Free Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) by Chautona Havig

ever get me out of anywhere unless I choose to leave. Do you understand me ? ”
    Aggie sighed as she realized Geraldine Stuart must be one of the world ’ s most unhappy women. “ I ’ m not an unreasonable woman, Mrs. Stuart, but I will call the police and have you removed if you create a scene that causes pain to these children. It ’ s the girls ’ birthday. Please remember that. ”
    Aggie turned before the woman could shoot anymore of her verbal arrows in her direction. “ Come on everyone! Give Gramma your flowers! Oooooh, Lorna, your bouquet is beautiful. Cari I love the pansies. How sweet! I ’ m sure she ’ ll love them. ”
    Aggie saw her parents arrive and flew across the yard to greet them, hugging her mother fiercely. She ’ d missed them more than she ’ d realized. In an undertone she said, “ Dad, I think I blew it. After Mrs. Stuart ’ s ugly scene the other day, I warned her not to make one today, and she ’ s already looking for anything to criticize. I should have kept my mouth shut and just prayed. ”
    Ron Milliken and his wife Martha wanted to spend more time with Aggie and the children, but Martha ’ s health kept them home most of the time. Ron was a gentle man and a quiet one, but behind a meek demeanor was a man with hidden strengths. Since Allie ’ s death, Aggie thought he had aged considerably and wondered how a parent processed outliving their child.
    Martha smiled up at her daughter and said, “ Get the cake out, honey, will you? I ’ ll see what I can do with Geraldine. She seems to think I ’ m harmless enough. ”
    With tact and a bit of pleasant manipulation, Aggie watched her mother steer Geraldine from the yard already littered with broken flowers and destroyed streamers. Party decorations had never been Aggie ’ s forte. She now realized that she should have let Vannie and Ellie decorate to their heart ’ s content. Perhaps the childish overuse of tape in any given situation would have given the décor a longer life.
    Aggie was amazed at her mother ’ s grace and patience as Martha kept Geraldine talking while they entered the house. Disgusted, she watched as the fastidious older woman pulled a large handkerchief out of her purse and set it on a chair before sitting down. P-mails flew heavenward faster than Aggie could have ever articulated the simplest request.
    Thinking it best to find a quick diversion for the children, Aggie chose to let the girls open their gifts before eating, and Geraldine immediately sent Douglas outside to bring in their gifts. Laird followed to help his grandfather when Aggie indicated that he should go. “ Douglas isn ’ t an invalid, Aggie, and Laird isn ’ t your personal servant. Let the boy stay. ”
    Laird followed quietly as if he hadn ’ t heard, while Aggie exclaimed over the little dolls that the girls opened from “ Grandma Millie, ” choosing to ignore the woman ’ s spiteful words. What pleasure Geraldine Stuart got out of being unpleasant wasn ’ t worth ruining the little girls ’ party.
    Aggie almost groaned when she saw the piles of gifts that Laird and Douglas carried in. She first thought that they were trying to have Christmas in March! It was soon apparent that Geraldine didn ’ t believe in buying gifts for just one child. She felt obligated to get them all something equally important, impressive, and expensive.
    For the next twenty minutes, Aggie worked diligently to distract the twins from realizing that the other children were opening gifts too. Every time Cari saw someone touch a package, she ’ d shriek and wail over her “ pwetty fings. ” Aggie worked very hard not to let the child continue to be unpleasant without having to remove her from her own party.
    Things went rapidly downhill when Cari saw Ian playing with his box. In typical baby style, the infant was happier to chew on the corner of the box, than he was trying to tear off the paper. At five months old, it was silly to assume he would do