Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (201 page)

One
look
in
the
pantry,
and
Aggie
yelled,
“Who
ate
the
granola
bars?
I
did
not
give
anyone
permission
to
eat
the
granola
bars!”

“Yes
you
did.”

Aggie
turned
and
glared
at
Laird.
“Don’t
start
with
me.”

“But
you
did!
We
asked
last
night
while
you
and
Aunt
Tina
were
making
those
vases
and
you
said
yes.”

A
sick
feeling
washed
over
her
as
she
realized
he
was
probably
telling
the
truth.
“What
else
did
I
agree
to?”

“No
school
for
today,
ice
cream
after
Kenzie’s
cast
is
off,
and
pizza
for
dinner.”

With
each
item,
the
sickness
grew.
She
had
agreed
to
everything.
“
You
took
total
advantage.”

“Sure.
Wouldn’t
you?”

It
wasn’t
the
time
to
address
doing
what
was
right
regardless
of
whether
you
had
permission
to
do
wrong
or
not.
“Ok,
we’ll
stop
for
bars
on
the
way.”
She
glanced
at
the
clock.
Eight-twenty.
Not
enough
time
to
play
around.
Kids
filed
downstairs
and
she
pointed
directly
to
their
coats.
“We’ve
got
to
go.”

Their
appointment
was
at
nine
o’clock.
By
the
time
she
stopped
for
gas,
granola
bars,
and
made
it
past
a
spun
out
car
on
the
highway,
they
shuffled
into
the
clinic
at
five
after.
“Sorry…”

“Dr.
Wisenberg
is
just
finishing
with
a
walk-in.
There’s
an
empty
room
but—”
The
assistant
glanced
over
the
heads
around
the
counter.
“There
isn’t
really
room
for
everyone
in
there.”

Aggie
nodded.
“Ok,
Vannie
through
Tavish
stay
in
the
waiting
room.
The
rest
of
you,
follow
Miss…
Angie.”

“There’s
really
not—”

“Look,
I
don’t
want
to
have
to
admit
this,
but
you
do
not
want
these
three
out
there
without
me.
You
just
don’t.”

“Most
people
find
it
helpful
to
arrange
child
care
and
don’t
find
it
necessary
to
keep
siblings
out
of
school
for
a
simple
cast
removal.”

“And
most
people
aren’t
the
single,
homeschooling
mothers
of
eight.
Lead
the
way,”
Aggie
insisted.

Dr.
Weisman
arrived
quickly.
“Good morning, Kenzie! H
ow
is
the
arm
today?
Still
pain-free?
Itchy?”

Kenzie
nodded.
“Both.”

“Good,
then
let’s
take
that
thing
off.”

The
doctor
showed
the
little
mini
saw,
how
it
worked,
and
what
Kenzie
was
to
do
if
she
wanted
him
to
stop
for
any
reason.
Three
seconds
into
the
process,
she
squeezed
his
arm.
Once
confident
that
he
really
would
stop
if
she
asked,
Kenzie
watched
the
process,
fascinated.

“That
was
cool!”

“Well
,”
Aggie
interjected,
“
don’t
get
any
ideas
about
breaking
something
else.
One
broken
bone
per
decade
is
my
limit.”

“I’m
sorry,
Aggie,
but
I’m
afraid
that
with
your
family,
I
expect
you’ll
have
more
than
one
per
decade.”