Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (22 page)

“Ok…
everyone
ready?
When
you
know
the
tune,
stand
up.
Martha,
call
out
the
name
when
you
see
the
first
one
stand.”

Ron
tried
to
start
with
easy
ones,
and
the
older
players
held
back
from
songs
like
“
Over
the
Rainbow
”
or
“
What
a
Wonderful
World,
”
but
the
young
children,
despite
their
unique
and
sometimes
hilarious
answers,
fell
out
of
the
competition
with
their
first
question.
Within
minutes,
the
game
was
down
to
Athena,
Luke,
Aggie,
and
to
everyone’s
astonishment,
Tavish.

Athena
finally
went
down,
leaving
the
other
three
in
a
race
to
the
finish.
Luke
and
Aggie
were
visibly
nervous
as
they
each
tried
to
come
out
the
victor.
At
last,
when
the
children
grew
restless,
they
decided
that
whoever
got
four
in
a
row
or
was
still
standing
first,
would
win.
It
wasn’t
a
contest.
Tavish
was
not
only
faster
than
Aggie
or
Luke,
his
answers
were
impeccable
and
he
often
nailed
the
artist.

“How
did
you
do
that
?”

Her
nephew
grinned
at
her.
“Radio.
I
found
an
old
one
in
the
attic
and
it
works
great
in
my
cubby.
I
listen
to
the
Golden
Oldies
station
all
day
sometimes.
”

~*~*~*~

Once
he
helped
Aggie
tuck
the
children
into
their
sleeping
bags,
air
mattresses,
or
couches,
Luke
said
his
goodbyes,
thanked
the
Millikens
for
having
him,
and
strolled
hand
in
hand
with
Aggie
into
the
night.
“You
will
take
the
tape
to
your
mother,
first
thing?
I
don’t
want
her
to
have
to
wait.”

“I’m
going
straight
to
Mom’s,
going
to
sleep
for
a
bit,
and
then
I’m
headed
over
to
Chad’s
for
our
Black
Friday
Fest.”

“Good.”
Aggie
felt
strangely
awkward
, walking
under
streetlights,
in
view
of
all
the
neighbors.
Most
of
them
had
watched
her
grow
up,
and
now
she
was
out,
after
dark,
with
a
man,
holding
hands…
It
seemed
almost
risqué
for
her.

“Mibs?
Do
you
have
any
idea
how
happy
I
am?”

“Took
you
long
enough
to
ask,”
she
teased.

“I
didn’t
have
a
clue
that
you
cared
until
last
week,
then
with
the
hous
e…
I
mean,
I
wondered
at
times,
but…”

“Well,
you
know
it
now,
Lucas,
don’t
you?”
Despite
the
frosty
temperatures,
Aggie
hardly
noticed
how
chilled
her
nose
was
becoming.

“What
do
I
know?”

“You—”
she
reached
to
swat
his
arm
,
but
stopped
herself.
Standing
under
the
streetlight,
with
their
breath
making
foggy
puffs
in
the
air,
Aggie
smiled.
“I
love
you.”
She
winked.
“Happy
now?”

“It’ll
do…
‘til
the
next
time
I
want
to
hear
it.”