Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (25 page)

“I
don’t
hear
anything.”
He
turned
to
Vannie.
“Do
you
hear
anything
upstairs?”

“No.”

“I
think
they’re
asleep.
Want
me
to
check?
I’m
all
done
for
the
day
except
fo
r
reading
my
chapters.
Actually,
I
just
want
to
finish
the
book
.”

Before
Aggie
could
answer,
Ellie
waved
her
pencil
at
her.
“I’m
having
trouble
with
its
and
it’s
with
an
apostrophe.”

Something
in
Aggie’s
face
prompted
Vannie
to
volunteer
to
help.
“I’
ll
show
her,
Aunt
Aggie.”
She
paused.
“Is
everything
ok?”

“Oh,
yes.
Good.
Never
better.
If
you
guys
can
do
that,
I’ll
just
see
about
getting
dinner
started.”

Tavish’s
head
whipped
around.
“It’s
two-thirty!
I
thought
you
said
we
were
having
sloppy
Joe
s.”

“We
are.”

Without
another
word,
Aggie
hurried
into
the
kitchen,
obviously
distracted.
The
kids
exchanged
glances
as
she
disappeared
into
the
living
room
and
around
the
dining
room
corner
into
the
kitchen.
“Did
she
really
just
say
she’s
making
dinner—now?”
Laird
shrugged
and
left
the
room,
taking
his
book
with
him.

Vannie
hesitated.
It
was
the
perfect
time
to
convince
Aggie
to
agree
to
a
party
.
However,
she
had
promised
Ellie
to
help
with
it
and
it’s.
“Ok,
I’m
going
to
talk
to
her
about
the
party.”
She
hurried
to
Ellie’s
side.
“
Look,
you
only
use
the
apostrophe
if
you
are
writing
a
contraction.
Otherwise,
it
doesn’t
get
one.
So
‘It’s
a
good
idea’
would
have
an
apostrophe
,
but
‘The
cat
washed
its
paw’
isn’t.
See?”

Whether
or
not
Ellie
“saw,”
didn’t
seem
to
matter.
Vannie
dashed
from
the
room
and
into
the
kitchen,
eager
to
get
the
party
ball
rolling.
“Aunt
Aggie?
Can
I
talk
to
you?
We’ve
got
an
idea,
but
we
need
your
help.”

Though
apparently
a
little
distracted,
Aggie
did
try
to
give
Vannie
her
full
attention.
“
What
idea
and
who
is
we?”

“Laird
and
me—well,
Kenzie
eventually,
but
we
wanted
to
get
permission
before
we
got
her
excited.”

“Permission
for
what?”

“It’s
Tavish
and
Ellie’s
golden
birthday
next
week.
We
thought
it’d
be
cool
to
do
a
surprise
party
for
them.
Make
it
really
something
special.
Mommy
made
my
golden
birthday
amazing.
I
was
nine
too,
and
she
had
a
big
party
at
Grandma
Millie’s
and
everything
was
about
nines.
We
‘dressed
to
the
nines’
and
I
got
a
new
custom
dress
because
‘a
stitch
in
time
saves
nine.’
I
can’t
remember
the
rest.”

Aggie
dumped
a
tube
of
defrosted
ground
beef
in
the
frying
pan.
“
I
think
I
remember
that
too.
She
did
something
with
nine
yards
and
that’s
when
you
got
your
charm
bracelet,
isn’t
it?
The
nine
days’
wonder?”