“Hey, sweetie,” Catherine yawned tiredly.

“You awake?”

“Yes. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat breakfast with me? We can have pancakes,” Catherine’s mother suggested.

“Your father has already left for work. He had to pick up his paycheck. I was planning to cook for you since it’s your birthday today.”

Catherine furrowed her eyebrows. “Birthday? I’m not celebrating my birthday today, Mom. I’m twenty five years old. My birthday isn’t until November,” she pointed out.

“Come on, honey. Don’t make this day any harder than it needs to be. We need to celebrate the big day together.”

“It’s just a little over a month away, Mom. It doesn’t...