Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (174 page)

Ellie’s
voice
barely
reached
her
ears,
but
the
words
etched
themselves
onto
her
heart
as
the
girl
said,
“Since
we
can’t
have
our
own
mommy,
I’m
glad
we
have
you.”

“Well,
I’m
glad
I
have
all
of
you
too.
Let’s
go.”

Sniffles
still
echoed
in
the
van
from
time
to
time,
but
the
rest
of
the
trip
home
seemed
to
calm
everyone.
A
few
times,
Aggie
found
herself
half-humming,
half-singing
Proverbs
3:5,
and
soon
the
van
was
filled
with
singing.
Over
and
over
,
they
sang
the
words
of
trusting
in
the
Lord
for
direction;
at
times,
their
voices
blended
and
“
harmonized
”
in
ways
that
would
make
the
Von
Trapp
family
reach
for
ear
plugs.

Luke
stood
on
the
steps,
his
hands
stuffed
in
his
jacket
pocket
s
,
watching.
Aggie
hardly
had
the
van
turned
off
before
her
door
opened
and
he
pulled
her
from
the
seat.
“Are
you
ok?”

“Better
now,
I
think,”
she
whispered.

“I’ve
been
going
crazy
wondering
if
I
should
have
insisted
that
either
Tina
or
I
go
with
you
whether
you
wanted
us
or
not.
We
could
have
stayed
in
the
van.”

“Wanted?
Of
course
I
wanted
you
guys.”
She
swallowed
hard.
“It
was
horrible
and
funny
and
horrible
all
over
again.”

“Funny?”
He
leaned
back
to
see
her
expression
as
if
it woul
d
confirm
her
utter
mental
collapse.

“Well,
there
was
the
bit
about
the
snowball
fight…”

“You’ve
got
to
be
kidding
me.”

“Would
I
kid
about
a
snowball
fight
over
their
parents’
grave?”

“Aunt
Aggie,
can
we
change?”

She
tore
her
eyes
from
Luke
and
saw
her
little
clan
of
red-eyed,
sniffling
children
and
shooed
them
toward
the
house.
“Definitely.
Change
and
wash
your
faces.”
To
Luke
she
asked,
“What
have
you
been
doing
today?”

“Something
I
hope
you
won’t
hate
me
for…”

“Hate
you?
Why?”

“Well…
just
remember
that
it
was
supposed
to
help
keep
your
mind
off
things,
ok?”

“If
you
got
us
another
dog,
or
another
cat,
or
some
other
animal…”

“No
animals.
I
promise.”
Luke
hesitated.
“Well,
actually…”

“Luke!”

“Come
inside.”

The
mysteriousness
of
his
actions
seemed
bizarre,
but
there was no option.  She must go
.
Once
she
stepped
inside
the
door,
her
jaw
dropped.
“But
Tina’s
birthday
isn’t
until
tomorrow.”

“We
thought
today
would
be
a
good—”

“Wait—”
Aggie
interrupted.
“It’s
your
birthday
too?”

“Yep.
Tomorrow.”

“How
did
I
not
know
when
your
birthday
is?”

“
I’m
so
happy
!
A
party!”
Lorna
seemed
beside
herself
with
excitement.
“It
doesn’t
have
to
be
a
bad
day
anymore.”