Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) (86 page)

Aggie says:
Because Mom would never admit she didn
’
t know how to do something on the computer. ESPECIALLY if she didn
’
t know.

Martha says:
Touché. How is everything?

Aggie says:
Dad, I don
’
t know what I
’
m doing. This whole thing is just insane.

Martha says:
Top problem of the moment.

Aggie says:
I have a house full of grieving children who are afraid to grieve.

Martha says:
And how are you grieving?

Aggie says:
I don
’
t have TIME to grieve, Dad! I have a house to get in decent order so the social worker next door doesn
’
t decide I
’
m an incompetent parent, children to feed, c
lothe, and register for school.
Need to make a note of that one too. Then there
’
s the whole
“
wha
t
happened to my life
”
thing when I look around me and think,
“
I like this. This is good.
”
And then I remember that it better be because I have eighteen years of it to go.

Martha says:
I know what you mean, Aggie, but if you don
’
t take the time to grieve, it
’
s going to hit all at once and hard. And, those children don
’
t know how to grieve without you. You need to show them how.

Aggie says:
I don
’
t KNOW how, Dad. If it was just me or a child or two, that
’
d be one thing, but the minute one of us crumbles for even a second, everyone falls apart and it
’
s hours of recuperation. If I
’
m gone too long, the kids worry. Tina says my reaction to the tetanus shot the other day had Vannie snapping at everyone and Tavish hiding under the stairs. He didn
’
t even come out for dinner.

Martha says:
I think it
’
s going to be like that for a while until they realize that they can cry or get angry about their loss anytime they want or need to. But if you don
’
t set the example, they
’
re just going to start acting out, and you don
’
t want that.

Aggie says:
It
’
s been five months…

Martha says:
It can take five years… or longer.

Aggie says:
Suck it up and do the right thing?

Martha says:
And I
’
ll see how I can help on Friday when we get there. Mom reserved a room at a local bed and breakfast. She
’
s so excited about seeing your house. I
’
ll probably have her coming and going half the day, so she will get some rest.

Aggie says:
You know, there
’
s that back room I was planning for a storage room, but I think I need to reconsider it as a guest room.
I
want you guys to be a
ble to stay here when you come.

Martha says:
Well, your Mom can
’
t handle the stairs, but if there was a sofa bed even…

Aggie says:
I don
’
t like the idea of mom on a sleeper sofa. I
’
ll make a guest room. I don
’
t know what I was thinking. I kept assuming you could take my r
oom. I forgot about the stairs.

Martha says:
We
’
ll see you Friday and don
’
t worry about the
children. They
’
re more resilient than you think. We
’
ll get through this.

Aggie says:
Night, Dad. Thanks.

Martha says:
Night, Aggie-girl.

Ready. Set. Go.

Sa
turda
y, August 2
^nd

The sun shone on their housewarming party, and the house and yard swelled with guests. Aggie
’
s attention was diverted from her guests as she heard Mrs. Dyke
’
s voice through the kitchen window exclaim,
“
Just tell her, William!
”

“
I will
--
I just can
’
t get comfortable. This house!
”
William
’
s voice almost sounded distraught.

“
Aggie isn
’
t like her, William. She would never put you or anyone else through what she did.
”
Aggie had trouble following Mrs. Dyke
’
s pronouns. Who was the other
“
she?
”
“
I know, Mrs. Dyke; I
’
m just not rational when it comes to her, and this house
--
”
he sighed.
“
--
and the memories. I just don
’
t think
--
”

Exasperation was evident in every inflection of Wanda Dyke
’
s voice. Few people had the confidence to be so direct and show irritation toward him.
“
Not every woman is like Mona, William. Most women would be appalled at what she put you through. Just talk to Aggie. She
’
ll understand. I think you
’
ve put her through enough with your bizarre behavior.
”

“
I know. I have. I just can
’
t get past the stupid house, but the kids
--
Aggie…
”

“
You
’
re getting attached, aren
’
t you?
”
Aggie couldn
’
t miss the note of triumph in her neighbor
’
s voice.

“
I don
’
t know. Sometimes I think I am; other times, I think that it
’
s just this house and the awful hold it has on me.
”

“
Not all women are out to hurt you, William. Aggie wouldn
’
t.
”

Mortified, Aggie realized that she wasn
’
t just an innocent observer any longer and moved away from the window. William might have a genuine interest in her, though, which was a fascinating thought. Aggie wanted to ponder about how she felt about what that meant to her but didn
’
t have time. Then again, if she didn
’
t have time to think about it, did she have time to do anything about it if he was? The thoughts were dizzying.

Guests mulled about the house, while the children darted in and out of doors. Tina, the unofficial tour guide, led everyone through the rooms, showing before and after pictures that she
’
d mounted on poster boards in each one. Once assured that they
’
d be added to scrapbooks and photo albums, Aggie had ordered half a dozen pictures of each room and let Tina and the children go to town with their collages.

The coffee table, dining room table, and kitchen island were overflowing with housewarming gifts. Fruit baskets, snack tins, houseplants, gift bags, and a few wrapped boxes teetered precariously, like wooden blocks stacked by a baby. One gift wouldn
’
t be allowed near the kitchen, much less on her island. William, with Tina
’
s help, had cajoled Aggie into allowing him to bring a kitten as his gift. The last thing she thought she needed was a pet, but William promised that the animal was box trained, weaned, and would probably spend most of its life outdoors, chasing field mice and chipmunks. Now that she
’
d warmed up to the idea, Aggie couldn
’
t wait to see the children
’
s faces when he brought it in the house.

Iris picked up a unique lamp sitting on the kitchen island.
“
Aggie… wouldn
’
t this look incredible on that old trunk next to your bed?
”

“
It
’
d look wonderful, but you couldn
’
t really use it. The light would be too low; wouldn
’
t it?
”

“
Well, not if you turned the trunk on its end and let it stand half open…
”

“
Oh, Iris! What a great idea! I
’
ve never seen those old bobbins made into a lamp, but it
’
s really amazing.
”

William let the screen door bang behind him. The kitten, terrified by all of the noise, the ride, and the unfamiliar surroundings, clawed his arms in a frantic attempt to escape.
“
Aggie, can you come get this thing?
”