"He's just as weird as Angus," Dad said the next morning. He and Mum sat at the table eating brekkie and drinking coffee. I poured myself a cup of tea. "Short, long scraggly hair....what'd you say his name was?"

"Malcolm," I sighed. Malcolm slander is where I draw the line. This family was on thin fucking ice. 

"Yeah, that guy. We had the blinds pulled up and he could see into the house, right where I sit. Like making eye contact with the devil himself." Dad shuddered and drank his coffee. 

"Well I had to be the one to wake your friend up," Mum said. "I knock on the door and he answers with no shirt on and his hair was a total mess."

"He likes to sleep," I said. 

"In the nude?" I rolled my eyes. My dad was just jealous he couldn't do that. The boys thought they had a day off today and so when Malcolm paid a visit to my house this morning, eyes bloodshot from drinking and a four hour sleep, my parents and Angus got quite the surprise. Apparently Mal got a call from one of the crew asking where the hell everybody had gone to and Mal raced over here to get Angus. I was still asleep and Angus scribbled out a note for me saying he's sorry for leaving and that he loves me.

He loves me....I turned pink at the thought. Mum asked what he wrote and I read some of it, omitting the part where he mentions how "scrumptious" I looked during dinner. Casually mentioning how his handwriting was a bit messy. He said he would come back as soon as he could and take me out on a real date. 

Then I realised Christmas was coming. 

I'd have to get everybody presents. Mum said the only thing she wanted for Christmas was a new A/C. Dad said he wanted world peace for the fourth year in a row. Seeing as I couldn't get either of those things, I settled on a tin of cookies and fancy cheeses. 

I had no clue what to pick up for Angus McKinnon. Or any of them for that matter. I should have asked while he was still here. What on Earth could he want, another guitar? A trip to the Bahamas? If I didn't see him before then I'd have to guess.

Ivy and Magnolia trotted past me to the kitchen where a plate of wet food was waiting for them. At least they'd be easy to please for the holidays. 

**********

Several days passed. At least a week. Christmas was right around the corner. I gave my parents their gifts early since the family was taking their trip to Bondi Beach. They were bringing Sapphire along with them so I didn't have to watch her and the kittens at the same time. 

Like a Christmas miracle we got our A/C fixed. My dad didn't wear clothes for two days straight praising the cold air blowing around our house. I didn't take the box fan out of my room since the drone of it helped me fall asleep. The kittens had a trip to the vet for some shots and came back sore and pissed off. Ivy let us all know how she felt about that. 

My parents packed up four whole suitcases worth of clothing and toiletries and set them in a pile by the front door. "Your trip isn't until next week," I pointed out. 

"Just want to be prepared," Mum said lugging out the large Esky from the garage. She filled it with plastic bottles of water. "I wonder if I should bake a pie to take..."

I called Maude again the other day, telling her about everything that had happened. From Angus' sudden visits to the whole band popping in. She was ecstatic, and what's even better news is Brett was surprising her with two tickets to France for Christmas. They were going for a romantic holiday and Brett got a suite for them to share at the hotel. She was on Cloud Nine. 

I already sent her Christmas present which was a pop up card with a crude drawing of me. She sent me a box of European chocolates. 

I had to lie face down on my bedroom floor for that defeat.

As I was writing out my grocery list while thinking desperately for a present I could give Angus, Mum came in holding a stack of mail. "This one's for you," she said handing me a pale pink envelope with a rose on the seal. I recognised the hurried handwriting as Angus', probably in a rush to write and mail it with their busy schedule. I opened it and read,

Hannah,

I'm visiting Mum and Dad for Christmas and I want you to come with me. We're off the rest of the month for the holidays before January when we're back on the road again. This would be a good time for you to meet my family if you wanted, you don't have to stay long. I don't want to take you away from your own family during the holidays. But I want to show you off. 

You don't have to write back at all. This was just something I wanted to tell you while I could. We're going onstage in a few minutes and then I'm handing this off to the nearest roadie to be mailed. There's a journalist here who gave me the envelope since she mails off a lot of articles to the companies and what not. She's talking with Bon right now about our last live album. She's already asked me about my stage antics. But everyone already knows about that. Humdrum. 

I'm leaving now so I'll see you soon, I love you, and I love you. 

Angus

"Is that from Maude?" Mum asked. I clutched the letter close to my heart, the envelope having fallen to the floor. 

"Well..." I didn't need their permission. But it might be wise to at least tell them where I was going. "I need to tell you something..."