Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance)

by Chautona Havig

  “Let’s see what you have.” At her panicked expression, he assured her that he would whisper.

  Silk flowers in various shades of red and pink were lined up along one end of the table. She pointed to the roses and whispered, “Those are a given, but then I have to have things to go with them. I kind of like the lilies and the tulips. There’s something about the long smooth lines that kind of remind me of my dress.”

  Luke pulled several flowers from the table and passed them to her. “I think any, but those look good. I don’t like those with the red.”

  “Well, they’ll come in any color I think…”

  He glanced at the motley bouquet in her hand and pulled back the orange tiger lilies. “If those came in other colors—that shape I mean—then it’d work too. You’ll pick something great.”

  As if his words gave her confidence, Aggie pulled the tiger lily, calla lily, and a red rose from the table. Then, in an apparent afterthought, she grabbed the tulip as well and whispered, “I’ll tell Tina that if these are significantly cheaper to use them instead of one of the others. Now…” she dug through a pile of pictures and pulled up a document on her laptop. “Ok, we have these…” Aggie chose three photos from the stack and deleted several on the document before turning it to him. “Or those. Which do we want for vases? I don’t even know if we’re using vases, but Tina insists we choose them in case.”

  “Here at home or at the schoolhouse?”

  The question seemed to befuddle her. “What?”

  “Are the flowers for decorating the house for the wedding or the schoolhouse for the reception?”

  “I don’t know. How’d you think of that?”

  Luke shrugged. “Just wondered…”

  She was already calling Tina. When three tries to ask resulted in a stage whisper to wake the dead, Aggie stepped from the room. Luke grinned as he heard her say, “Oh, Luke came by with great news and now we’re working on wedding stuff.”

  Wedding stuff. He and his fiancée were working on “wedding stuff.” How something could be equally tedious and delightful, Luke could not comprehend, but it was. He stared at fabric samples, photos of chairs, tables, and if the dozen or two documents in Aggie’s laptop tray was any indication, she had even more decisions to make in a very short amount of time. A stack of invitations waited for postage and addresses next to a list of partially scratched out names. He set the half-addressed one on top aside and began working on the next on the list. Mrs. Doris Gantry of Westbury was invited to the reception.

  “What are you doing?”

  Her whisper startled him. “I didn’t know what else I could do, so I thought I’d address a few invites. This stack is just for the reception, right?”

  She nodded. “The wedding and reception list is under that.”

  “Just making sure I’m doing it correctly.”

  Aggie removed the pen from his hand and led him to the laptop. “We have more pressing needs.” She opened a document with computer generated design ideas for the schoolhouse. “Tina went all out with some program her father suggested. Do we want round tables…” She clicked on the picture of how the room would look. “Or oblong/rectangular?”

  The questions seemed to come in such rapid succession that Luke’s brain seemed to congeal into a pile of goo. When the menu options were placed before him, he shook his head. “Ask Mom. I want to say barbeque because it sounds delicious right now, but my brain is telling me there’s a reason to reject that. I just can’t figure out what that reason is.”

  “It’s messy,” she admitted. “I agree though. It sounds good.”

  “What’s for dinner?”

  Her eyes grew wide. “I forgot. Everything is frozen. I guess pizza again.” Aggie’s head dropped into her hands in defeat. “I’m sick of pizza.”

  “Where’s Tina?”

  “Rockland. She could bring home chicken nuggets or something, I guess. We could have the oven pre-heated.”

  Luke didn’t feel any more enthusiastic about the suggestion than Aggie sounded. “I’ll go to Willie’s. Bet I can get back before it’s cold if I bring some towels and an ice chest.”

  “You really do want barbeque don’t you?”

  “Hi!”

  The couple turned to the bed where Ian sat looking much too alert for a baby who had just awakened from a three-hour nap. The child scrambled for the edge, but Aggie was faster. “Hold on, buddy. I bet you need a diaper first—whew! Oh, yeah.”

  Once fresh, she brought Ian to Luke and handed him over to his soon-to-be “uncle daddy.” “At what age do we do the potty training thing? This gets more disgusting every day.”

  “I don’t know,” Luke admitted, “but I know Mom and Corinne both complain that boys take longer and start later.”

  “Oh, great.”

  Ian clapped his hand. “Yay! Gate!”

  Tuesday, February 3rd

  “But why? The books are overdue,” Vannie wailed. “We forgot about them with everything that happened.”

  “I’ll take them tomorrow and pay the fine then.”

  “I don’t understand why Laird and I can’t go now.”

  “Because,” Aggie insisted, “I said so, and that’s going to have to be good enough.” Before Vannie could launch a new protest, Tavish walked past carrying his snowshoes. “What are you doing with those?” Aggie asked.

  “I was going to go out back and use them, why?”

  “Stay in the yard.”

  Tavish stared at her in disbelief. “There’s no room in the yard. At Christmas you said I could walk in the field behind the back fence.”

  “Well, today I’m saying to stay in the yard. You can go all around the perimeter. It’ll be clear of footprints too—better shoeing that way.”

  “I—”

  “Give it up, Tavish. She’s determined to keep us prisoner today.”

  “Vannie…”

  “I’m going to go find something to sew.”

  “Good idea. Tina brought home some cool fabric from when she was looking in Rockland. It’s in the laundry room in the dryer. I prewashed it for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  The girl didn’t sound thankful; she sounded angry, but before Aggie could say anything, the phone rang and Vannie dashed to answer it. Seconds later she called out, “Mrs. Dyke wants Kenzie to come over. She baked snickerdoodles for her.”

  “I think that jumble of pronouns means that Mrs. Dyke made cookies for Kenzie.”

  “Yes.”

  Aggie dove for Ian before he could escape into the kitchen. “I’ll take Ian over and get them.”

  “She wants Kenzie to come. I think she wants to sign the cast.”

  “Well, Kenzie isn’t going—well, she can come with us. Kenzie!”

  The first days with her cast had found Kenzie favoring her arm. She had held it close and was unwilling to move much unless forced. It hadn’t lasted long. Twice she’d caught the girl using it in foam sword battles as a shield and now she barreled up the stairs and forced her way through the door with the same sword still clutched in her other hand. “What?”

  “Mrs. Dyke made you cookies and you’re flinging your arm around again.”

  “That’s what the cast’s for! To protect it.”

  “Well, you help the cast a little more by not using it to block strikes by swords. Let’s go get those cookies.”

  “That’s ok, Aunt Aggie. I can go. Vannie, will you zip me up in my jacket?”

  Kenzie had no trouble getting her good arm in her jacket, but the other wouldn’t fit in the sleeve, so they’d taken to zipping her into it with her arm ensconced inside. Once ready, she pulled her stocking cap on crookedly and dashed for the door. “Be right back!”

  “Wait for me,” Aggie called.

  The child froze, staring at her in shock. “Why?”

  “Because I’m going with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to.” Aggie bundled Ian into his jacket as she spoke. “I think his
jacket is getting too small already!”

  “I’m confused.”

  “You and me both, Kenzie. Aunt Aggie has lost it.”

  Before Aggie could respond, Vannie stormed out of the room and down the hall, presumably to the laundry room for the fabric they’d discussed. She hesitated. Should they go now while they were dressed and then deal with Vannie’s attitude when they returned, or should she halt the process?

  “Let’s go.” She’d talk to Vannie in a minute. There was no reason to make Mrs. Dyke wait.

  Luke’s truck pulled into the driveway just as they were about to cross the street. Kenzie gave a one-armed wave and Ian bounced excitedly. “Uke!”

  “I like how he says that. It sounds like uncle and Luke all combined into one. Uke.”

  Aggie had to agree. It was endearing. “I wonder that he’s never tried to call any of us da-da or ma-ma like a lot of babies do. I mean, they’re the first sounds babies usually learn.”

  “But no one says mommy or daddy to him.”

  “True.”

  “I think he should call you mommy. He doesn’t remember our mommy.”

  “I think it might hurt some of the others though. They still remember your parents—as they should—and they want to preserve that. It makes sense.”

  “But it doesn’t for Ian. He should get to have a mommy too.”

  Thankfully, Mrs. Dyke’s appearance on the porch with a Christmas tin removed the need for Aggie to answer. It wasn’t a comfortable subject for her. She agreed with Kenzie at times, but the closer it grew to the anniversary of her sister’s death, the stronger Aggie’s desire to reserve parental titles for Doug and Allie.

  “I couldn’t believe it when I saw all three of you! How’s that little man?”

  “Driving me crazy and loving every minute of it,” Aggie admitted.

  “He wouldn’t be a boy if he didn’t—on both accounts.” Mrs. Dyke handed the tin of cookies to Kenzie. “I put them in that one ‘specially for you.”

  Kenzie grinned at the ice skating children depicted on the lid. “I bet they won’t break their arms!”

  “I have a pen. Can I sign it?” Their neighbor glanced up at her. “Can you come in for a few minutes?”

  She’d neglected their neighbor since the beginning of school, and it showed in how eager she was to spend a few minutes with Kenzie. “Let’s go! Luke can keep an eye on the girls if they wake up.”

  “They will. Murphy is home.”

  Aggie stared at her, confused. “What?”

  “You always say that Murphy ’s Law will make something bad happen. She’s home, so it’s going to happen.”

  Mrs. Dyke erupted in laughter that likely carried to the other houses. “Out of the mouths of babes…”

  ~*~*~*~

  “You’ve got to do something. She’s going crazy. She made Ian bundle up and go with her, so she could escort Kenzie to Mrs. Dyke’s. I mean, come on!”

  It sounded crazy to him after seeing the children dash back and forth all summer, but Aggie wasn’t given to unreasonable behavior. “I’ll see what is up, but if Aggie says no to the library and the neighbor’s house, then it’s no. It’s that simple.”

  “But she’s being ridiculous. She’ll listen to you.”

  Luke’s expression seemed to temper Vannie a little, but Laird passed without seeing the look on his face and said, “She’s paranoid that Grandmother will arrange a kidnapping from the jail or mental hospital or wherever she is.”

  “Laird…”

  The boy turned, his eyes wide. “What? It’s true!”

  “You’re not going to do this, guys. If Aggie says you have to stay home, you stay and without giving her grief about it. If she says you can’t go across the street, don’t go.”

  “But you’re going to be her husband. Can’t you make her—”

  “I don’t care what I can ‘make’ or not make her do. I’m not doing it. If Aggie says we eat oatmeal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a month, then I’m behind her. Got that? You guys can’t divide us.”

  “Do you think this makes sense?”

  The change in Vannie’s tone was evident. She’d gone from demanding to curious. For several long seconds he pondered whether he should admit to disagreement or not and finally decided that honesty combined with support was better than avoidance. “Actually, without knowing why, I can’t be sure but on the surface, no. I don’t see the point, but that doesn’t matter. She said it and I’ll back her up. I will always back her up even if I think she’s wrong unless I know it’s going to cause real harm. Even then, you’re not going to be part of that change. Got it?”

  “Just like Mom and Dad,” Laird mumbled as he continued into the library. Awkward sounds of tentative guitar strums reached their ears moments later.

  “I don’t understand. I don’t see how it’s good for anyone to let fear take over her common sense. I understand why you want to support her, but I don’t understand why it isn’t unhealthy for her to do it.”

  Aggie, Kenzie, and Ian stepped into the house and began shedding their jackets. Seconds later, Lorna marched down the stairs singing, “I’ll fly away oh, gory…”

  The child would have been oblivious to the amusement she created had Aggie and Luke managed not to catch one another’s eyes. She snickered; he choked. Kenzie glanced back and forth between them, obviously trying to understand what amused everyone. The realization dawned seconds later. “Oh, glory, Lorna. Oh, glory! Gory is like blood and guts and stuff—you know, like the movies we can’t see.”

  “What’s glory?”

  “It’s like cool—but spiritual coolness, not the regular kind.”

  “Oh. um…” the child thought. “I’ll fly away oh cool—ie. I’ll fly away…”

  Luke’s choked chortle became unrestrained laughter as Aggie tried not to laugh and succeeded only in dissolving in near-silent hyena chuckles. Ellie danced downstairs and stopped at the bottom, staring at the group. “What did I miss?”

  Laird called out from the library, “Lorna is modernizing Aunt Aggie’s hymns. Just ignore them.”

  “Ok.” She beckoned her sister to follow. “Vannie, can you come help me with something?”

  “I’m going to make a skirt. Maybe later.”

  “I’ll help you,” Aggie offered.

  Ellie looked panicked and backed up the stairs. “I—I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

  As Ellie hurried away, Aggie turned to Luke. “I don’t understand. She’s different lately—even before Geraldine’s little stunt, but now it’s worse. She’s always holed up in her room and if I come near her, she acts like she wants me to go away.”

  “Want me to talk to her?”

  Ian dove for his toys and Aggie dragged the basket near the couches, collapsing on one as he began pulling them out. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

  Seeing the trouble in her eyes, Luke started for the stairs, but then heard Laird call him from the library. He stepped inside, pulling the doors closed behind him. “Something wrong?”

  “I think you shouldn’t worry about Ellie.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “I know Aunt Aggie is bothered, but there’s nothing wrong—really. I think if she—well both of you—thought about it, you’d remember. Since you don’t, I’m not going to say anything, but I know you’ll agree.”

  “You thought I would agree with you about Aggie and going to town.”

  Laird shook his head. “No, I thought you should agree. I already knew you wouldn’t do it. Aunt Aggie comes first—even if she’s wrong. I get that.”

  That “even if she’s wrong” was nearly Luke’s undoing, but he managed to keep a straight face. “And what would Vannie say about Ellie?”

  “Same thing. We all would. Just trust us. She’s fine. She doesn’t even get that what Grandmother did was wrong. She thinks it’s a big misunderstanding. I’ve heard her pray that Josh won’t get into trouble for helping Grandmother.” The disgust in the boy’s voice
told Luke Laird’s opinion of the idea.

  “How long do you think we should give her before we talk to her?”

  “Another week or two. I’m not sure. She might be do—fine tomorrow for all I know.” He winced at his near gaffe. “Just trust me. She’s fine.” The boy blinked and then said, “Actually, if you think about it, I think you know. You’ve known since the FBI and sheriff searched her room.”

  With sudden understanding, Luke nodded and started to leave. He hesitated at the door and added, “I think your D-string is a little flat.”

  “Thanks.”

  Toys were already strewn from one end of the living room to the other, but Aggie seemed willing to ignore it as long as Ian stayed in eyesight. “I think we should let Ellie alone for a few more days. It sounds like this is more of a surprise than a secret or a problem.”

  The skeptical look in Aggie’s eyes bothered him. At some point, she’d have to learn to trust him on these things. Maybe if she knew that he supported her… “By the way, we need to talk when we can get a moment of privacy.”

  “Tina’s gone until after dinner. We could talk then.”

  “I’ve got the keys to the house for her anyway.”

  “Is escrow closed?”

  He shook his head. “Not for a few more days it seems. I just thought she might like them and I actually remembered today.”

  Aggie scooted closer, her eyes darting around the room to see who might be listening, and murmured, “I’ve been thinking about the fourteenth.”

  “Yes…”

  “I think I should take the kids to the cemetery. I found these grave urns that can be driven into the ground on a stake. They’re air and watertight. I thought they could write notes or draw pictures or something. Next year, maybe they could see what they left this year and so on. What do you think?”

  “It sounds like a good idea. I wouldn’t plan to stay long, but I’d be prepared to.”

  “Do you think it’s too much for kids? I can’t forget the morbid introspection that Geraldine demanded of the kids that first day. It was terrible.”

  “As long as you’re willing to give them time to decide they want to participate, without insisting that they do, I think everything will work out well.”