Playing House Away From Home

Chapter 11

They fell into a new routine, which involved Lisa Marie spending several hours every day on set. Meanwhile, Priscilla went about her own business. She hadn't even dropped a hint regarding how she spend her afternoons. Sometimes she came back with her hair or nails done but she never bothered to say anything.

Elvis started every day out with a taste of the north pole in the form of her cold gaze greeting him at the kitchen table. Then he went to the studio and smiled at Loretta even though he didn't feel like it. And she smiled back. Sometimes, when the other looked especially tired, a few questions were asked. But more often than not, they held their smiles and spoke about the antics of the Mafia or the children. About their own offspring or the outrageous number of cigars the Colonel smoked.

Something was different today. It hadn't been when he woke in the morning but by the time lunch rolled around, Priscilla was nowhere to be seen. So Elvis ate with Loretta and the kids and spend some time with the Mafia while Loretta put the kids down for the nap that had become a part of their daily routine.

Lisa would nap with them. Elvis took more than one picture of the three of them huddled together on the tiny couch, Clayton on one side and Maybelle on the other with Lisa squeezed somewhere in the middle.

Elvis' break came to an end, but complications with the set held them up. It wasn't as though Elvis really minded. With Loretta's trailer occupied by sleeping children and the Mafia occupied with one thing or another, Elvis ended up inviting Loretta to his trailer to watch whatever was on TV.

They sat side by side on the cramped couch, Loretta's shoes discarded by the door and her feet tucked under her.

"Does it hurt you to have Lisa around?" Elvis blurted out, seemingly out of nowhere.

Loretta's confused gaze snapped toward him. "Why would it hurt me, honey?"

"Cause your kids ain't here."

"They're in school," she reasoned. "Them being here wouldn't work anyhow. Doo would be off with your guys, my boys would wreck those golf cards, my twins would get the kids all riled up..."

"All of that could be real fun."

Loretta shook her head. "Only for you. Hillbrook would have a heart attack, I'm sure."

"Then we wouldn't have to finish the picture."

"I wanna finish the picture."

"I'm not sure what I want," Elvis admitted.

"I don't mind workin' hard but they could be a whole lot nicer to us is what I think."

"Ain't you right," Elvis sighed, throwing his head back against the couch. "All that gettin' up early though, that's gonna be the death of me. I don't function at the butt crack of dawn."

"You wouldn't do good up in the hollers."

"No, ma'am," Elvis agreed, offering her a small grin, which she returned.

"You know what Peggy and Patsy told me? They said that they don't want Clayton and Maybelle callin' me Mommy in the picture. Even if it's just pretend."

A laugh rumbled from Elvis' throat. "I would've been the same when I was a boy. My mama was just mine. I guess they don't understand pretending yet."

"Oh they do understand that TV is pretending. But they don't want their mommy to pretend."

Neither did Priscilla, a woman of twenty five. Elvis didn't mention it though. Instead he said, "I don't think Lisa really understands what we're doing. All she understands is that it keeps me real busy."