My Little Friend

Chapter 13

October 13, 1958.

Both of Lynn Rose's hand were held tightly and securely as Gladys and Vernon towed her through the train station and toward the vehicle of Lamar Fike, who had been charged with the task of taking them to the house. Lynn Rose was wearing her sailor dress along with a delicate white cardigan due to the slight fall breeze that was now in the air. She had refused to wear tights but settled for long socks.

Lamar opened the car door for them when they reached the vehicle. They all sat in the back with Lynn Rose squeezed between them. Vernon laughed at the way she smoothed down her skirt while he wished to smooth out the wrinkle that formed between her tiny eyebrows. She could be such a serious little child.

"You're pretty, Lynn," Vernon told her. "And you know Elvis don't care 'cause he loves you anyhow.

"That's right," Gladys added, stroking Lynn Rose's hair absently. Elvis had invited Georgia over and she silently worried over Lynn Rose's potential reaction given the way she was about sharing Elvis with anyone. A girlfriend in particular would pose as competition for his attention. But she could tell that Georgia meant a great deal to her boy and now that Lynn Rose had become part of their family and there was a possibility that Georgia would become part of their family as well it was of great importance to Elvis for them to at least not outright dislike each other.

They opted not to tell Lynn Rose about Georgia, though. Vernon insisted that it wasn't his place and while Gladys would have done it, she thought that Elvis might want to do it myself. But Elvis didn't say a word about it.

The car ride passed in no time at all. Lynn Rose pressed her nose against the window, eyes widening at the sight of the fans who occupied the sidewalk. "Do all of 'em wanna see Elvis too?"

"You betcha," Vernon said. "But you're the lucky one who actually gets to see him."

Lynn Rose beamed. "I wore my pretty dress for Elvis," she stated for possibly the millionth time today, as though they were not more than aware of that fact.

Vernon swung her up in his arms to carry her through the crowd of fans, but Lynn Rose wiggled until she was let down. Gladys quickly ceased her by the wrist as Lynn Rose zeroed in on a young woman (girl, really) who was screaming at the top of her lungs to proclaim, "You scream too loud."

The girl stopped, as bewildered by the little girl's reaction as Lynn Rose had been by her behavior.

"They really do have a little kid," someone called from the midst of the crowd.

"Come on, darlin'," Gladys said, "Elvis is waitin' for us."

"Bye," Lynn Rose said to the fans, then skipped toward the door with Gladys and Vernon trailing behind her. As soon as the door was opened and the figure of Elvis came into view, she launched herself at him.

"Little girl," Elvis exclaimed, spinning her in a circle before crushing her to his chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you most."

"You missed me more?"

Lynn Rose's head bobbed up and down. "Uh-uh. I missed you the most."

Elvis shifted Lynn Rose on his hip so he could hug his parents.

"Did you eat?" Gladys asked, making both her husband and son chuckle.

"You can cook somethin' if you want," Elvis said. "I could eat."

"The boy is always hungry, Gladys," Vernon contributed. "You should know. You've been his mother for twenty three years."

"You want somethin', Lamar?" Gladys asked, already heading for the kitchen.