Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (162 page)

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,
“b
ut
I
know
Mom
and
Corinne
both
complain
that
boys
take
longer
and
start
later.”

“Oh,
great.”

Ian
clapped
his
hand.
“Yay!
Gate
!”

Tuesday,
February
3
^rd

“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?”