diff --git a/taskflow/examples/delayed_return.py b/taskflow/examples/delayed_return.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e77b961c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taskflow/examples/delayed_return.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+#    Copyright (C) 2014 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+import logging
+import os
+import sys
+
+from concurrent import futures
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.ERROR)
+
+self_dir = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+top_dir = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                       os.pardir,
+                                       os.pardir))
+sys.path.insert(0, top_dir)
+sys.path.insert(0, self_dir)
+
+# INTRO: in this example linear_flow we will attach a listener to an engine
+# and delay the return from a function until after the result of a task has
+# occured in that engine. The engine will continue running (in the background)
+# while the function will have returned.
+
+import taskflow.engines
+
+from taskflow.listeners import base
+from taskflow.patterns import linear_flow as lf
+from taskflow import states
+from taskflow import task
+from taskflow.utils import misc
+
+
+class PokeFutureListener(base.ListenerBase):
+    def __init__(self, engine, future, task_name):
+        super(PokeFutureListener, self).__init__(
+            engine,
+            task_listen_for=(misc.Notifier.ANY,),
+            flow_listen_for=[])
+        self._future = future
+        self._task_name = task_name
+
+    def _task_receiver(self, state, details):
+        if state in (states.SUCCESS, states.FAILURE):
+            if details.get('task_name') == self._task_name:
+                if state == states.SUCCESS:
+                    self._future.set_result(details['result'])
+                else:
+                    failure = details['result']
+                    self._future.set_exception(failure.exception)
+
+
+class Hi(task.Task):
+    def execute(self):
+        # raise IOError("I broken")
+        return 'hi'
+
+
+class Bye(task.Task):
+    def execute(self):
+        return 'bye'
+
+
+def return_from_flow(pool):
+    wf = lf.Flow("root").add(Hi("hi"), Bye("bye"))
+    eng = taskflow.engines.load(wf, engine_conf='serial')
+    f = futures.Future()
+    watcher = PokeFutureListener(eng, f, 'hi')
+    watcher.register()
+    pool.submit(eng.run)
+    return (eng, f.result())
+
+
+with futures.ThreadPoolExecutor(1) as pool:
+    engine, hi_result = return_from_flow(pool)
+    print(hi_result)
+
+print(engine.storage.get_flow_state())