Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (106 page)

Luke says:
Well, that’s obvious.

Mibs says:
Yeah, but it wasn’t obvious to him until tonight.

Luke says:
Oh?

Mibs says:
Yep.

Mibs says:
More good news.

Luke says:
Oh?

Mibs says:
I’m not enrolling the kids.

Luke says:
I didn’t think you would.

Mibs says:
Then you were wrong. I was ninety-eight percent decided until about five minutes ago.

Luke says:
What changed your mind?

Mibs says:
Laird.

Luke says:
What about him?

Mibs says:
He came downstairs a little while ago. That’s what took so long for me to get on. He apologized.

Luke says:
I thought you said you apologized and he apologized too.

Mibs says:
Yes, but he wanted to confess I guess. You know—get it off his chest.

Luke says:
Did he explain himself?

Mibs says:
From what I got out of him, he is missing his parents, feeling guilty about liking to spend time with you, and part of him likes how I’m not as persnickety about things as Allie was and then he said he resents that too.

Luke says:
Complex thinking for a kid.

Mibs says:
He’d been talking with Vannie before he came down.

He said he just wanted to feel miserable.

Luke says:
I remember that feeling.

Mibs says:
What did your mom do?

Luke says:
She put me to work and spoke truth constantly to help

drown out the lies I filled my mind with.

Mibs says:
Why do you think you did that? I can only stand to think of never seeing Allie again by remembering all the things she’d want me to do and trying to do them.

Luke says:
And you’re killing yourself in the process.

Mibs says:
But Allie gave me the responsibility.

Luke says:
To raise them. She didn’t give you the responsibility of molding yourself into her image.

Mibs says:
But consistency. Don’t you think they need it?

Luke says:
They need you to be the person GOD chose for you to be, Mibs. Anything else is shortchanging them. God didn’t create you in Allie’s image but in His own. He knitted you in your mother’s womb to be Aggie.

Mibs says:
I’ll have to think about that.

Luke says:
I proposed to and plan to marry Aggie Milliken. I would be very disappointed to wake up in five years’ time to discover that she has given herself an Allie makeover—inside and out.

Mibs says:
And what if I fail?

Luke says:
Fail in what? Being Aggie? Not possible.

Mibs says:
No, what if I fail in being just Aggie?

Luke says:
Then I’ll get to know Allie better, won’t I?

Mibs says:
I’m glad you told me.

Luke says:
Told you what?

Mibs says:
That you didn’t want me to lose who I am. I might not have even considered whether it was good or not.

Luke says:
I have to be honest even if it’s not what you want to hear.

Mibs says:
Even if I don’t like it, I do need and want to hear it.

Luke says:
I should go to bed. Inspector is coming early in the morning and then I can call Amber and have her get it back on the market. She says she thinks she’s got a couple of interested parties.

Mibs says:
Is it really all done?

Luke says:
And better than ever. Thanks to the insurance paying for the damage, I was able to add the built-ins and now it’ll likely sell for more. That might make up for the loss and if it goes in to

escrow quickly enough, I’ll be able to buy a few I’ve had to keep on  hold.

Mibs says:
I’ll see you later then?

Luke says:
Might not be until after dinner, but I’ll stop by. I want to talk to Laird.

Mibs says:
Just be careful.

Luke says:
Now that I understand him, I think we’ll be good.

Mibs says
: Night, Luke. Sometimes it amazes me to think that a year ago I didn’t know you. I hardly knew you six months ago. Now you’re such a huge part of who I am as well.

Luke says:
Thank the Lord for women who can articulate what I don’t know how to say. Love you.

Mibs says:
Night. Love you too.

Blessings to Burdens

Thursday,
January
15
^th

The
table
was
beautifully
set—a
bouquet
of
gerbera
daisies
in
a
clear
glass
bowl
in
the
center.
Cheerful
cloth
napkins
were
folded
on
each
plate.
It
looked
fit
for
a
fine
restaurant,
but
the
room
was
full
of
chattering
females.
Aggie
stood
in
the
midst
of
them,
trying
to
keep
Corinne
separate
from
Cassie
and
Olivia
separate
from
Melanie.
Libby
introduced
the
women
with
the
pride
she
always
expressed
in
each
of
her
children
and
astonishingly
enough,
Aggie
heard
that
same
pride
in
the
woman’s
voice
as
she
introduced
the
girls
to
her.

The
tallest,
Corinne,
smiled
and
started
to
hold
out
her
hand
before
engulfing
Aggie
in
an
awkward
hug.
“I
thought
you’d
be
pretty,
but
I
kind
of
expected
it
to
be
in
the
‘inside
shining
on
the
outside’
way.
I
didn’t
think
you’d
be
pretty too!
”

“Is
that
a
compliment
or
an
insult
to
Luke?”
The
moment
she
spoke,
Aggie
wondered
what
had
gotten
into
her.
Before
she
could
amend
her
question
or
apologize,
Corinne
laughed.

“I
think
I
might
like
you.
She’s
loyal
to
him—protective.
I
like
that.”

With
an
exaggerated
roll
of
her
eyes,
Olivia
nudged
Aggie.
“If
you
treat
Luke
like
royalty,
she’ll
love
you
forever.
However,
Corinne
is
worse
than
a
mama
bear
if
she
thinks
he
isn’t
getting
his
deserved
accolades.”