A Different Time, A Different Place

Happy New Year!

„Hey there, uhm...", she cleared her throat, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, „This is... is this the O'Donoghues?"

The guy in front of her looked at her quizzically. She'd never seen him before and didn't recognize him as Colin's family. A friend, perhaps?

„Depends on who's asking", he replied with a raised eyebrow, staring her up and down.

She was fully aware how run-down she must have looked coming straight off a trans-Atlantic red eye almost halfway around the world. She hadn't even bothered booking a hotel or freshening up first.

Initially, when a couple of weeks ago after she had left that Godforsaken Open Mic Night, she had found Colin's family's address in Ireland scribbled on a piece of paper in the pocket of her coat. Based on the familiar handwriting, she could only assume it to have come from Sean.

Her first reflex had been to throw it out right away, but she couldn't. Something made her keep it. Not that she ever looked at it again or even thought of it. Not even during one of the most lonely and depressing Christmases she had spent since her papi had passed away. Not that she had actually been lonely, not at all, but it had been how she felt. Always imagining how she could be with Colin now... with his children. Evan and his video games... little Millie with a new Play-Doh play set, perhaps. A family... But alas, it had been exactly this family that she herself had refused to be a part of, so there she was.

But then... Yesterday night, December 30, she'd sat at home, alone with her two dogs, once again lost in thought, when she had remembered Sean's note that she had put away in a drawer somewhere, as if it had been calling her. And, be it fate or just a lucky coincidence, there was indeed a late night direct flight from LAX to Dublin that would allow her just enough time to throw together a small suitcase and drop off her dogs at her mother's, then make her land barely two hours ago to eventually arrive, right here, in front of his door. And it was only now that she started seriously asking herself, what an earth she was doing and what she had been thinking...

„My name is Lana", she eventually introduced herself, „I'm a friend of Colin's... from LA."

„Right, I see", the man in front of her nodded, then turned around to yell into the depth of the house, „Colin? What was the name again of that woman you can't stop babbling on about?"

Music and an army of voices and laughter could be heard in the background, no wonder, it was already past eleven o'clock and the New Year's Eve party was in full swing, she even thought she might have heard Rebecca's distinctive laugh somewhere.

Apart from that, she couldn't make out any specific response coming from inside, but something must have prompted the man with the thick Irish accent, who was still blocking the door for her, to continue: „Dark hair, brown eyes, deep voice...?"

„Well... yeah", she could finally hear Colin's voice as he appeared in the hallway with a more than puzzled face, and her heart stopped for a moment as she saw him looking so breathtakingly handsome in his suit, „What are you..."

He hadn't seen her at first, but finally turned around, his blue eyes meeting her hazel ones, and somehow, both of them were equally surprised to see each other.

Now, there was no turning back. What the hell should she say?!

„I, uhm", the other guy cleared his throat, patting his friend on the back before walking away, „I'll leave you to it."

„Lana?", he was stating the obvious.

And she couldn't think of anything other than smiling a stupid smile and waving at him.

„Hey! Yep... it's me... surprise!", she chuckled uncomfortably, „I know I'm terribly late and I'm probably interrupting your party... I'm not even sure I'm still invited..."