Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) (12 page)

Aggie says:
I quit.

Tina says:
Yeah right.

Aggie says:
Ok. Well… I SHOULD QUIT.

Tina says:
Now you
’
re talking. Just kidding! So what now?

Aggie says:
Cari cut her hair.

Tina says:
Well… You can tell them apart now.

Aggie says:
I had Lorna
’
s cut the day before. Cari has an overdeveloped sense of twinness.

Tina says:
How funny. So… how bad is it?

Aggie says:
I had to cut her bangs completely off. It looked best that way. Now she looks like she started a flat top but gave up and quit.

Tina says:
Oh, how funny!

Aggie says:
I
’
ll send pics when I find my camera and my cord. Remind me to buy a laptop with a built in card reader next time.

Tina says:
Doesn
’
t Allie have a camera? I thought she was into all that scrapbooking stuff.

Aggie says:
Well, duh. Of course she does. I didn
’
t think to get it out. I
’
ll do that today. Allie
’
s is better than mine too. One of those crazy things with different lenses and words that sound like allergies and racial slurs.

Tina says:
So how goes the house hunt?

Aggie says:
I found one. Oh, Tina… it
’
s like every one we
’
ve ever stopped and drooled over.

Tina says:
Does it have a
“
turret?
”

Aggie says:
YEP! And no gingerbread!!!

Tina says:
Victorian?

Aggie says:
Sort of a mix… part Victorian, part country farmhouse. It has siding like farmhouse but the shape of a Victorian.

Tina says:
If it has a porch…

Aggie says:
A southern belle would sit on the
“
verandah
”
and serve mint juleps.

Tina says:
WOW! And you can afford this paragon of homes?

Aggie says:
It
’
s a dump right now. Broken windows… cracked paint… UGLY carpeting and it
’
s FILTHY. The kitchen is left over from a bad
‘
70
’
s remodel including avocado and harvest gold everything.

Tina says:
Ick. I don
’
t think I would have liked those when they were IN!

Aggie says:
It looks like a retro nightmare. But… it
’
s going to be beautiful.

Tina says:
But, how can you afford to buy and fix?

Aggie says:
This house is being sold for peanuts. I
’
m just whipping i
t
into peanut butter and adding jelly for the perfect sandwich.

Tina says:
That
’
s it. Go to bed. You
’
re getting loopy.

Aggie says:
Nah… it
’
s just my subject matter these days. I have made more PBJ sandwiches in the last MONTH than I have in my whole life!

Tina says:
Nighters. You need your sleep. Poof

Aggie says:
GRRRRRRr ok. Poofs. Thanks…

Hullabaloo

Saturday, March 23
^rd

The Stuart Clan was celebrating the toddler twins
’
birthday. The girls were dressed as little farmer girls in matching overall jumpers with red gingham shirts and a mini-pony tail on opposite sides of their heads. When the little girls stood side by side, they looked like Siamese twins, joined at the head and with one continuous hairstyle. The result was completely adorable. Aggie had also gotten into the theme and had thrown on a denim skirt and red t-shirt. The rest of the children, eager to feel festive, quickly followed suit. The result was the appearance of an all-American family.

Aggie
’
s parents were expected at any
time, and Aggie dashed throughout the house, stashing things in odd places to cover the remnants of the mess she
’
d been fighting to conquer for the past few days. Grabbing a pile of schoolbooks left by Vannie on the floor beside the couch, Aggie stumbled downstairs, looking for a safe,
dry
place to put them. All she needed, after her exhausting week, was a cup of punch to get dumped on the detailed report that Vannie had spent the past three weeks perfecting.

Dry
--
that was a thought. Aggie opened the dryer and carefully set the books inside. Half-way back up the stairs, she decided to unplug the dryer
--
just in case. The second to last thing she wanted to do was replace a stack of schoolbooks.

Aggie arranged paper plates and cups on the table while smiling to herself.
“
No dishes to wash,
”
she mused.
“
You can
’
t help but love birthdays!
”

Vannie carried in two beautifully wrapped packages, and Aggie exclaimed over the young girl
’
s handiwork.
“
How did you get them so pretty? Mine always look like something done by someone about Ian
’
s age!
”

“
I love wrapping presents, Aunt Aggie! That
’
s my favorite part of Christmas. All of the pretty packages under the tree…
”
Vannie
’
s voice grew wistful before continuing hesitantly.
“
Aunt Aggie? Will Christmas be fun this year? Will we get to have a tree, and presents, and eggnog without the nog, and sing carols, and be happy?
”

Aggie sighed and hugged the girl.
“
We will have the
best
Christmas we can possibly have. Just because your parents aren
’
t here, doesn
’
t mean that we have to refuse to have fun ever again. We miss them. I know that I miss Allie, and I didn
’
t see her very often. I
want
you guys to miss your parents. I would think that there was something wrong with you, or them, if you didn
’
t. But, I think we need to just live a normal life until the pain is more like emptiness when we think of them. Like a little piece of us that isn
’
t there anymore, and we wish still was.
”

Vannie nodded and Aggie continued.
“
I think what we need to remember is, they were finished with this world. They had accomplished all that God wanted them to. And I must say; you were quite an accomplishment!
”

A sad face lifted wet lashes and a droopy mouth, trying not to cry.
“
I just think, Aunt Aggie, I think we weren
’
t finished with
them
.
”
The girl turned and went to find the twins, while Aggie looked around the room as though she were a lost child in a museum. She had no idea how to answer a statement like that.

Choosing the twins
’
birthday to talk about this had not been a good idea.
“
Mental note: Don
’
t speak of sad subjects on happy days.
”
With a whispery wavering voice, Aggie started singing as she rounded up the children to go out front and wait for Gramma and Grampa.
“
Then to life I turn again… learning all the worth of pain…
”

Aggie saw a familiar, silver Mercedes drive into the driveway, and her heart sank. Now what should she do? The last thing Aggie wanted to deal with on the twins
’
birthday was an ugly scene, but lately, encounters with Geraldine Stuart had been anything but pleasant.

With a forced smile, Aggie turned to Vannie and said,
“
Sweetie, will you and Laird go check on the punch?
”
Aggie knew that drama was probably coming. With Geraldine Stuart around, it seemed unavoidable, but Aggie wanted Laird and Vannie out of earshot if at all possible.

Vannie had helped the children make tissue paper flowers, so Aggie told everyone to gather some to give to their grandmother, and then went to meet Geraldine and her husband at the car. She tried to come up with an honest excuse for not having thought to invite them and couldn
’
t. If her mother hadn
’
t called to remind her of the girls
’
birthday and tell her that they were coming to celebrate, this party wouldn
’
t have happened.

“
Hello! How are you today? We are having a party for the twins, and my parents are arriving soon. I would like to invite you to stay; honestly, I have been so busy getting used to life in the Stuart house that I didn
’
t think to call you.
”
Geraldine made an indelicate snort, but before she could speak, Aggie continued.
“
However, if you cause a scene, or in any way mar the joy of this day for them, you will be asked to leave. Do you understand?
”