Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (159 page)

“I
know,”
she
admitted.
“I
just
didn’
t
think
you
were
going
to
tell
me
how
to
smother
myself
with
the
kid.”

“It
works
the
other
way
around,
Aggie.
You
smother
the
kid
with
you
until
you
rub
off
on
him.”

Once
the
call
disconnected,
Aggie
stood
in
the
hall,
trying
to
pray
and
failing
miserably.
A
wail
from
Ian
jerked
her
from
her
trance
and
she
pushed
away
from
the
wall,
striding
toward
the
kitchen
with
renewed
purpose
and
a
quick
p-mail
begging
God
to
pray
for
her
since
she
failed
at
prayerful
concentration.
“Coming,
Vannie!”

“I
tried,
but
he
got
madder
and
madder
when
I
wouldn’t
let
him
out.”

“Go
get
your
science
done.
I
know
you’re
avoiding
it.”

“I
don’t
want
to
do
the
experiment.”

“Skip
that
until
tomorrow.
The
kitchen
won’t
be
clean
before
then
anyway.”

That
sent
the
girl
away
with
a
bounce
in
her
step,
leaving
Aggie
feeling
more
overwhelmed
than
ever.
“Well,
bud.
You
are
going
to
sit
there
until
I
get
this
mess
cleaned
up.”

“Down!”

“Nope.
Sit
there.”

The
child
strained,
trying
to
force
the
tray
off
the
chair,
but
Aggie
refused to notice or react
.
It
seemed
wrong
somehow
to
ignore
a
tantrum,
but
taking
him
out
to
deal
with
it
got
him
his
way.
She
was
doomed
no
matter
what
she
did.

All
through
the
kitchen
cleanup,
Ian
screamed,
kicked,
and
protested
in
every
way
his
vast
knowledge
of
sixteen
months
could
devise,
but
Aggie
pretended
she
couldn’t
hear
him.
Pieces
of
bowl
seemed
to
appear
out
of
nowhere
as
she
dumped
one
after
an
other
into
the
paper
bag.
The
soup,
on
the
other
hand,
was
the
worst.
It
dripped
from
t
he
strangest
places
and
always
where
she’d
just
cleaned.

As
she
mopped
the
floor
for
the
second
time,
something
niggled
at
Aggie.
Something
wasn’
t
right.
Her
eyes
scanned
the
room
looking
for
the
problem
and
rested
on
Ia
n
snoozing
with
his
head
on
the
tray.
Success—for
now.

~*~*~*~

Luke
burst
through
the
door.
The
empty
main
level
sent
him
flying
down
the
basement
steps,
but
Laird
shook
his
head.
“She’
s
upstairs.”

He
hardly
paused.
Five
very
confused
looking
children
watched
as
he
spun
in
place
and
took
the
stairs
two
at
a
time
on
his
way
upstairs.
He found the twins napping and the other bedrooms empty.
He
pulled
Cari’s
blanket
over
her
shoulder
before
dashing
back
into
the
hall
and
up
the
stairs
to
Aggie’s
room.
“Aggie?”

“Shh!”

He
stuck
his
head
in
the
door
and
grinned
at
the
sight
of
her.
Crooking
his
finger,
he
beckoned
her.
With
a
glance
back
to
ensure
that
Ian
was
still
sleeping
on
her
bed,
Aggie
stepped
out
of
the
room
and
shut
the
door
behind
her.
“What?”
she
whispered.