Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (139 page)

While
the
others
talked
about
welcome
home
banners
and
enchiladas
for
dinner,
Vannie
crept
upsta
irs
and
closeted
herself
in
her
room.
Her
grandparents
arrived
with
much
shouting
and
shrieking,
but
she
didn’t
move.
Eventually,
Luke’s
gentle
knock
sounded
on
the
door.

“Vannie?”

“
Yeah..
.”

“Are
you
ok?”
Luke
crossed
the
room
and
sat
on
her
bed,
watching
the
pained
expressions
cross
her
face.
“Didn’t
you
hear?
Ellie
is
with
your
grandmother.”

“I
hate
her.”
The
venom
in
the
girl’s
voice
couldn’t
be
mistaken.

“Vannie,
don’t.
Don’t
let
yourself
become
bitter.
”

“She’s
evil!
She
took
my
sister!
What
am
I
supposed
to
do,
be
happy?”

“Happy
that
she
was
never
in
any
real
danger,
yes.
Happy
that
your
grandmother
is
so
very
lost,
of
course
not.”

“She’s
always
done
this,”
the
girl
whispered.
“She
decides
she
wants
something
a
certain
way,
swoops
in,
and
takes
over.
It’s
like
she
runs
everything.
No
one
stops
her.
We’ve
been
scared
to
death
about
Ellie,
but
she
thinks
it’s
no
big
deal
to
come
in
and
take
her
just
because
she
wants
a
visit
or
something.”

“Luke,
have
you
seen—”
Ron
Milliken’s
voice
at
the
door
startled
both
of
them.
“There
you
are,
Vannie!
I
didn’t
see
you
when
I
came
in.”
He
glanced
at
Luke.
“Should
I
go—”

With
a
squeeze
of
her
hand,
Luke
stood
and
crossed
the
room.
“No,
you’re
good.
Why
don’t
you
talk
to
Vannie?
I
think
she
could
use
a
grandparent’s
perspective
on
what
has
happened.”

“I—”
Vannie
stared
after
Luke,
angry
and
confused.
Why
had
he
run
out
like
that?
He
was
usually
ready
to
try
to
talk
with
her
on
any
subject.

Her
grandfather
sat
at
the
foot
of
her
bed
and
opened
his
arms.
“Come
sit
with
me,
Vannie-girl?”

“You
won’t
make
me
forgive
her.”

“Who?”

“Grandmother
Stuart.”

“Aaah,
you’re
angry
with
her.
I
can
understand
that.”

She
smiled
at
him.
Grandpa
Milliken
always
understood.
“Luke
doesn’t
understand.”

“Of
course
he
does.
The
little
girl
who
will
be
his
daughter
,
for
all
intents
and
purposes
,
w
as
snatched
by
Geraldine
Stuart
and
he
was
prime
suspect
for
long
enough
for
the
news
to
get
wind
of
it.
He’ll
never
live
it
down—even
when
a
judge
finds
someone
else
guilty.”

“But
he
just
told
me
to
forgive
her—not
be
bitter.”

“I
can
see
why
he’d
say
that.
It
doesn’t
hurt
anyone
but
you,
sweetheart.
Anger,
bitterness,
unforgiveness—
those
only
hurt
you.
”

“I
remember
you
telling
me
when
I
was
Cari’s
age
that
anger
could
kill
another
person—inside.
Now
you’re
telling
me
it
only
hurts
me.”