tonight!" 


When I hung up the phone, Elvis had this look of interest on his face. He knew I wasn't telling him everything, but he let it go. Nancy enjoyed looking at us and wondering, what is going on here? She did ask us who Gabby was, and we simply told her the story. She smirked and said, "Elvis, at least that taught you a lesson to stop messin' around with girls! I can't imagine if you didn't have Lilly to lookout for you." 

Nancy told me that the director of Speedway wanted to see if he could use Rita as an extra in the film. James and I deeply discussed this, and Nancy promised that it wasn't a huge role. Rita explained that Rita would be playing the youngest child of Abel Esterlake, a single-father raising his handful of daughters. We agreed to have her in the film, only if Elvis and Nancy kept an eye on her on set. 


I spent the rest of June at my house, spending time with my family and relaxing. It was tranquil, and I loved it. No press, no projects, just nada. It was just the family and I bonding together until the twins were to be born. Double the trouble, as Elvis would say. 


On the afternoon of July 18th, 1967, James and I welcomed our healthy twins into the world. We had a boy and girl, which relieved both of us because we knew that we would be confused if we had identical boys or girls!

The oldest twin was a son we decided to name him Sean Andrew Prescott. The youngest twin was a daughter we decided to name her Samantha Amelia Prescott. Carrying both of my twins in my arms was breathtaking, and they were fragile and beautiful. James was happy to have another son, but was excited to know that Rita wouldn't have to be the only daughter in our family surrounded by brothers. 

On July 21th, Elvis, Priscilla, his father, and his entourage visited me in the hospital. There must of been 25-30 people, because the nurses were overwhelmed with the amount of people! I was as well, but the noise level simmered down after they laid eyes on the twins. I never allowed smoking in the hospital room, so it was somehow hard for some of the entourage to not smoke for 30 minutes.

Elvis went immediately towards Shawn, as if a magnet pulled him. Elvis' eyes were glued on Shawn, and everyone noticed it. I believe he saw his twin Jesse in my infant, which mesmerized him. 

Elvis: "Lilly, they're beautiful. Your son gives me an image on how my twin brother Jesse would of looked like if he was born alive. Gosh, he has the blonde hair and blue eyes. And this little baby girl is beautiful. She will be a pretty brunette, I know it already." 

Me: Now, your little one will have a playmate! If you and Cilla have a son, then he will have 3 boys to play guns or pretend they're astronauts or cowboys. If you have a daughter, then she will have Rita and Samantha to play dress-up, dance, or have tea time! I can't wait for your little one to be born, Elvis." 

Elvis: "I can't either. Now, look.. Cilla carrying a little baby is one of the greatest sights i've seen. Baby, in 7 months, you will be carrying our own little one."

Priscilla: "I can't wait. In the meantime, Lilly's newborns will be practice for us!" 


Elvis and Priscilla laughed about it, but they couldn't wait to meet their little one. The countdown to meet Elvis and Priscilla's little one began..