Blue Moon of Kentucky

Chapter 33

Ever since they got married, ever since they met, Elvis had been the one who knew about things and taught his wife how to get along in the world. Whether it came to pop culture, academics or what it was like out there, Elvis was ahead. But then their baby was born and for the first time, Loretta was the one who was ahead.

It was different than it had been with the other children she'd cared for, but the practice gave her confidence. She could change a diaper without looking, making it so effortless that Elvis made a brave attempt and ended up with it sagging down on their babies knees.

Elvis adored their baby almost as much as his wife but it wasn't as effortless. She was a tiny doll he was afraid to break. There wasn't much he could do to contribute in her care as of yet. He was useless at diapers, Loretta breastfed her and when he did want to hold her, well, he almost had to pry her out of his wife's arms.

Loretta was so proud of their little baby, who grew more beautiful with every passing day. She didn't get tired of sitting by the window with the baby in her arms though most people told her that she'd spoil her. It was Gladys Presley who assured Loretta that she'd held Elvis just as much and it hadn't spoiled him (some were inclined to disagree but Loretta, being Loretta, would always do what she thought was right even if no one else did).

After a lot of back and forth and many an argument, they named her Erin Love Presley after Loretta bemoaned the fact that they couldn't name her after her father, as they could with a boy and Elvis took that as a challenge. Elvis' cousins dubbed her 'Little E'. Everyone else called her by countless terms of endearment.

Jim Henderson drove down from Nashville to see them when Erin was two weeks old. He took one look at mother and daughter and said, "Well, look at that. You got yourself a beautiful girl."

Loretta beamed. "Ain't she? She looks just like her daddy, don't she?"

"She's a little doll." Reaching for the paper bag he had brought with him, Jim unearthed a teddy bear. "Got her a gift."

"Look Erin Love," Loretta cooed, lifting the baby's head toward the object. "Uncle Jim got you a teddy bear. Ain't that nice?"

Big blue eyes opened to barely blink, a tiny hand moving toward her mouth only to be yanked down by her mother. Erin sucked her thumb hours after she was born. Junior told her that thumb sucking would give a child buck teeth and Elvis wasn't too pleased with him for it. Ever since Loretta did whatever she could to keep their daughter from thumb sucking. She even went as far as knitting a pair of gloves she put on Erin at night.

"Where's Junior?" Jim asked Elvis.

"He's in Mississippi for a while, to see his family."

Erin began to whimper in her mother's arms. Loretta made an attempt to shush her before excusing herself to feed the baby.

"Can't bear to leave them yet, huh?" Jim said, his gaze following Loretta's path.

"It sounds crazy, man, but I'm lookin' to take them with me once the weathers kinda stable and the baby's not so young anymore. I need my girl out there with me and the baby needs her mother."

Jim pressed his lips together. Silence reigned for a drawn out moment. "That won't be easy."

"What is? Nothin' that's worth doin' or havin'. There's people that live out of a van. If they can do it, we can do it too."

"I brought you some copies of the new record. I thought you and Junior might get them into a couple of juke boxes by showing up there personally. I've been doin' it in Tennessee. We gotta go against all of that payola nonsense."