Truth Is Like the Sun

Chapter 27

Somehow the months went by and nothing seemed to change, except that Carol Ann found herself longing to be with Elvis whenever she wasn't. She didn't let it show, for she knew that this kind of attachment was unhealthy. But telling herself that wasn't much help either. It didn't make her bed more inviting. It didn't lull her to sleep when the sheep she never counted refused to cooperate. Whenever Elvis was in Memphis, she would come over whenever she wasn't working. Sometimes he would want to sleep or watch all three TV channels at the same time, but it didn't matter to her as long as she was with him.

AJ and Elvis grew closer with every hour they spend in each other's company. Elvis took him to the Memphian for his eleventh birthday in April because he couldn't attend the party they had at Louann's house. He had insisted that his cooks would prepare AJ's birthday cake so Carol Ann wouldn't have to, but Carol Ann, having made all of her son's birthday cakes, refused.

Summer was rapidly approaching and the school year was winding down. Lisa Marie, who was scheduled to start Kindergarten in some sort of Los Angeles private school, had been permitted to spend a weekend with her father while Priscilla went about some kind of important business Elvis didn't elaborate on. It didn't matter to Carol Ann anyway, all that did matter was that Elvis got to see his little girl and AJ his little sister.

AJ had begged the spend the night and eventually Carol Ann gave in and allowed it despite having to face her mother's wrath at home. When she arrived at Graceland the next day, AJ and Lisa were watching television in the living room, Elvis by their side.

Both children looked back at her when she entered. AJ fixed her in a gaze for a little longer than Lisa before his attention was drawn back to the television.

"Sometimes it scares me how much those two like to  watch TV," Carol Ann said.

Elvis waved her off. "They're kids. And mine on top of it."

"Well, at least they're not watchin' all three channels at once."

"I wouldn't wanna do that," AJ piped up, eyes not moving from the TV as he spoke. "I wanna hear what they're sayin'. We only get cartoons on Saturday."

Carol Ann regarded him with some suspicion. "Are you sayin' that we should be quiet?"

"Yeah," AJ and Lisa said in unison.

Elvis chuckled. "Then why don't you guys just go up to AJ's room and watch there?"

A few moments of silence followed, as if they were considering. Then AJ stood, grabbing Lisa by the hand as he did. "Come on, Lisa."

"Hey." Elvis called after them. "You didn't say hi to your mother."

"Hi," they echoed in unison.

"You hug your mother," Elvis insisted. Carol Ann laughed softly as the kids shuffled back over to embrace her before bounding up the stairs so they wouldn't miss too much of their coveted programs.

"So..." Elvis propped his feet up on the coffee table and threw an arm around Carol Ann. "AJ's finishing 5th grade." He stated the obvious, causing Carol Ann's face to contort into a frown. For eleven years, her life had orbited her little boy and he was starting to need her less and less with each passing day. 

They sat in silence, but Elvis ran his fingers through her hair all the while.

"You gonna be busy this summer?" Carol Ann asked, her head falling against his shoulder.

"Well, I was thinkin' we go out to the ranch again. Like-"

"Last year," she breathed in awe. "It's really been a year, huh?"