"So how was Valentine's Day?" Mom asks as I hold my phone to my ear, and I press my lips together.

It's Saturday, one day before my birthday. I was going to travel home today to meet my parents for lunch, and Kent was coming with me. My call to mom was just to refine some details about what time to show up, but of course, in true mom fashion, she'd managed to start asking other questions.

"Not much, we just cooked dinner and exchanged some gifts," I shrug. "It was much more ...