Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (129 page)

Hot
water
pounded
her
body,
better
than
any
massage
she
could
imagine.
She
wanted
to
stay
there
forever
where
the
noise,
the
heat,
the
steam
could
all
drown
out
the
pain
in
her
heart
for
as
long
as
she
stood
there.
Her
mouth
opened
to
sing,
but
the
words
wouldn’t
come.
“Give
me
back
my
comfort,
Lord!”
her
heart
cried
out
within
her.

Her
low
flat
boots
covered
the
leggings
,
giving
the
outfit
a
much
more
polished
appearance
than
she’d
expected.
The
reflection
in
the
mirror
did
not
reflect
her
heart.
Where
her
clothes
were
cheerful
and
comfortable,
Aggie
felt
broken
and
irritated.
She
looked
like
a
young
woman
just
out
of
college
but
felt
older
than
her
mother.

Tina
and
William
were
asleep
on
the
couches—their
personalities
shining
in
their
body
positions.
Tina
was
sprawled
awkwardly,
one
leg
hanging
over
the
back
of
the
couch
and
a
hand
lying
on
the
floor.
It
looked
truly
painful.
William,
on
the
other
hand,
was
almost
rigid,
his
arms
crossed
over
his
chest
as
if
at
his
own
memorial
service
sans
the
casket.

From
the
kitchen
window,
Aggie
saw
that
Luke
hadn’t
left.
She
checked
the
guest
room,
but
it
was
empty.
After
a
glance
around
the
first
floor
and
a
peek
into
the
basement,
she
jogged
back
upstairs
to
see
if
he’
d
gone
to
check
on
Ian
or
help
one
of
the
others.
She
found
him
sleeping
on
Tavish’s
bed,
Ian
curled
up
against
his
chest
with
the
boy’s
tiny
hand
wrapped
around
Luke’s
thumb.

Instinctively,
she
looked
for
Tavish
on
Ellie’s
bed,
but
the
boy
wasn’t
there.
Panic
began
to
set
in
as
she
flung
each
door
open,
examined
each
bed,
and
then
raced
to
the
next.
She
ran
upstairs,
stared
hard
at
her
own
bed,
almost
willing
Tavish
to
be
there,
and
then
thundered
back
down
again.
Luke
met
her,
Ian
rubbin
g
his
eyes
with
his
pudgy
fists
at
the
landing.
“What—”

“Tavish
is
gone.”

“I
know
;
he
slept
in
Ellie’s
bed.
He
said
he
wanted
to
feel
closer
to
her.”

She
shook
her
head
wildly.
“He’s
not
there,
Luke.
He’s
not
there!
He’s
not
in
my
room
;
he’s
not
downstairs
or
in
the
basement.
”

Ian
reached
f
or
her,
but
Aggie
didn’t
notice
.
She
was
on
the
run
again,
hurrying
outside,
sans
coat,
shimmying
up
the
tree
house
ladder.
By
the
time
she
was
back
down
and
rounded
the
corner
of
the
house,
William
and
Tina
were
outside
with
coats
on,
calling
for
him.
William
g
rabbed
her
arm
as
she
rushed
past.
“Where
have
you
looked?
Exactly,
Aggie.
Where?”