the Presleys

chapter 1 - 1942

"How old are you, darling?"

"I'm five.", Cece showed her palm to Gladys, who gaped at her.

"I have a son, who's seven, sweetie. He must be here somewhere— ELVIS!", Gladys called for her little boy, who ran in the living room.

"I'm right here mama.", he mumbled under his breath and walked towards his mother, standing beside her armchair.

"Greet the guests, Booby.", yet again he mumbled another 'mama' under his breath as his pale cheeks started turning pink at his mama's nickname.

"My name is Elvis.", the little boy had caught Cece's attention. Shaky feet, messy chestnut hair and bright blue eyes. He resembled a cartoon character. If not a superhero. A young one, but nevertheless one with mighty superpowers.

Pandora smiled at the boy and looked at Cece, who was hiding her face in her mother's arm. She gently caressed her hair and brought a finger under her chin. "Why don't you tell Elvis your name, darling? I'm sure he's excited to know.", the little girl opened one of her eyes and caught a look of Elvis huffing at tapping his foot. Gladys smacked his arm, glaring at him.

"Okay.", she murmured and sat up, though not making eye contact with the boy. "My name is Cece."

"What kind of name is Cece?"

"Alright. Elvis take Cece out in the backyard, won't ya? Bring the cookies with ya and get to know each other.", Gladys handed him the tray of cookies and looked expectedly at her son, who was only able to reluctantly nod his head in response. Pandora whispered some words of encouragement to her daughter, who also unwillingly stood up and moved toward Elvis. She looked up at him and wordlessly followed him in the backyard, while the two mothers talked to each other.

The backyard wasn't particularly big, but the grass was surely as green as ever in that hot summer. But what really made little Cecilia's eyes shine, was the poorly built treehouse in the corner.

"You built this?", she couldn't help but ask. Elvis looked at her from his shoulder and followed her eye line. Her tone dripped with admiration and amazement, something he hadn't heard in a good while. Her words were by no means a compliment, but they sounded like it.

He cleared his throat. "I did. My daddy helped me a little.", he admitted and looked at the tree once again. "Would you like to go up there?"

Her eyes lit up as she furiously nodded at his offer. "Yes, please."

"Alright, you go up first, I'll pass ya the cookies and then I'll climb.", Elvis quickly explained to her, yet as he looked her way, her tiny foot was already on the ladder. Once she was safely up there, she extended her arms to grasp the tray and let Elvis up as well. Now they were both settled, small hands grasping at cookie crumbs and curious eyes wandering around the tiny house.

"You did a good job.", Cece complimented him, making him look away.

"So... your name is Cece?", she turned to look at him.

"My name is Cecilia Flora Martin.", he nodded at her words.

"My name is Elvis Aaron Presley."

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"I don't know why you were so worried, sweetheart, I feel like we've known each other for years.", Gladys laughed sipping her coffee. Pandora smiled, agreeing with her.

"I'm worried Cecilia ain't gonna like it here...", she sighed. "You know with the moving and- and her dad's absence... She's gonna start fresh with the school here, so there's that at least.", Pandora's words were fumbled as she tried to avert the focus on the mention of her ex-husband. Though Gladys, as curious as she was, she needed to ask in order to understand and support her as a new neighbor and friend.

"Sorry for snooping, darling, but you said dad's absence? He ain't in the picture no more...?"

Pandora pursed her lips and opted for a sip of coffee. "He, uhm, he left us. For another family.", Gladys couldn't believe her ears.

"That son of a—"

"Cece don't know that though. I just told her he had to leave and I, uhm, don't even know how to explain something as complicated as this to someone as young as her.", Pandora's eyes filled up with tears. She blinked desperately trying to get rid of them before Gladys could notice. But who could she fool.

"Oh, darling.", Gladys stood up and sat down beside her, offering her a side hug, which Pandora gladly accepted. "When the time comes I'm sure you'll know. Cecilia is a bright lil' lady, I'm sure she'll understand. Stop stressing yourself, sugar.", she wiped away her tears with her thumb. "It'll be okay."

"It'll be okay."

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"I wanna be a singer someday.", Elvis let Cece know as she munched on another cookie. The two kids had spent three hours together and it felt like they belonged there together, in that hot summer weather in the little poorly-made tree house.

The little girl's eyes lit up. "Me too!", she exclaimed, making him laugh. "I-I wanna play the guitar a-and sing a-and dance! Though mama says I should do something serious.", her revelation made his heart break a little, since that was what he kept hearing as well.

"We could sing together! We could— We could be a duo!", Elvis couldn't hold back his excitement as he had just found someone who shared his same dream and passion for music. Though that someone being five years old.

"What's a duo?"

He sighed. "When two people sing together. We could both sing and play the guitar o-or the piano.", the burst of happiness was back nonetheless. "Are you sure you wanna sing, Cece? Because that's serious."

Cece looked at him and pointed a cookie at his face. "It was me who said that first. Whadya think?", and she took a bite.

"But.", worry overtook the excitement for a second. "Would you wanna sing with me? Like in a duo?"

"Yes!", she extended her arms in the air, emphasizing her excitement. Relief fell over him as he smiled.

"What should our name be?"

"Elvis and Cece."

"No, that's too simple.", Elvis rejected her first suggestion.

"Cecee. With two "e" s at the end. Because the last one stands for your E."

"Too complicated."

"The two friends!"

"Okay, let's think of the names later...", Elvis quickly dismissed the topic. "Can you play the guitar?"

"I'm five.", she rolled her eyes. "Though my daddy bought me a guitar before he left. Mama's gonna teach me how to play."

"Where'd your daddy go?", Cece shrugged at his question. "I don't know. Mama said he had to leave."

Elvis looked down. "My daddy is in jail. I don't know when he'll come back.", he revealed, making her pout.

"I'm sorry, Elvis.", silence engulfed the two kids. The air wasn't hot anymore, no, it was tingly, full of lingering dreams and hope. He was pleasantly surprised with the maturity of her five-year old self. She wanted to be a singer, playing the guitar, while dancing. He wasn't crazy for wanting that in his life. Maybe he had found a person that finally understood him.

Maybe he had finally found a friend.

"Cece! We're going home!"

"Comin'!", the little girl set the cookie down and before she could set foot on the ladder, she turned to Elvis.

"Are we friends?"

Her little hand was outstretched as her question lingered in the air. Elvis looked at her and smiled, shaking her hand.

"We are.", he confirmed.

He had finally found a friend.

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