Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance)

by Chautona Havig

  Mibs says: Ok. Night.

  Luke says: Love you.

  Mibs says: What a coincidence! I was just about to inform you of the same thing.

  Chapter Ten

  All About a Dress

  Tuesday, January 6th

  Aggie shivered in line as she waited her turn to go into the massive warehouse of dresses. Her mom, parked in a handicapped space only twenty feet away, sat comfortably ensconced in Aggie’s rental car, reading a book. The idea nearly drove her crazy, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. In fact, all she had time to consider was how to keep her teeth from breaking from the chattering cold like a cartoon character.

  “Here he comes!” someone from the front called. Aggie glanced at the car as she punched the button for her mother’s phone. Martha nodded from the passenger’s seat and managed to meet Aggie in line before Aggie reached the door.

  “Perfect timing, Mom.”

  “Hey, you can’t just let her cut in line!”

  “She can’t sit in the cold. Notice the handicapped placard? They’re not both trying on dresses.” The man waved them through and warned the protester behind them that he’d refuse service if they started any trouble.

  “Where’s Tina? What if she doesn’t make it in?”

  “I believe she’s in there already. When she found out I was coming, she said she’d camp out early this morning so she could stockpile dresses as they brought out new stuff.”

  True to her word, Tina waited just outside the dressing room, engulfed in white. “I’ve pretty much bribed one of the employees. She has a stack back there for you, but you’ve gotta be fast.”

  “What’d you get?”

  Tina grinned. “If it had any kind of sleeve or strap, was your size, and wasn’t designed for aquatic females of the ocean, it’s there. Let’s go.”

  Nothing had prepared her for how ridiculously exhausting it would be—not to mention fun—to try on dress after dress. One was too poofy, the next too straight. The fabric looked wrong on this one and the cut weird on the next. A tiny pile grew next to Martha as potential options, but in her heart, Aggie knew she wouldn’t pick any of them.

  A commotion outside the dressing area sent a half-dressed Aggie rushing to her mother’s side. “What’s wrong?”

  “This girl tried to jerk that one out of my hands!”

  “You can’t wear it! It’s too small for you!” the young woman hissed. “It’s exactly the one I’ve been looking for!”

  “Let her have it, Mom. I was just deciding against it while I put this one on.”

  “How can people be so rude?” Martha sighed as she relinquished the dress to the gloating girl before them.

  Tina stepped close to Martha, almost protectively. “You got the dress, now go. It’s pathetic to attack an older woman over a dress.”

  “It’s ok, Tina. Actually, you can send those others to the floor again. I like this one better than any of those, so we’ll start a new pile.”

  Back in the dressing room, Aggie stared at the dress. The spaghetti straps bothered her. She’d always avoided the look, but it was flattering. Then again, it did have a wrap with it. That gave her an idea and she called for Tina. “What if we had Libby take the wrap and cut it into kind of wider gathered straps that would cover my shoulders?”

  “That’d work… maybe.”

  “Well, let’s keep this in the pile for now. I think we should hang them in here. I don’t want Mom hospitalized over a dress. The headlines wouldn’t be good for the store’s business for one thing.”

  After three more dresses arrived, the spaghetti straps were sent back to the floor and Tina arrived with even more dresses. “They just brought out four huge racks. I’ll be back.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Aggie stood in her dress. She couldn’t hook the back together, but it made no difference. It fit; she could feel it even while still unfastened. The sleeves weren’t awkward like most she’d seen and the fabric was the heavy satin that she’d grown to love in the past—she glanced at her phone—five hours. Her heart sank. Had she really been there for five hours? Her mother was probably exhausted. They needed to go.

  “Can you go find my friend please?” she begged a passing attendant. I need this fastened and then I think we’ll be ready to go after that. This is the one; I can tell.”

  “Here, let me fasten you and then you can find her. People are getting ugly out there. If I go out now, I’ll be called to referee. I’m not good at that.”

  Once hooked into place, the bodice fit as if made for her. The skirt was too long, but it wouldn’t be a reconstruction to shorten it. The simple a-line skirt would simply need to be cut off and re-hemmed. She stepped from the room and saw her mother glance up at her, weariness evident. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tina stop mid-stride and then turn and hand a stack of gowns to an assistant.

  “That’s the one, Aggie,” Martha and Tina said in unison.

  “It’s only two hundred dollars. That’s a thousand dollars off!”

  “The bottom is dirty,” Tina said critically, “but then you’re short and it’d have to be cut off anyway.”

  “It’s mine.”

  “Then let’s get you out of it and get it paid for,” Martha said. “I want coffee.”

  “Mom!”

  “Decaf, of course! Goodness!”

  ~*~*~*~

  Over the first quiet meal she had enjoyed in an indeterminate amount of time, Aggie and Tina tried to catch up on life in Brant’s Corners. “School is really going well, actually. We’re getting close to caught up, but the kids are pretty sick of it.”

  “You have a good plan. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve been a bit obsessive about catching up. They’re making good progress. Oh, you should have read Laird’s paper on that Lemony Snickett book.”

  “You said it was epic.”

  “Well,” Aggie admitted, “I was pretty ticked off about it. That first one was only one sentence. Luke said he put the kid straight, though.” A new thought occurred to her. “I wonder if Luke being hard on him about not showing disrespect to me is what set him off. He’s been angsty. Rebellious but sly about it.”

  “What did Luke have to do with it?”

  Aggie cut another piece of meat before she answered, savoring the flavors that she couldn’t afford to try to learn to cook. Ten rib eye steaks would feed them for a week—or at least a few days. “I read the second one and it felt like he was mocking me. I didn’t want to ignore that, but I also didn’t want him to feel attacked if he just meant to be clever instead of disrespectful, you know?” She didn’t wait for Tina’s response. “I told him to show Luke and whatever grade Luke gave it stood.”

  “Well, I see why you did it,” Tina stated after thinking for a moment, “but do you think perhaps he took it as you being too weak to handle an insolent boy and it gave him a sense of power over you?”

  “Oh. Hmm…”

  “What grade did Luke give him?”

  “An A for the second paper, but he said the F I gave Laird for the first had to go on the books.”

  “Good for him!” As the patrons at neighboring tables glanced their way, Tina added more quietly. “Laird should get docked for that. He knew what you meant.”

  “That’s what Luke said.”

  “I think you should apologize to Laird.”

  “What?” Aggie hadn’t expected that.

  “Think about it. You sprung another authority on him out of the blue. You passed the buck. You washed your hands—”

  “I got the idea three clichéd metaphors ago. Don’t you think, since he clearly doesn’t respect me now, an apology is going to make it sound like I am even weaker than ever?”

  “It takes a strong person to apologize, Aggie. Don’t apologize for why you did it—just for the solution.”

  “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

  “And pray about it, I expect. So,” she continued very obviously changing the subject for
Aggie’s sake, “let’s talk cakes. I’ve got to get you to a bakery and soon. What kind of cake do you want?”

  “I want traditional white with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting. You had to ask?”

  Tina slid her iPad across the table. “Good. Then I’ll make an appointment here.”

  The reviews for the bakery were stellar—particularly on the cake choice Aggie had made. “You’re not going to argue that it’s boring and uninspired?”

  “If you had said plain chocolate, I would have dropped dead of a heart attack—bad joke. You have always insisted that the only kind of cake that should ever be served at a wedding is white with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting.”

  “Did you have a style in mind?”

  Her mind went to their childhood discussions of cakes. Towers of cakes and fountains all connected by bridges choked her memories, and her nose wrinkled before she could stop it. “No. All I can think of is Allie’s giant thing, remember?”

  “Yeah. We thought it was perfection personified. Ugh.”

  Her fingers flew through the bakery’s gallery images, showing a few, but after half a dozen, Aggie took the tablet and began scrolling through pictures. Each time she found one she liked, she started to pass it to Tina and then hesitated. After several unsuccessful minutes, while the last few bites of her steak became inedible and cold, she shook her head and set it on the table.

  “I don’t like any of them. I don’t care if it’s square or round. No heart shape though. I like them stacked and three tiers look nice, but so do two. I actually seem to like two better. I don’t care what design is on it, but no color. All white. We’ll figure out the top later. Maybe they can do something with sugar or something.”

  “Or something,” Tina agreed with a wink. “What about orange blossoms? Weren’t those popular once?”

  “Yeah, but have you ever seen them? They could be ugly!”

  “What kind of flowers do you want for your bouquet and such?”

  “Red roses. I know,” she sighed. “That’s cliché too, but it’s what I want.”

  “What about adding some dark pink or red lilies? Just for visual interest.”

  “Visual interest. You know that it’ll probably get left on top of Luke’s truck and someone will run over it after we leave.”

  “You’re going to throw it and I’m going to catch it before falling into William’s arms, remember?” The embarrassment that Aggie would have felt in saying something like that was glaringly absent from Tina’s face. “He called me.”

  “I expected he would.”

  “Every day.”

  Aggie’s eyes widened and a grin appeared. “Oh, really?”

  “This is about you. Not me and William. Or William and me. Or William and I—no me. Definitely me.”

  “You’re nervous—self-conscious. Since when does Tina Warden ever get self-conscious?”

  “Since now. Now what is Luke wearing?”

  “Black tux.” Aggie knew what was coming before Tina opened her mouth.

  “Not white?”

  “I was enamored with Allie’s wedding, ok?”

  “We both were. My sense of style caught up quicker than yours did.”

  “Wedding bands?”

  “Plain white gold to match the ring, of course.”

  “You’re sure about the plain.” Tina had an abhorrence for plain wedding bands.

  “I know what you’re thinking. ‘It makes it look like the guy is willing to fork over good money to get the girl and then he shows his real colors when he buys the cheapest band out there.’”

  “And don’t you forget it. We both know Luke isn’t cheap, but not everyone else does. He got you a nice ring. Why not have a nice band to match? You only get one once!”

  “But,” Aggie protested, “is this about showing the world—people I probably don’t know or care about—how great Luke is, or is it about having the ring set I really want?”

  “Great. Want me to find a jeweler for you?”

  “Yeah. One in Rockland close to wherever I might have bought presents that have to go back.”

  “I’ll have a list for you by the time you get home.” Tina took a drink and then said. “Willow mailed my dress.”

  “How does it look?”

  “Fits perfectly and I don’t look stupid. How do I not look stupid in that dress? You know how much I hated Music Man!”

  “I just like to keep you hopping.”

  “Music.”

  “I don’t know. Know a cellist and an oboist?”

  “Oboist?”

  “Whatever you call an oboe player.”

  Tina shook her head. “Knowing you, it’s probably oboist. What about something with a higher range for contrast? Flute? Violin?”

  “Violin. Whatever. Maybe there’s some kind of up and coming ensemble that needs a gig—do they call them gigs for ensembles instead of bands—and they would be affordable. High school musical prodigies or something?”

  “Harp?”

  Aggie shook her head. “No harp. Too big and too—fussy.”

  “But a cello is small.”

  “Oh, leave me alone.”

  “Ok. No harp. Lyre?”

  Though she tried to resist, she failed. Aggie snickered and rolled her eyes. “I really need to go.”

  “Can’t you stay one more night? We could finish up wedding plans.”

  “Only you could finish wedding plans in one night.” An inscrutable expression on Tina’s face made Aggie frown. “What?”

  “You’re different than this morning—more relaxed. I just noticed it. Aggie’s back.”

  “Well, Aunt Aggie has four hours to possess her again.”

  “You won’t make it back before they’re in bed. Stay plain old Aggie until morning. You’ll sleep better.”

  “Are you kidding? I sleep with one ear open, and half the time, with several bodies surrounding me.” She grinned at Tina, knowing her next words would make her friend shudder. “Ian managed to climb out of his crib, crawl upstairs, and wake me up, so he could sleep with me the other night.”

  “You’re joking, right? You’re just trying to totally freak me out.”

  “Nope. I lowered his crib. I’ll have permanent damage to my spine, but he can’t get out anymore.”

  “For now. That kid will be the death of me and I’m not even there,” Tina groaned.

  “Admit it, you love him.”

  “Of course I do. I just can’t let him know it or he’ll walk all over me in his adorable size four shoes.”

  “How do you know his size?” The extent of Tina’s memory and knowledge of fashion for all ages astounded her. “I needed to know while shopping and couldn’t get an answer at home. I bought a three and of course, they’re too small.”

  “Um, you put them on him how many times a day? The number is right there on a circle in the heel. It’s kind of hard to miss…”

  The server brought their check and Aggie sighed as Tina snatched it first. “For once I can afford to pay, and you still beat me to it.”

  “Tradition. Now, what about accessories?”

  “What?”

  “Necklaces, earrings, hair ‘pretties’… what do you want for those?”

  “I don’t know!” Aggie gathered her purse and removed her coat from the back of the chair. “I don’t care what you guys wear, but it might be good for me to pick mine. Your tastes are a little more…”

  “I’m not going to choose tennis bracelets and ropes of diamonds, silly.”

  Tina signed the receipt before they hurried out of the restaurant and into the frigid air. “I smell snow.”

  “I’d better go,” Aggie said, tempted to stay, but knowing she shouldn’t.

  “Text me when you get home.”

  “Ok. While you’re at it, think about what we can do for food. I don’t think limiting them to cake and punch will be sufficient.”

  “And we need a place or you won’t have anything to put on the invitatio
ns that you need to order last week,” Tina reminded her pointedly.

  “You know what? You know what we can afford. Find the place and book it. I don’t care.”

  “Oh, I found a photographer I think. She’s getting back to me tomorrow about the date. She had a cancellation and then got an email saying they’d changed their mind about changing their mind.”

  “Well, that’s one thing she wouldn’t have to worry about with me. I’m not changing my mind.”

  “Good. I think William is slightly terrified that you’ll kick Luke to the curb and agree to his prior proposal for Kenzie’s sake.”

  Aggie reached her rental car and unlocked the door. “Kenzie will have to settle for Luke. As for me, it’s not settling at all.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Luke waited at the bottom of the steps as she opened the car door. “Find anything?”

  “Yep.” Aggie popped the trunk before she shut the door and then locked it. It was a strange sensation to lock a vehicle again, but it seemed necessary with someone else’s property. She dragged the large garment bag from the trunk and slammed it shut. “I can’t get used to this thing. I’ve been slamming everything too hard.”

  “The van doors weigh more.”

  “Yeah. Something.”

  “Do I get to see?”

  Aggie shrugged. “Do you want to?”

  “I don’t know. Obviously I do,” Luke said, opening the front door, “but a surprise is nice too.”

  Inside, she unzipped the bottom and showed the skirt. “There. How’s that?”

  “Doesn’t tell me much—it’s just a lot of white satin.”

  Slowly she unzipped the bag farther, teasing him with more and more white. The bottom of the bodice overlapped the skirt just enough to give the illusion of a two piece dress, and along that edge, a narrow vine of embroidery and crystals trailed delicately. There, Luke’s hand covered hers. “Thanks.”

  “You’ve seen enough?”

  “Can’t spoil the entire surprise. It’s beautiful, Mibs.”

  “It could be gaudy with angel wings placed—inappropriately or something equally revolting.”