For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance) (78 page)

She found Kenzie first, and had several things thrust in her hands before the girl skipped away with another child.
“
Kenzie…aaandd… she’s gone,
”
Aggie groaned.

Vannie stood in a circle of girls laughing about something, and seeing her niece enjoying herself with girls similar in age added another pound of guilt to her already overloaded bucket. The girl needed more time to be just a girl and not the
“
oldest of eight children
--
the example.
”
How to arrange that on top of an already overloaded schedule was something Aggie couldn’t fathom, but it went on her mental
“
to-do
”
list nonetheless.

Seated on a bench outside the classroom door, Ellie looked so very alone, but at the sight of Aggie, a smile lit the little girl’s face.
“
Aunt Aggie! Look what we did!
”
Ellie thrust a
“
stained glass
”
picture into her hands.
“
We drew our picture on wax paper, colored it, ironed it, cut it out, and put it back together. We have homework. We have to use this paint stuff to be like lead and bring it back next week. It was so fun.
”

The art teacher beckoned to Aggie.
“
You did great, Ellie. Can you stay with the girls while I talk to your teacher? Just call me if you need me.
”
After admonishing the twins not to step from the stroller, Aggie carried Ian to the woman’s side, still wrestling to keep the child from destroying the papers she held in her hand.
“
You’re Evvie Berkshire, right?
”

“
Yes. Aggie Stuart?
”
The woman tried to consult her list, but a child dashed past, knocking the clipboard from her fingers.

“
Milliken. The children’s last names are Stuart.
”

“
Their father’s name?
”
The woman frowned.

“
And their mother’s.
”

“
You’re not their mother?
”

The number of times she’d explained her situation seemed incalculable.
“
No. I am their aunt. My sister and her husband died last year. I ‘inherited,’ for lack of better word.
”

“
Wow. That’s a lot of work. How did your husband feel about that?
”

“
I’m not married.
”
Aggie glanced at Ellie, making sure the twins were still seated in their
stroller
.

“
Ok, that’s it. First, I am sorry for your loss. Second, you are my hero. Third, your niece is beyond my capabilities. She needs a good art school. She’s amazing. I’ve known professionals that don’t have the eye and the passion that your little girl has.
”
Evvie shook her head.
“
Fourth, if you ever need anything, you have my number. Call.
”

Relief flooded Aggie’s heart. No matter where she went, she was out of place. She almost always had more children, she was the only unmarried person, and she never knew what she was doing. One thing that did encourage her was that, aside from occasional outbursts by Cari or Kenzie, she almost always had the most polite and well behaved children present. Though she couldn’t take credit for it, Aggie considered that her nieces and nephews hadn’t become unbearable little snots as proof that she wasn’t a complete failure in her job.

“
Thanks. You don’t know how much it means that someone cares about Ellie’s talents and doesn’t condemn us for being different.
”

“
Can I put you on the prayer chain? It’s an innocuous way to let people know your situation. I’d love to think everyone would be encouraging and welcoming regardless of the circumstances, but unfortunately, this group is made up of sinners like every other group, and some people just judge.
”

“
If you think it’s best.
”
Aggie hated the idea that people would pity her or treat the children differently, but she was tired of explaining the situation to everyone, and if there was any chance that someone might shun one or more of them because of her perceived
“
single mom
”
status, she’d suck it up and deal with it.

Before she could respond, Laird dashed up to her, thrust a box in her arms, and took off after two other boys to join an impromptu game of soccer. Seconds later, Tavish thrust the papers from his class in her overloaded hands and took off after Laird. Evvie shook her head.
“
Can I give you some unsolicited advice?
”

“
Sure.
”
Aggie always thought that question an odd on
e. What was she supposed to say? N
o?

The woman pointed to Aggie’s overloaded arms.
“
Don’t be a slave to your children. Make a rule that they have to take their things straight to your van. You can’t be a pack horse for all of them.
”

Even as the woman spoke, Aggie nearly dropped the box.
“
I take your point. Thanks for the suggestion regarding Ellie.
”

The crowd of children was smaller, but Aggie still had trouble rounding everyone up and getting them into the van. She still had to stop and pick up Ian’s birthday cake, fill the van with gas, and get home before her parents arrived. She’d filled the van on Monday and already it was near empty. At this rate, their gasoline budget would be blown long before the month ended. It seemed as if every time she conquered one problem, another surfaced.

The van was a riot of voices all talking at once about their classes. Aggie rubbed her temple as she pulled into the gas station, climbed out, and almost forgot to turn off the engine. That thought terrified her. She was bushed. While the van filled with
gas
, she called the bakery to confirm the cake was finished, called Tina to make sure the decorations were procured, and
called
her parents to see how far they were from Brant’s Corners. Ian’s first birthday party was set to begin in an hour.

~*~*~*~

William watched the celebrations with a lump in his throat. The baby was happy playing with wrapping paper and boxes, Martha Milliken dragging fistfuls of the paper out of his mouth from time to time. The children played games, while the adults chattered and laughed at jokes, but at first, he was content to watch, a quiet listener to the festivities.

A cry
from the yard
, one he recognized immediately, sent him racing out the back door before the others could rise from their seats. Kenzie picked herself up
from the ground
, her knee scraped and bleeding, and wailed as the skin stretched and puckered. William was at her side in seconds.
“
Are you ok?
”

“
I fell. I always fall.
”
Fresh tears fell as the pain intensified.

Unaware of the spectators watching from the kitchen, William lifted the child and carried her to the spigot. He rinsed the knee, trying to keep from soaking her dress and shoes, and then called for Tavish to bring him a kitchen towel.
“
It’s too big for a band-aid, Kenzie.
”

The little girl nestled against his shoulder and listened as he told her of the scrapes, breaks, and scratches he’d endured as a child right in that very back yard.
“
I ripped open my leg on the fence over there. Had to get a shot for that one. I had two nails in my feet, and cracked my head open on the concrete.
”
William left out the parts that included his mother, and focused on the injuries themselves.
“
It’s part of being a kid, I guess.
”

“
I guess.
”

William saw Tina creep around the corner of the house to listen to the conversation, but he didn’t acknowledge her presence. He knew Aggie trusted him with the children, and either Tina was there to help if he needed it, or she’d learn he didn’t need supervision in his interactions with the children.
“
Do you want to go play?
”

“
No.
”
The child sounded pathetic as she clung to him.
“
Tell me more about how you lived here when you were a kid. Were you as small as me?
”

“
I moved into this house when I was just a little older than Cari and Lorna, so that would make me smaller.
”

Kenzie’s eyes widened with amazement.
“
Wow. Now you’re bigger than everyone.
”

“
Gee, thanks.
”

“
You’re welcome!
”
Oblivious to the unfortunate way her words could be taken, Kenzie pointed to the swing and asked if they could sit there while William told her stories.

“
How do you feel about Tina sitting with us?
”

“
Is Aunt Tina out here too?
”
Kenzie glanced around, spying Tina a few feet away.
“
Come sit with us! Mr. William is going to tell all about when he was little like me!
”

“
Wow, I wouldn’t miss that for anything. Lead the way.
”
As Kenzie pointed to the back porch swing, Tina winked at William.

Once settled on the swing, Kenzie crawled back in William’s lap, wincing as her scraped knee dragged across his leg, and curled up against him.
“
Tell me about your favorite thing to do.
”

“
Well,
”
red crept up his neck as he felt Tina’s intense gaze. Either she was very interested in the answer, or she didn’t trust him to know what was and wasn’t child-appropriate.
“
When I was your age, I liked to climb that tree. My father let me help build the tree house and it probably kept me from breaking my neck trying to climb it.
”

“
You father built the tree house?
”

“
Yep. Luke has fixed some of the floor boards and a couple of places on the walls, but the rest is all Dad’s work.
”
The pride and hurt in William’s voice was evident, even to Kenzie.