"Hey, Al! Your mom just called me," Casey told me when I entered the kitchen this morning.

"What?" I immediately asked, disbelief and anger ruining my good mood.

"Yeah, she told me you've been ignoring her calls ever since last week and she really wants you to come home," she explained.

I cannot believe her, why would she call my friend when I'm clearly trying to avoid talking to her? You'd think she would've gotten the hint that I didn't want to chat last week.

And I still seriously don't get why she's suddenly so keen on me coming home this Christmas when all the other times, she didn't even send me a Merry Christmas or Happy Thanksgiving, or even a Happy Birthday text. It's been three years since I last saw them.

"Maybe you should go," Jordyn suggested halfway through our shift at the coffee shop.

"No."

"Well, it's clearly been bothering you all day, so maybe you should go and face your issues with them. I mean, there has to be a reason they want you to come home, right?"

"Probably not a good one," I answered, leaving the conversation at that when putting on a fake smile for the customer that just saved me from it.

I seriously just don't get it.

After that customer, I don't have much time to think, because Brendan walks in and he seems to be in a good mood.

"Alice, hey. I was going to text you this morning, but I thought it would be better to ask. There's a movie playing in Central Park tonight and I was going to ask if you wanted to go?"

"Sure," I answered with a genuine smile. Maybe a movie with him is just what I need to distract me from my family problems.

Hopefully it does just that.