16

Ciara Mendes

I glare at the caller ID that has appeared on my phone screen for the fifth time. I know that if I don't answer soon, my mother will show up at my door, and that's the last thing I want—right up there with the end of the world.

"Hello."

"Don't 'hello' me, Ciara! I've been trying to reach you repeatedly," she scolds.

"What do you want, Mother?" I ask lazily, scrolling through Amazon in search of a new dining table.

After a dramatic sigh, she replies, "Bridget and I are having dinner at 7 PM tomorrow at her favorite restaurant, Golden Palace, and we expect you to join us."

"Oh, as much as I'd love to join you both, I'm afraid I can’t make it," I say, sarcasm dripping from my tone. "I'm leaving LA for work tomorrow."

"It's always work with you; you're just like your father," she retorts. "Never had time to do anything with the family."

"What family, Mother? We haven't been a family since Dad and I caught you cheating on him—just like your daughter di