Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) Read Free Page A

where to begin.
    With those thoughts bouncing around in her brain, Aggie returned to find the older children home from school and diligently working on their homework, while their grandmotherly babysitter entertained the little ones. Five-year-old Kenzie carefully printed one-syllable words and colored matching pictures, while eight-year-old Elspeth hovered over a science worksheet. Elspeth ’ s introverted twin, Tavish, was nowhere in sight. “ Hey, guys, where is Tavish? ”
    The children rushed at her, as if she was an ice cream truck on a hot summer day. It seemed to Aggie that they acted as though she ’ d been gone for days. She hugged everyone as she tried to calm the mini-riot on her hands. She ’ d noticed that children tended to be overly enthusiastic with their greetings, but this seemed even more extreme than usual.
    Mrs. Gansky, Allie ’ s faithful babysitter, smiled and whispered to Aggie as she retrieved her purse from the hall table, “ They aren ’ t used to you leaving yet, and the last time that someone they loved left… ”
    Understanding dawned. She cleared the couch of jackets and stuffed animals and settled in the middle, gathering the children around her. Recent experience had taught her to let the children snuggle for a while after a meltdown of grief, until they felt comfortable going about their normal business. The tendency to be needy and then fiercely independent was surprising, and the resulting effect was both confusing and taxing on Aggie ’ s physical and emotional resources.
    By the time the last child wandered away from the impromptu group hug, it was dinnertime. She heard Vannie, the eldest of the little clan and second mother to them all, opening cupboards and peering into the refrigerator in an effort to find something for dinner. Aggie hurried to the kitchen and sent Vannie outdoors with Cari and Lorna. “ Why don ’ t you go push them on the swings? I ’ ll see to dinner. ”
    Aggie surveyed the chaos that threatened to overwhelm her again, and then issued orders to the remaining children. “ Ok, Tavish -- where is he anyway? Tavish and Ellie can go play laundry basketball. I mounted the rim in the hallway upstairs. Shoot some baskets. I don ’ t want to see so much as a sock on the floor by the time dinner is done. ”
    The twinkle in her eyes belied her stern tone. Ellie peeked in the little door under the stairs and called Tavish out of his sanctuary. Aggie almost smacked her forehead. She hadn ’ t yet adjusted to Tavish ’ s preference for hiding away in that tiny, confining space.
    “ Kenzie, you put everyone ’ s school work back in their backpacks, and Laird, you come with me. ”
    Aggie wondered what to feed everyone. The freezer and fridge were bare. Most of the boxed and fresh foods and the casseroles brought by the church were history. Digging through the back of the pantry, she found a jar of spaghetti sauce and a package of egg noodles. Grocery shopping was no longer optional. She shelved that thought for after dinner.
    “ Ok, Laird, looks like spanoodlie to me! You find or clean me a pan for the noodles, and I ’ ll find one for this sauce. Is there any parmesan cheese in here? ”
    Aggie dug through the fridge. It was packed with unidentifiable containers full of even less recognizable food. Some containers were already sporting green, fuzzy hair-dos. Cleaning and de-junking the fridge was now a new priority. Triumphantly, she extracted a tall container of half-eaten parmesan cheese. “ Eureka! ”
    Though it took a good half hour for everyone to scrub hands and faces and clear the table for dinner, the meal itself was relatively catastrophe-free. Ian ignored the excellent example of his elder siblings and cleared his place by dumping his sodden paper plate on the floor. Aggie, desperate to keep from becoming discouraged, chose to consider this a positive thing. With forced Pollyannaish gaiety, she shrouded herself in mock chipperness and attacked