Angus led me up the steps on the porch. The wood creaked under us with a 'welcome, but be careful'. I stood behind Angus as he knocked a tune on the door. In no time it was wide open, revealing an older woman around Angus' height. With her arms out she laughed and gave her son a hug.

"Oh my goodness! How are you?"

"'m good Mum, you holdin' up?"

"Holdin' up just fine." They separated. She looked around behind him and I stayed hidden.

"What're you lookin' for?"

"What did you do to your brother? Get annoying so you push him off the plane?" Angus laughed and shook his head.

"He's at home with his wife an' daughter. He says hi an' he'll be comin' over for Christmas." Mrs. Young smiled.

"Oh alright then. Can't wait to see him, ya' know he always was my favorite," she joked.

"Mum!" I laughed to myself as Angus rolled his eyes and pouted. Mrs. Young laughed right out loud, embarrassing him even furthur when she kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm kiddin' ya', I love you both the same. Now George, he was my favorite." Angus gave a small smile.

"Alright Mum. I uh, do have someone else here though."

"Oh is Ellen here?" she asked looking around again. I backed up till my head hit a hanging basket. I stopped it from swaying then listened in again.

"Uh, no she's back at my place. She an' Linda got back from Holland a little while ago, she'll be over at Christmas too," Angus answered. I heard him tapping his heel to the porch. He rubbed the back of his head and glanced behind him.

"Oh, so who's your guest? If it's anyone else from that band of yours, they'd better behave." Angus let out a nervous laugh.

"No. No. She's my friend. Hannah?" I came out of hiding. Mrs. Young's face went from a smile to a confused look so I donned a smile of my own. "Mum, this is Hannah." I held my hand out to shake hers and she hesitantly accepted. I couldn't understand what she was so puzzled about. Until I saw Angus put a hand over his eyes.

"What?" I mouthed. He reached over and brushed a twig out of my hair. It must have fallen from the hanging basket. Way to make a first impression! I brushed my hair just to make sure nothing else was in there. "Sorry about that, it must have fallen in." Mrs. Young resumed a smile.

"Oh that's quite alright dear." She shook my hand most willingly. "You're Hannah?" I nodded. "That's funny, Angus hasn't mentioned you. Not that I'm surprised or anythin'." She laughed as Angus huffed. "Well this is a surprise, how long have you two known each other?" I opened my mouth to speak but Angus beat me to it.

"It's a long story, Mum. Hannah's a long time friend. Close." He gave his mother a look while she looked back and forth between us. I bit my lip.

"Well, I suppose we can discuss it later. A little chat over dinner then?" Mrs. Young let us into her house and closed the door behind us. The smell of coffee wafted from a stove and family portraits covered the walls. The couch was small, and beat up due to arguments over who got to sit there Saturday mornings. A stairway led to all the bedrooms that had been vacant for so many years now. Surely she didn't live here alone... "Make yourselves comfortable then, I'll get us a cup or two."

Angus took my hand and brought me to the kitchen table. It leaned, and the chairs matched immaculately. He pulled it out for me and took one for himself across. He let his mother have the head of the table. Little rainbows sprinkled the walls from the prism hanging in the window. Candles had yarn sweaters and the coasters were crocheted as well. Overall, a cozy place. "I'm not used to company too often. Haven't dusted in a while. Hope you don't mind." I shook my head.

"Not at all." Angus only smiled. His mother returned with a tray of teacups filled with coffee. "Thank you."

"Anytime love. Now Angus..." Angus looked up. He already had his face in the cup, coffee half gone.

"What?"

"Honestly!"

"It's fine!"

"Be a gentleman around a lady. Don't just gobble it up like a dying dog." Angus set his cup down. "And it'll burn your tongue."

"Sorry. I'll...watch myself next time." He gave me a wink and I grinned. I brought the cup to my mouth and sipped. It was hot, but it was good. I would have downed it myself.

"So how was your tour?"

"Mm, busy."

"Did Hannah come with you?" Mrs. Young asked.

"Yep, had a ball," Angus smiled at me.

"I see. And...Ellen didn't?" Angus' smile fell as he looked at his mother. I glanced at my cup and swirled its contents.

"No, like I said. She had been in Holland for part of it." The man across from me did not look like he was standing on wood. Mrs. Young slowly nodded her head.

"So then Hannah, how did you like it?" A smile returned to her face but it looked curious.

"I loved it! Though not all of it was good, it was certainly the most adventure I've had in years!" That was certainly the truth.

"A lot of work I'll bet," she replied sipping her coffee.

"No doubt. All tours are ya' know, but this was definitely near the top. I'm sure Hannah had somethin' to do with it." Angus gave me a face and I made one back.

"What makes you say that?" Mrs. Young questioned.

"Oh just-she's a real handful of a girl, but I love her anyway."

"I'll bet you two are real good friends," she smiled at us. Her son glanced at me.

"Actually Mum, that's somethin' we ought to talk about."

"Oh sure. Sure. Tell me all about how you two met." Mrs. Young straightened herself in her chair. A few more sips of coffee and she was ready to listen.

"Well, I first met her when I was twenty. The band was stayin' in that house with Marg an' she found Hannah stayin' in the street. Brought her in."

"My word, that's a terrible thing. Bless Margaret, that girl was a girl raised right." Another sip and a tap on the table. "Please continue, son."

"Right," Angus nodded. "So, we were headed to America an' Hannah came with us. We all grew to like her ya' see, an' invited her to stay until she went home."

"Where do you live?" the woman asked as she turned to me.

"Oregon, in America," I answered. She nodded her head.

"How did you get to Australia?" Angus set his cup down and folded his hands over the table.

"There's the tricky part, uh, Hannah you see is-she's not from this time."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't come here by ordinary travels, ma'am," I answered. "You see, I was sixteen when I first met Angus." Mrs. Young narrowed her eyes at the number but she still listened. "I'm twenty six now. You'd think that was impossible, wouldn't you?"

"Well I should say! It's been more than ten years since Angus was twenty. Twice as much!"

"Thanks, Mum," Angus mumbled. His mother shook her head.

"This is quite the tale. I think it'll be more appropriate to discuss over dinner. You two have come a long way an' my boy must be starvin'!" Angus grinned.

"Why, do I look starved?" he laughed.

"You kids and your stories. A meal is just what we need for these things." Mrs. Young stood up from her place at the table and went to the kitchen. Angus leaned over to talk to me.

"You think she believes us?" he whispered.

"I don't believe us," I replied.

"We just gotta come right out and say it."

"You're right. But...who's gonna be the one to tell her?" Angus and I looked at each other.

Two out of three and I won. Angus would be the one to tell her after a few games of rock paper scissors. A half hour later dinner was ready and placed at the table. Mrs. Young said grace, and we helped ourselves.

"So Mum, as we were sayin'-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, honey." Angus slowly turned his head at me and I laughed. He exaggerated a swallow then continued.

"As we were sayin', Hannah got here when-"

"Would either of you like some more cauliflower?" Mrs. Young held the bowl out for us. After some exchanged glances and a bitter silence, more was piled on our plates.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"As. We. Were. Sayin'," Angus muttered.

"Get to the point Angus. And speak up." I laughed at him getting reprimanded so many times. His mother was certainly a woman to be respected.

"Hannah's from the future, Mum!" Angus finally yelled out. My laughing stopped. Mrs. Young put her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin. Angus just stared at his mother for a reaction. When he received none, he continued. "She went back home in 2016, then she came back to us in 1980. Now she's back again from 2020 somethin' to 1996. She's been here since." Mrs. Young still didn't say anything. I had reached for a mozzarella stick but retracted my hand when the tension grew. Angus sighed still looking toward his mother, who had her head down. "Mum, Hannah's a time traveler."