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The area seemed nice, with plenty of families strolling down the wide, tree-lined roads. A variety of family homes, mostly bungalows, were set back with little driveways leading up to them. They all had tiled and covered verandas and garages, the front yards neat and tidy.

A short and cheerful blonde woman in her late fifties answered the door. She was wearing a matching pink tracksuit and smiled broadly when she peered up at him. ‘G’day! You must be Caleb.’

‘Sure is, and you must be Hannah’s aunt?’

‘That’s me, Sal or Sally, I answer to both. Come on in, big fella!’ she declared, ushering him in.

Hannah’s aunt hadn’t been in yesterday when he’d dropped Hannah and her stuff home. They’d put her furniture and bags in the garage and then Hannah had quickly ushered him to a nearby coffee shop to buy him a drink and a muffin as a thank you.

He’d half wondered if she’d been too embarrassed to ask him inside for some reason. But during their coffee she’d yawned so much that he’d realised she was exhausted and had insisted on dropping her home immediately so that she could rest.

Later that evening, she’d texted to inform him that she’d booked his first Sydney sightseeing activity, and that she would meet him at his hotel at 8.30 a.m., if that suited him. He, in turn, had insisted on picking her up, and after a brief argument, she’d conceded.

‘Sorry I missed you yesterday, I was at work. So kind of you to bring her stuff back, and to sort out a job for her too? You really are her fairy godfather!’ She grabbed his biceps with both hands and gave him an affectionate squeeze as if he were a teddy bear.

The embrace awakened an old ache of longing in his chest, and he had to fight the impulse to wrap her up in a bear hug. He would bet she was the kind of affectionate and caring mum he’d always wished for. His own mother had only ever behaved lovingly towards the men she was dating, never him, as he cramped her style.

The warmth of Aunt Sal’s smile as she let go reminded him of Hannah’s parents. They’d been just as kind and welcoming – it must run in the family. He realised now that part of his behaviour back then had been due to jealousy. Hannah had everything he didn’t: a loving family and a loyal best friend, an idyllic home life he’d never had.

Aunt Sal led the way into a large, open-plan kitchen and family room. The décor was a little dated, but everything was bright and homely. Exactly as he’d imagined it would be after five seconds of knowing its owner. A huge collection of family photographs was proudly displayed on a large sideboard in a variety of gold and silver frames. He stood awkwardly in the space between the kitchen and family room, unsure of what to do, feeling a little like a teenager picking up his prom date.

‘Think Hannah is in the bathroom still, but I’m sure she won’t be a moment,’ Sal said. She had a rolling accent that sounded Australian most of the time but occasionally dipped into a London twang on certain words. ‘Can I get you a tea or coffee, love?’

‘Ah no, thanks, I think we’re leaving soon. Hannah warned me to be prompt.’ He’d been so prompt, in fact, that he’d actually arrived ten minutes early.

‘She put the fear of God in you, did she?’ Sal chuckled and continued to skip around the kitchen making a protein and collagen shake, which he’d surmised from all the ingredients and the mixer on the counter. ‘I’m so glad you brought her back. When she told me about those disgusting girls, I was horrified. But Sydney rentals are like that unfortunately – hard to come by and usually not any good. And Hannah is like a bulldog, refusing to let go even when it makes her miserable and she really should.’

‘Do you think she should go back home, leave Australia?’ He’d wondered it himself, not understanding why she’d left her perfect friends and family behind in England to come here. It didn’t make any sense – unless she really was seeking adventure, which was not like the pragmatic and sensible Hannah he remembered. For some reason, the thought made his heart thud a little faster with anticipation. Surely he’d not imagined her admiration yesterday.

Sal looked up from her powder scoop thoughtfully. ‘Hannah’s a private person, but I’ve sensed she’s been less than happy here since my Jules went back to college. They were like peas in a pod when she first arrived. Perhaps the reality of actually living here is hitting Hannah properly now. It happened to me too, thirty-odd years ago when I first emigrated, and even though I don’t regret my decision, I can’t say it hasn’t been tough at times.’

‘I imagine leaving her family and friends behind was pretty hard.’ It had never been that way for him or his mother, but he imagined most people weren’t like them.

Sal nodded, dropping pieces of fruit into the mixer as if she were sprinkling rose petals. ‘At first, Australia is amazing, you can’t imagine living anywhere else, and then reality kicks in and you have to battle with the homesickness. If I hadn’t met my Robbie, I probably would have gone home eventually. It’s tough to give up everything that’s familiar.’ She paused in dropping the fruit, her head tilting to the side for a moment. ‘Honestly, out of all my nieces and nephews, I would never have imagined Hannah would be the one to try and live out here. But people can always surprise you, can’t they? I really hope this is what she wants, and she’s not pushing forward with it out of stubbornness or thinking going home would mean she failed, you know?’

Caleb nodded, remembering Hannah’s miserable comment yesterday about returning to her aunt’s house being a step back. As a teenager, she’d always been tenacious, determined to get Caleb’s grades up despite his lack of interest, taking her job as his tutor more seriously than anyone expected her to – much to Caleb’s annoyance. ‘She gets pretty fixated on things. I doubt she’d give up easily.’

Sal’s eyes narrowed on him, as if she were trying to examine his soul. ‘How long have you two been friends?’

Should he admit that he’d known her briefly when they were teenagers, or should he keep up the pretence? ‘Uhhh…’

Thankfully, Hannah came rushing in at that moment and saved him from having to decide. She quickly grabbed his arm and steered him away from the row of photos, back into the kitchen area.

‘You should have texted me. I would have come out to meet you!’ she snapped. It felt like a reprimand, and he shrugged.

‘It’s no trouble.’

Aunt Sal was quick to defend him, and he was grateful to have an ally. ‘Exactly! Only polite to come to the door. I hated that last boyfriend of yours – Pat the Twat! Always honking his horn like a ruddy taxi driver! Anyway…’ She sighed, focusing a beaming smile back on him after her hand-waving rant. ‘I’m glad to meet you, Caleb. I wanted to say thank you for saving Hannah from that horrible flat.’ Her gaze swivelled back to Hannah accusingly. ‘I bet you would have stayed there another six months if Caleb hadn’t convinced you to leave, and if your dad had heard about it, he would never have forgiven me!’

‘It wasn’t that bad.’ Hannah grabbed her huge purse from the couch. ‘We should probably get going. We’ve got something booked.’

‘Oh yes, have fun! Wouldn’t catch me doing that!’ said Aunt Sal with a giggle to her tone, and he wondered what the mysterious activity could be. She’d told him to dress lightly and wear sneakers.

‘Now can I ask what we’re doing?’

‘Not yet, you’ll find out soon enough,’ she said smugly, before she kissed Aunt Sal goodbye on the cheek and then shooed him out of the front door.

‘Well, where am I going? I’ll need directions.’