Playing House Away From Home

Chapter 15

"Ain't you?"

Brief silence followed. Loretta could hear Peggy and Patsy arguing in the hall. "You cool it out there!" she screamed, causing Elvis to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Now that sure takes me back."

"Did you get a Christmas card from Clayton and Maybelle too?" Loretta asked.

"Yeah, I sure did. I can't believe that we made it, you know?"

"Yeah, I do. So about that... about us doing a few shows together, that sounds real good but I don't know how that would work and if the Colonel-"

"Forget about the Colonel."

"I'm just sayin' cause I know how he is. He can't stand me so he won't want none of that."

"But I like singing with you. It was great fun."

"I'll talk to my-" Loretta trailed off when Peggy and Patsy stumbled in. "Mommy's on the phone. I'll play with you in a little while."

"That your twins again?"

"Yes. They'll want nothin' to do with me all day but the moment I sit down to talk to someone else..."

"I'm thinkin' about gettin' rid of the Colonel," Elvis blurted out without meaning to.

Loretta exhaled, unsure what she was to say regarding this. "I would do that too."

"Do what?" One of the twins asked.

"You two, go and play," Loretta warned them. "I'm tryin' to talk to Elvis."

"Is he ever gonna come to our house?"

"I don't know."

"What are they asking?" Elvis questioned.

"If you're ever gonna come to our house."

"I already said that I would. I'd wanna bring Lisa but..."

Priscilla wouldn't allow it. Loretta knew that much. "I know, honey."

"So you'll talk to your people about maybe doin' a few shows together around the time the movie comes out?"

"Sure. I do miss you." Loretta did not miss the way Peggy and Patsy exchanged glances at her words. "Girls, how many times do I have to tell you-"

They huffed before stomping out of the room.

"Thank you," Loretta called after them. To Elvis she said, "Well, they're gone for now."

"I miss you too, honey. I miss how we used to talk..."

"And play house."

"And play house," Elvis admitted. "I don't think Mr. and Mrs. Brinkman would be so happy knowing what we did."

"We didn't do anything."

"Well I...you know I don't know if I'd want Lisa being so close to someone I never even met. But I...never mind. What kind of clothes do you perform in?"

Loretta expelled something akin to a laugh. "What?"

"If we wanna go out and do shows together we'd have to coordinate stage clothes. What I usually got on..."

"Jumpsuits," she said, taking advantage of his silence. "I know about your jumpsuits."

"You like em?"

"Does it matter if I do?"

"You don't."

"I ain't never said that. I was just asking if it matters."