Jules's POV:

The moment the front door closed behind Connie and Jeff, Mom popped up from the couch and tossed her magazine aside. "So what are we doing tonight?" she asked brightly. "Girls' night in? What do you say we make some cookies or something?"

"Yes, please!" I agreed. "Connie and I tried to make peppermint hot chocolate cookies last week, and they bombed so bad. How bout you and I give them another try?"

"Oooh, that sounds delicious! Do we need to run to the store to pick up any ingredients?"

"Nah, we've still got plenty from last time."

"Perfect!"

She followed me to the kitchen, where we were soon lost in a flurry of mixing and measuring, sprinkled liberally with laughter.

"I think the batter's just about ready," I proclaimed, stirring in the last of the chocolate morsels. "Would you go grab a few cookie sheets from the cabinet over there, Mom?"

I gestured with a spatula, almost accidentally flinging a clump of batter across the room.

"This one?" She asked, standing on tiptoe to peer into the cabinet above the stove.

"Yep! Grab those two over there on the left."

I took advantage of her turned back to take a small sampling of our concoction.

"Hey, did you just lick that spoon?"

She had turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of me raising the spoon to my lips.

"Why would you think that?" I responded, doing my best to suppress a guilty smile. "But if I did, that means the cookies are all mine now, right?"

"Not a chance! Give me that bowl!"

She lunged for the bowl, and I sprang back, knocking over the bag of flour on the counter beside me. The white powder flew everywhere—all over me, all over the floor, all over my mother. I froze for a second, fearing she'd be angry at me for ruining her new Gucci sweater. But instead, she burst out laughing. I laughed too. We both laughed until we couldn't stand anymore and crumpled into a heap on the flour-coated floor, our arms wrapped tightly around each other.

"Oh Jules, I've missed you so much!" Mom exclaimed as soon as we'd calmed down enough to breathe. "I can't wait till you're back home with me after the holidays and we can do stuff like this all the time again."

It took a moment for my brain to register what she'd just said.

"Back…home? We? Wait, Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Ooops…" She slapped her hand over her mouth. "There goes the surprise. I hadn't meant to say anything just yet. I wanted to wait for just the right time…but I guess now's as good a time as any! Jules, baby…I got an extra plane ticket so you can come back home with me. We can spend New Year's together! Isn't it wonderful?"

I blinked hard. "Mom, I—Why would you do that?"

She looked dumbfounded. "What do you mean, Jules? Why wouldn't I? I mean, you've been gone for quite a while now, and I…" Her voice trailed off, but when I didn't respond, she continued. "I know how much you love L.A. this time of year. We could take a post-holiday drive down Christmas Tree Lane, you know, just like we used to. And Ricky's club is going all out for their New Year's Eve bash this year. Rumor has it Jet Balentine is going to be there. Jet Balentine! And then after the holidays, we could start the new year with a cruise. How does Cozumel sound? Or Barbados?" She paused, a smile frozen on her face. "Jules, are you even listening to me?"

I sure was listening, but I hadn't the faintest clue how to respond to what I'd just heard. I just sat there, my mouth hanging open in stunned silence. A nervous look crossed her face.

"What's wrong, Jules?"

I started to speak, then swallowed back the barrage of angry words that threatened to explode out of me.

"Jules?"

I had to say something.

"I don't get it." I shook my head. "I just don't get it, Mom." My heart pounded and my eyes burned, blinking back tears. "You never cared where I was or what I did back in LA, and now you want me to leave everything I have here and come back with you on a whim?"

"Jules, I—" I didn't let her finish.

"It was always all about you and your 'career' and the next person you needed to schmooze, and I was always just your accessory. Well, how'd that work out for you, huh?" The words bit more than I intended them to.

"Jules—" Her lip quivered, and her eyes brimmed. "How can you say that? I love you. I always have."

She placed a hand on my shoulder, and I jerked away.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this. I gotta go."

My old fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, and I ran upstairs and barricaded myself in my room.