After a rigorous morning of cleaning up, a hearty breakfast, and the boys taking turns playing rock and roll on the piano to the enjoyment of the family, the Youngs wished me goodbye and thanked me for coming. 

"It was such fun having you here, love, come back anytime!" Mrs. Young said giving me a hug. 

"We'll see ya' soon, yeah?" Malcolm said hugging me from the side. "Linda's surrounded by lads all the time, I think she's gettin' sick of us." 

"Oh, hush," Linda said taking her turn to hug me. "Come back as soon as you can, love, I've really missed you."

Okay, now I was starting to cry. 

I mustered a smile, taking a deep breath. "I've missed you too," I said. And I meant it. I've missed all of them, even the ones I had just met last night. They really were a second family to me. 

Angus led me to the front door where there was another round of goodbyes. "Take good care of her, Ang," Mr. Young said. Angus stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at his shoes. "Understand?"

"Yeah, Dad, thanks," he said squinting from the bright sunlight. "Alright, I'll be back soon."

"Goodbye!" Mrs. Young called from the doorway giving us one last wave. Angus and I waved back then turned down the path to my house.

"That wasn't so bad," Angus said taking my hand in his. "Mum seems to love ya', I figured she would."

"They're very nice," I said. "I'm sorry about my family..."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Angus said. "I don't let that bother me, ya' know? Hear enough onstage an' in papers. Used to it."

I stared at him in horror. "Used to people being so mean?" He shrugged. 

"Well...a lot of famous people get shit thrown at 'em 'cause they're famous an' all, an' it's easy to do an'...." He laughed a bit at my look of shock. "Ya' jus' don't let it get to ya', ya' know they're jus' bein' punks an' all. An' sure, I wanted to make a good impression on your family...but it's jus' mindless slog, ya' know?"

"You did make a good impression," I insisted. "They're just mean."

"Eh, well..." We walked on a ways averting our eyes from the sun's strong glare. "You're not," he said.

"What are you talking about, I'm the meanest person alive," I said. "I don't talk, I keep to myself, I have a permanent grumpy face..."

"So you're jus' a little quiet, that's all, nothin' wrong with bein' quiet," Angus said leading me across the street. A little blue buggy drove by, a little boy with his dog chasing after it. An ice cream cart was parked in front of a yellow house with about ten kids surrounding it waiting for their turn. A couple of bickering birds shot out of a tree and raced around the corner. About a block away from his house Angus gave me a kiss on the cheek. "An' it's a cute grumpy face."

I pouted to make him laugh. 

**********

"Ya' have everything?" Angus asked from my front porch. "Didn't leave anything on the floor of the guest room?" I patted my chest.

"I've got it, don't worry." He laughed and pulled me in for a hug. He smelled like coffee and cinnamon toast. If he didn't have to go back to his house I would have invited him in. My folks were gone that morning to a home improvement store. Just me and the kittens and they had been sleeping all morning. His company would not have been unwelcome. 

"I'll see you soon, alright? Tour's over for the year, we can do anythin' you want. Oh." He stopped to feel around in his pockets. "Ya' got pen an' paper anywhere?"

"Uh..." I hurried inside and grabbed the first pen and tablet that I saw on the counter and came back to him. He took them and scribbled something on the tablet before handing both back to me. 

"This is the number to the house, I'll be there most of the time so if ya' ever want to drop by..." He shrugged and I smiled. Tearing off a sheet of paper I wrote down our number and handed it to him. 

"This is ours," I said. "If my parents hang up on you, keep trying."

"Thanks, love. An' if Mal talks too much, feel free to hang up on him."

I hugged him again. He started laughing. "What?" He didn't answer. I pulled away to look at him. "What?"

He reached for my hair and pulled out a crumb of chocolate cake. I could have fainted from embarrassment but I burst out laughing instead. Tears came to my eyes and I wiped them away, unable to say anything in response. I could only hug him again.

"That's my girl," he said scooping me in his arms. After a minute we separated. "I'll see you, okay?" With a kiss on my forehead he turned to go. "Love ya'."

"I love you too." And with that I closed the door. Wiping away any excess tears I took the tablet and pen back to the counter and ripped off the sheet with his number on it, stuffing it in my jacket pocket. 

The kittens stirred from the noise and poked their tiny heads up looking at me with blurry half-closed eyes. Ivy sneezed several times in rapid succession and Magnolia got up and stretched, leaving her sister to sleep in a less crowded and noisy basket. I got a good look at Ivy's face and saw her nose running and her eyes covered in crust. 

I knew that wasn't good.