Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) (19 page)

Aggie decided that she would go outside, with a copy of Doug
’
s letter that Mr. Moss had brought with him, and speak to Geraldine at her car. If necessary, she could run around to the back of the house and Robert Moss could let her inside again. It sounded so childish, but the fact was, if it had to happen she would do it.

Thirty minutes later, Geraldine coldly announced to an officer that Aggie was holding her grandchildren hostage in
her
house. Aggie sat silently on the porch furniture, waiting to be questioned. A young officer stood nearby, trying not to look like the guard that he really was. Aggie couldn
’
t believe the nerve of the woman. Doug
’
s letter was in her hands, and she read the words repeatedly to give her strength.

People always saw Aggie as a very strong person, but it would take a will of iron to endure the strain that Aggie bore. She knew she was close to tears, and that would only add to the problem. Mrs. Stuart didn
’
t handle people who emoted, and she didn
’
t want to antagonize the woman any further.

“
Now young lady, can you tell me why you have the house locked up and won
’
t let this woman in to see her grandchildren?
”

Aggie asked the officer to step inside, speak with her lawyer, and review the documents that showed her as temporary guardian and legal owner of the home. The lawyer explained the process that Allie and Doug had gone through to avoid Geraldine being named guardian of the children.
“
They were so bothered by the idea that they held practically nothing in their names. Everything was used in trust for someone else.
”

Finally, Aggie handed over Doug
’
s letter. She hated to do it. It seemed so wrong to share personal information about another person to a stranger, but she felt like it was necessary.
“
Would you like to go downstairs and see the children? I sent them to play in the basement. I found them home alone here when I arrived this afternoon. Geraldine had just left them here. I didn
’
t know how bad it was going to get and didn
’
t want them caught in the crossfire.
”

The officer accepted the offer, took down pertinent information for his report, and then exited the house leaving them with instructions to keep the doors locked until they knew the woman wouldn
’
t be any trouble.
“
I
’
d keep a sharp eye for a week or two. If nothing seems amiss, then things are probably all right.
”
He glanced at the young woman, remembered why she was now guardian of so many
children,
and added,
“
I
’
m very sorry for your loss.
”

Aggie thanked the officer, and asked him to deliver a note to Geraldine. Quickly she wrote a short, pleasant, note, offering to meet the woman for lunch to discuss when a good time to visit the children would be. With instructions to make arrangements with Mr. Moss, Aggie folded the note and handed it to the waiting officer.
“
Thank you for being so kind. I appreciate it.
”

“
Not a problem, ma
’
am. I just hope that everything works out just fine. I
’
ll escort her off of the property if necessary.
”

Aggie had never been as exhausted as she was that night when she went to bed in her new home. She didn
’
t know how she was going to cope with being a mother to eight children, but she knew that regardless of whatever else she
’
d need, she would definitely need sleep. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was to wonder if she would hear the baby when he awoke for his mid-night bottle. Several months later, she
’
d laugh when she recalled the thought.

Aggie says:
Tina, are you there?

Tina says:
I was just logging off… I was doing more research. I couldn
’
t sleep thinking about Dragon Lady
--
er well…

Aggie says:
Me either. I kept remembering how pleasant she used to be. I think something is up with her. I think it
’
s more than missing the children. She
’
s has some issues that go deeper than not liking me.

Tina says:
Well, I have to sleep. What are you doing up so late?

Aggie says:
Jr. Muffin needed a mid-night snack. So, enter Aggie
’
s Snack Bar.

Tina says:
Remind me to adopt children older than nine months. I love sleep. I really love my nice, long, uninterrupted nights…

Aggie says:
BYE you … you… you evil tormentor!

Tina says:
* poofs*

Pests & Pains

Monday, March 24
^th

Aggie
’
s children were inordinately late for school. As they tried to load into the van, Vannie became frantic, running from room to room, opening odd doors and cupboards, looking under furniture and behind doors, unable to find any of her schoolbooks. Eventually, Aggie put her foot down.
“
I
’
ll speak to your teachers; I
’
ll throw myself on the mercy of the principal, but all of the children can
’
t be any later than they already are.
”

With Vannie in tears over a writing assignment due that day, Aggie spoke individually to each teacher, trying to get the girl a twenty-four hour extension on any of the assignments that were due. Finally, Aggie got approval from all of the teachers. She chuckled to herself as she loaded up the little children in the van and drove away.
“
Small children are a huge asset when you want your way and don
’
t want it to take a long time.
”

Aggie spent the next hour searching for the books, keeping Cari out of mischief and Lorna from following in her wake, and answering the ever-ringing phone. Thanks to the crazy escapades that Cari consistently contrived, Aggie had dubbed the twins
“
Lucy and Ethel
”
when no one was listening.

Finally, Aggie sat down to feed the baby. After he finished, Aggie tried to burp him and ended up with baby formula all over her.
“
Little guy,
”
she choked as the stench of partially digested bottle reached her nostrils,
“
That is what I call
‘
fountains of formula.
’”

Frustration mounted as Aggie dug through her suitcase, the closet, and glanced around the room in search of clean clothes. She dashed downstairs wearing her stinky shirt, opened the dryer, and prayed that there
’
d be a clean shirt in there for her, yet knowing that there couldn
’
t be. She hadn
’
t washed in days. Just that morning, Kenzie had been forced to wear a
“
church
”
dress to school.

Aggie didn
’
t know whether to laugh or cry.
“
Well, at least I know where her books are! Drat it all!
”

Aggie found a clean shirt folded on top of the dryer and changed quickly. Upstairs, she went into the changing area, grabbed a fistful of wipes, and scrubbed herself with the new shirt still on, trying to remove some of the stench of regurgitated baby breakfast. She pulled sleeping Ian from his crib and buckled him into his little carrier. There
’
s nothing like walking the halls of an American middle school, twice in one day, to give you an appreciation for toddlers who prefer to use macaroni and cheese for finger paints instead of food.

“
How do mothers do it all?
”
She muttered to herself as she drove back to the house.

As Aggie rewashed the now soured clothes that were almost crusty in the washer, she made one of her trademarked
“
mental notes.
”
“
Never start a load that you can
’
t finish.
”

While the clothes were freshening in a new wash, Aggie went upstairs to call Mr. Moss. She felt obligated to give the Stuarts first dibs on the family home. Based on what she assumed the house was worth, Aggie instructed the lawyer to offer it to the Stuarts at a minor reduction from market value.
“
I
’
ll sign any paperwork when we meet over the appeal slash finalization papers. Meanwhile, do you have any information on the place in Brant
’
s Corners? Oh, wonderful! I am so excited. Tell me when I have to sign for that too. I can
’
t believe they accepted my offer so easily. Did we offer too much?
”

Aggie
’
s lawyer explained that no one had bid against her, and since she found the property at the end of the closing date, she didn
’
t have to counter any bids that were made. Aggie became concerned at the condition of the house.
“
Why didn
’
t anyone else want it?
”

“
Well, Aggie, I went and checked it out myself with a property inspector. Nothing against your friend Zeke, but sometimes
,
big problems aren
’
t obvious to the untrained eye. The inspector says it
’
ll be expensive to fix, but that all it needs is cosmetic work. Remodeling, not restoration. You can afford the repairs because of the proceeds from the Stuart House sale, but the average family can
’
t buy the house
and
afford to renovate like you can.
”

Aggie hung up with a goofy smile on her face. A house. First
,
she had purchased a twenty thousand dollar vehicle, and now she had purchased a house! My, she was living large these days.