For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance)

by Havig, Chautona

  “Whoa, Mibs. That’s a lot of maybes and what ifs. We can take it one day at a time. Mom already said she’d help; this kind of thing is her specialty. I can be here working on the basement half the time, and when I’m not, I’ll just be three streets over working on my new house, so--”

  “You got it? You didn’t tell me! I’m so excited. Does that mean the other two sold then?” The awe in her voice was a familiar one. He bought and renovated homes in less time than most people managed to find a house, move in, and get unpacked.

  Luke nodded. “I’d planned to see if you’d let Laird help me after school sometimes. He really seems to enjoy the work, and it’d be a nice way for him to earn a little extra money.” He took a swig of the lemonade, grateful for the refreshment, and added, “I really do enjoy his company.”

  “I can’t expect you guys--”

  “You don’t have to expect. We’re offering.” Luke pointed at the open page on her laptop. “Did you read about shingles? You want to avoid getting this if you can. It’s not the end of the world, but if it developed into shingles, you’d really be a mess.”

  “Why does all this stuff happen to us? We get three or four times more accidents and problems than most people!”

  “You have three to four times more people! Of course you have more incidents.”

  Aggie shook her head. “In six months we’ve had an ant infestation, grandma drama, a major move, complete house renovation, trips to the clinic for head injury, a lost baby, the haircut fiasco, not to mention my two sprained ankles, nail poke, and tetanus shot. I really didn’t need this added to it.”

  “Don’t forget that you’re on a regular 9-1-1 house check list thanks to the baby.”

  She shook her head. “I’m convinced it’s a glitch in the phone line or something. That child was sleeping the last two times it happened.”

  Aggie’s review of the family’s recent troubles seemed to overcome her. She sniffled about incubation times, exposure, and the futility of keeping isolated when she’d already spent the morning snuggling with her sick girlies before finding out what was wrong. For what seemed like the millionth time, Aggie said looking despondent, “I still think my sister blew it when she named me guardian of these children.”

  A voice startled them from the doorway. So intent were they on their conversation, neither Aggie nor Luke noticed the quiet in the yard or the sound of Geraldine’s trademarked pumps on the porch steps. “That is the most intelligent and honest thing I’ve ever heard you say. You’re right; it was a mistake, and I fully intend to tell the judge I heard you say so.”

  In a move that seemed detached from herself, Aggie grabbed the phone on the coffee table and punched the speed dial for the sheriff’s office. Then, while waiting to request assistance, she walked to the library and pulled the pocket doors closed, trying to prevent the woman from waking the sleeping girls. An amused smile twisted the corner of her mouth. How ironic that the paragon of appearances would be caught eavesdropping!

  When the dispatcher came on the line, Aggie stepped into the bathroom, and requested that a deputy come out to enforce a restraining order. “It’s going to be ugly. I’m trying to be pleasant, but it’s going to go south fast if you aren’t here to prevent it.”

  Knowing she’d never be able to forcibly eject the woman from her home, Aggie chose to take the higher road, and upon her return to the living room, offered Geraldine a glass of lemonade. Of course, the woman refused, pulling a pile of papers from a briefcase-like tote. “I have an order from the judge. I have thirty-six hours of unsupervised visitation every other weekend. I am here to pick up the children.”

  The woman passed the papers to a stunned Aggie and narrowed her eyes, raking them over Luke in disgust. “At least in my care, the children won’t be exposed to your philandering right in your living room!”

  The ludicrous idea of what the woman imagined sent Aggie into nervous hysterical laughter. The library door slid open and then shut again behind her as Libby stepped into the room. Concern was written in her features. “Is something wrong, Aggie? You sound a little overwrought.”

  “I shouldn’t wonder. People tend to become hysterical when caught in compromising positions.”

  Libby turned to see who had maligned her son and friend. With a voice as gracious as she could muster, she nodded to the unwelcome guest and introduced herself. “Why, hello. I don’t believe we’ve met. I am Libby Sullivan, a friend of Aggie’s. Have you met my Luke?” She gestured toward the man who now poured over the papers Aggie handed him. With the grace shown to the unwanted intruder, no one suspected the instant and pronounced dislike Libby felt for the overbearing woman.

  “I am Geraldine Stuart.” A tone in her voice seemed to expect that name to explain all. “I am here to collect my grandchildren. I have received visitation rights, as is explained in those documents, and I mean to take them away from this horrible place now.”

  Turning to Aggie, she added, “Since I seriously doubt you could have them ready in a reasonable amount of time, we will provide them with everything they will need. Douglas is picking up the van we purchased and will be here shortly. Please take me to the children so I can have them ready before he returns.”

  Libby started to object, but Luke interrupted. “Aggie, may I see you in the kitchen?”

  Weary of the constant drama and almost ready to concede, Aggie followed him to the island where Luke spread out the paperwork Geraldine had given her. He leaned closely, making it look like an intimate conversation to anyone who could have seen, and whispered, “These don’t look like final court documents, Mibs. Look at the date. Doesn’t that mean she filed with the court just yesterday?”

  Aggie looked closer. “It doesn’t have any other date on them. Just yesterday’s.”

  “There’s no judge’s signature anywhere, and wouldn’t you have been notified or something?” He glanced around the corner, through the dining room, and into the living room. “She’s looking more agitated. When will William be here?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s his day off, but they usually call him in since he’s dealt with her.” She covered her face with her hands. “How can she do this? I almost fell for it too.” With fresh tears of frustration hovering in the corners of her eyes, Aggie looked up at Luke. “We’re going to end up in court, aren’t we?”

  As if her words solidified her fears, Aggie began weeping in earnest. Luke leaned into the dining room to request his mother’s help when he overheard Geraldine Stuart begin a rant about “emotional, incompetent, overgrown teenagers” that nearly caused him to lose his temper and eject her from the home. Before he could take a step toward them, Libby pursed her lips, shook her head, and then mouthed, “Comfort her.”

  Using every ounce of his inner strength, Luke turned away from the woman he wanted to throttle, returned to Aggie’s side, gathered her into his arms, and held her as she sobbed out her anxieties and frustrations. “It’s ok, Mibs. We’ve got this. No one is going to hurt you or those kids while Mom and I are here to stop it. It’s going to be ok.”

  For the next minute or two, he awkwardly patted her back, stroked her hair, and murmured words of encouragement as Aggie sobbed out all the pent up angst of the morning. The sight of Geraldine frowning in the kitchen doorway irritated him, but when she let loose another slew of lewd accusations against Aggie, the limits of his patience snapped. With a glance at his mother that said, “Don’t let her follow,” he led Aggie to the swing in the backyard with instructions not to move until someone came to get her.

  Luke intended to try to intimidate Geraldine into leaving the house, but when he returned to the living room where Libby and Geraldine sat in a silent duel of wills, he watched William’s Corvette pull into the driveway and that diverted him. “I’ll be right back, Mom.”

  As William exited his car, Megan arrived in her vehicle, in uniform and ready to take on the nightmare of arresting Geraldine Stuart. Luke jogged up to them and shook his head. “This is going
to get ugly. She has ‘papers’ that she thinks gives her access to the children, but I think they’ve just been filed, not approved. The date on them is yesterday. I don’t know if she just wants to see the kids so badly that she is willing to try to use them to gain access, if she really believes filing is all she needs to do, or if this is a way to do worse.”

  “We’ll take care of her, Luke. Why don’t you go get the papers you have?” William’s face was grim.

  Luke started back toward the house and then turned. “Lorna and Cari are sleeping. They woke up with the chicken pox today. They need their rest.” He kicked a rock from the drive. “I have this horrible feeling. There is nothing to base it on aside from past history, but I think if Geraldine gets those kids in the van her husband is supposed to be bringing, we’ll never see them again.”

  William’s expression registered shock as he led Megan to the porch. Luke took his expression to mean that he’d been over-imaginative, but then the off-duty deputy said, “Man, Sullivan, I don’t think I’ve heard you speak that many words voluntarily at once.” The lighthearted joke brought a smile to Luke’s face before William added, “She has a restraining order, right?”

  “I thought so, but she didn’t mention it…”

  “Where’s Aggie?”

  “Out back. I told her not to come in again. The vile things that woman said--” Luke choked back the words. “Let’s just say I restrained myself, but barely.”

  William did an about face and jogged back down the steps. “Wait there, Megan. I’ll get the order, and then you can arrest her.”

  Aggie sat in the swing on the back corner of the house, tense, rigid, fuming. Her earlier despair had given way to anger. At the sight of William, she unleashed her wrath. “Who does that woman think she is! Did you hear what she said? Did Luke tell you what she did? I almost bought it! I want her off my property immediately.”

  Tear stains on her cheeks told William that things had been as bad as Luke described. He sat next to her, put an arm around her shoulder, and gave her a gentle squeeze. “We’ll take care of it, Aggie. Where’s the restraining order?”

  His calm direct manner helped her regain control. “Ok, in the kitchen, there’s that little desk over by the mudroom door? The bottom right drawer has files in it. It’s in the file marked GIL.” She blushed. “It’s the only file that is marked-- getting paperwork organized hasn’t been a priority, but I thought that one was.”

  “You were right. We’ll be back in a bit. Stay put.”

  “Everyone keeps telling me to stay out of the way. I can’t decide whether to be relieved or insulted.”

  William took her chin and turned it toward him. “Ags, we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t care. Just think about your favorite coffee and the relief that comes next Tuesday.”

  “Tuesday?”

  William grinned. “School! Every mother’s favorite day of the year, isn’t it?”

  Without waiting for an answer, William opened the mudroom door, went to the desk in the kitchen, and found the restraining order exactly where Aggie had said it would be. Carrying it to the living room, he looked through the window, signaled for Megan to step inside, and then stood before the intruder. “Mrs. Stuart, I regret to inform you that you are in violation of this restraining order. The laws of this state require that I arrest you and take you in. You have a right to remain silent…” William droned on in his professional monotone as he read Geraldine her Miranda rights as the woman screamed threats to everyone present.

  “You are in breach of a court order! You can’t do this! I have the right to come! Look at the court papers!” the woman screeched as she tried to avoid being handcuffed. She fought, kicked, and eventually landed a solid kick to William’s shin.

  Turning to Luke with derision dripping from every word, he said, “Looks like she wants to add assault on an officer to the charges.”

  Megan, with his help, led the irate woman to her cruiser, shut the door behind her, and gave William a thumbs-up as a thank you. He walked around the side of the house to tell Aggie the coast was clear, and found Luke with her. Something in the scene before him seemed too personal to intrude, so he retraced his steps, knocked on the front door, reminded Libby to have Aggie come down to the station and sign a statement, and shuffled out to his car. Aggie saw the brake lights of his car at the edge of the driveway when she came into the living room, but didn’t ask why he’d left.

  “Where are the other children?” Dismay washed over her as she realized she hadn’t seen them since the whole fracas began.

  “I--” Libby shrugged. “I just don’t know. They all went out after we said chicken pox…”

  “Tina has Ian, but where is Tina?”

  “Last I saw,” Luke began, “She took him and Kenzie upstairs. Maybe…”

  Aggie was already on her way up to see. Seconds later, she jogged back down the steps and went outside, calling for Vannie, Tavish, and the others. No answer came. Murphy peeked her head out the door and asked who was missing this time, and Aggie lost it. “How should I know? I’m incompetent, remember?”

  “Mibs,” Luke warned. “Don’t get ugly. It’s not her fault.”

  “It’s not my fault either! Where did they go?”

  Libby’s voice called from the kitchen. “They’re here. They’re fine.”

  She rushed inside and found Vannie, Tavish, Laird, and Ellie all huddled around Libby. “Where were you?”

  “We snuck in and hid in the basement when we saw Grandmother come. We didn’t want her to see us. We thought--”

  Whatever Vannie and the others had thought was muffled in Aggie’s bear hug. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Why don’t you go wash up for lunch, and I’ll find something to scrounge up.”

  “Aggie?” Libby’s face was a study of repressed hilarity. “Breathe.”

  “Huh?”

  “Now, sniff.”

  Aggie made an exaggerated sniff and rolled her eyes. “When did you put a casserole in?”

  “While Luke was reading stories. Go tell Tina it’s safe to come out, and let’s eat!”

  Mibs says: Luke? You there?

  Luke says: I’m here. How are the girls?

  Mibs says: Grouchy.

  Luke says: Not much changed then, eh?

  Mibs says: Nope. Your mom has them as comfortable as possible. She’s sleeping in Lorna’s bed and the girls are sharing Cari’s.

  Mibs says: Oh, and Tina loves what you did with the guest room. She says the bed is much more comfortable than the air mattress. I think she likes the chair too.

  Luke says: Well, good. With all the help she’s been, she should get a good night’s rest.

  Mibs says: Yep. I’m going to miss her when she goes back to the university.

  Luke says: I bet. Hey, did you get your statement signed?

  Mibs says: Yep. Oh, and Douglas Stuart never showed up here. Isn’t that weird?

  Luke says: I thought he’d show up long before I left. She talked like he was coming right then.

  Mibs says: I have wondered if all her drama wasn’t because she’s going a little senile or something. You know, one of those dementia diseases making her unreasonable. If he didn’t know he was supposed to pick her up…

  Luke says: Did she come get her car?

  Mibs says: Yep. When she posted bail, Megan drove her back and escorted her off the property. I think they kept her as long as possible.

  Luke says: I don’t blame them. That was brutal.

  Mibs says: That’s why I dinged. I wanted to thank you for being there for me. I really needed the support.

  Luke says: Always, Mibs. Always.

  Mibs says: Did I tell you that Mom knows what Mibs is?

  Luke says :  She does, eh? So did she tell you?

  Mibs says: Nope. She thinks I should figure it out for myself.

  Luke says: I like your mom.

  Mibs says: Well, that’s convenient. She likes you too. Anyway, I shouldn’t keep you. I just wanted to say
thanks.

  Luke says: Hey, before you go…

  Mibs says: Shoot.

  Luke says: Nah, never mind. I’ll talk to you about it some other time.

  Mibs says: What? I’m not going to bed any time soon.

  Luke says: No, I’m sorry. I need to think and pray a bit.

  Luke says: It’s just something that needs to wait. Sorry.

  Mibs says: Ok, whatever. I did want to say that I hope you don’t feel obligated to come while everyone’s sick. You have things to do, and I understand that. You’re getting paid so little for all you do as it is. Do it when you don’t have other things to do. The important rooms are finished anyway.

  Mibs says: Oh well, goodnight, Luke.

  Luke says: Night. Sleep well, and leave your cares with Jesus. He can take it.

  A Pox Upon You

  Chapter 12

  Sunday, August 31st

  Lost in denial, Aggie spent Saturday jubilant that no more children broke out in the now-familiar rash. Libby tried to remind her that it took a few days for things to incubate and then an extra couple of days before the rash appeared, but it seemed as if Aggie needed to hold onto the hope of just Cari and Lorna having the disease. When not a single spot appeared by nightfall, Aggie slept soundly in the confidence that as soon as the little girls scabbed over, this addition to the family’s experiences would be nothing more than a crazy memories.

  Sunday morning shattered those dreams. When Aggie went to pull Ian from his crib, his little belly and shoulders were covered in more pox than both twins combined. Without Libby there, Aggie called for Tina and begged her to take Ian downstairs. “It’s probably a waste of time, but I feel like I have to try to avoid getting it.”

  Tina shooed Aggie downstairs to make breakfast, and the moment she was gone, picked up the phone. “Libby, Ian has pox now. What are the odds that there won’t be anymore?”