Alli May came crashing into our lives one blustery winter day. Literally. The way she tells it, she miscalculated the time of her arrival for Woodstock and got thrown off course. Somehow this apparently led to her being tossed, not so gently, through time and space, only to get spat out onto our doorstep on a cold January morning in 2012. She was moving so fast that when she exited the time vortex, she just about catapulted into our front door. Mabel had just finished preparing for tea time when she heard a thump over by the door.
When she looked out, there was Alli May, collapsed in a heap outside the door. Mabel quickly called for reinforcements and we got that poor girl hurriedly inside. None too soon, as Alli May was dressed in cutoff jean shorts and a red and blue tie-dye shirt, with sandals on her feet. You can’t imagine our confusion to have a half-clothed teenager suddenly appear on our doorstep, especially after having only lived here ourselves for about three weeks by this point.
Even though Alli May hadn’t been exposed to the cold outside for much more than a minute, it took us a fair bit longer than that to get her warmed back up and comfortable. Thankfully, with the tea already hot, we were able to get a cup down her immediately. Within minutes of everyone pitching in, we had a good head start on getting Alli May warmed back up. Thick socks and a hoodie courtesy of the Ohana Princess. Sweatpants arrived via the Curator, and before Alli May could even finish the first cup of tea, Frank showed up with a big cup of hot cocoa and asked her if she was for or against marshmallows. That was when we learned our first solid piece of information about our unexpected visitor. She absolutely hates marshmallows with a burning fervor, unless they are in hot chocolate. In which case she requires just the right amount. Just enough for a clean melted layer on the top of her cocoa and not a marshmallow more.
It’s kind of funny in a way to look back on that moment now, because once we got to know her, we found out that in most things Alli May is easygoing and very adaptable. She tries new foods and enjoys most of them. She loves new places and a wide variety of activities. By all accounts, she is very laid back. Just not when it involves anything to do with marshmallows.
Somehow, and don’t ask me how, even with Frank in the house, we didn’t find out the story of how Alli May ended up on our doorstep that day or even the next. From that moment with the marshmallows, it was as if she had always been here. Sitting with the Ohana Princess watching movies. Chasing the Little People around the house. Regaling Frank with her vast knowledge of history. Teatime with Mabel. Long talks with the Author.
Those long talks. So many wonderful conversations. Finding out that Alli May was a time traveler was a surprise, to be sure, but it’s not like she was the first traveler through time that we had encountered by this point, so it wasn’t the shock that it could have been. Knowing, though, opened the door for so many stories and adventures. Would you believe that she met Cary Grant? Totally by accident, of course.
Alli May may have thought she accidentally crashed into our lives, but after all of these years, I gotta tell you. I don’t think it was an accident at all. I truly believe that she was always meant to find us. She really is a daughter of my heart.
Image created by Mel Seeley in collaboration with ChatGPT
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