The sound of chirping birds stirred Alissa awake. She smiled, her eyes still closed. She hadn't woken up to chirping birds since she was a child. Her arms stretched high above her head until they hit the white wooden headboard. Her legs outstretched over the right side of the bed. She sighed as she opened her eyes. She hadn't slept that well in a while.

As she sat up, there was a stiff knock at the door.

"Come in."

Bridgette Adams walked in with her arms reaching out, "Alissa!"

She stood up as her mother enveloped her in her arms.

Her mother smelled of lavender. She was finally home, again.

Bridgette pulled away, holding her at arm's length. "Let me look at you." She smiled.

Alissa looked at her mother, too. It had only been one year, yet she had changed significantly. The bags under her brown eyes were larger and she had more laugh lines surrounding her smile. Her thick brown hair was also longer, now curling near her chest.

"You look beautiful."

"Thanks, mom. So do you."

She tossed her hand in the air, "Your father made pancakes. Get dressed and come down. He can't wait to see you." She smiled.

Alissa nodded as she headed over to her luggage. Her mother closed the bedroom door behind her as Alissa unzipped the black leather fold.

She stood there, staring at her clothes, wondering what to wear. She looked out her bedroom window seeing the amount of snow from yesterday hadn't melted even with the bright sun outside now. She grabbed a gray sweater and black jeans. She kept the pink socks she had slept in on and headed down the hall to the bathroom.

The green tiled walls and flooring never got old. It came with the bungalow, and while it was dated, she had grown up with it. It reminded her of Christmas-time, her favorite time of year, especially now that was the only time she ever saw her family.

After washing up, she ran her hands through her hair and headed down the stairs. She swung right, her arm still attached to the railing when her head collided right into Zach's chin.

"Excited for pancakes much?" He grimaced as he rubbed his chin.

"Sorry, yes. Dad's pancakes are the best! You know that." She rubbed her forehead.

He headed towards the front door, without a response. What's wrong with him?

She walked into the kitchen that was opened into their informal living room. Her mother was already munching on pancakes at the island while her father flipped a pancake on the griddle.

"Good morning, sunshine," Richard Adams said with a big smile.

Her father had grown a beard since the last time she saw him. Salt and peppered throughout, it made him look older, more mature. His broad eyebrows framed his hazel eyes well and his short hair seemed to now have a receding hairline.

"Morning, dad." She smiled as she side-hugged him.

He was taller than Zach at 6 feet. Zach was always sensitive about his height, having those genes more from mom than dad. Alissa also had her mom's genes in height, standing barefoot at 5 feet and 5 inches. But Zach couldn't complain much; he was still taller than her and their mom.

The steam from the griddle rose to her nose and her stomach growled.

"How's my sunshine doing?" Richard asked.

She grimaced, "Better now that I'm back home."

"Is work really that bad?" Bridgette asked.

She sighed, "No, it's just been hectic with the holidays around the corner."

Bridgette nodded, "So any new boys in my girl's life?"

Alissa leaned against the farmhouse sink behind her, staring at the gray slate floor. "Kind of?"

"We'll talk more later," Bridgette replied with a knowing smirk at Richard who hid his grin.

Richard flipped the last five pancakes on the griddle one last time to ensure they were evenly cooked, then plated them in front of the island stools. Alissa grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot. She walked around the island and sat down next to her mother on the white-washed wooden stools.

She drowned her pancakes in homemade maple syrup her parents got from the local farmer's market, then dug in. The sweetness of the syrup with the fluffiness of the pancakes made her smile grow larger. She missed this. You couldn't get syrup like this back in Colorado. This was only home to upstate New York.

While her parents spoke about the plans for the day, the rest of her family was meeting at Grandma Beth's for Christmas Eve dinner, Alissa thought of Trevor. His dimples popped into her memory and she smiled. She wondered if she'd ever get to see his warm chocolate eyes again.

She actually liked how forward he was with her. Not many guys were that clear with their intentions. It had seemed like his were clear when they met at the holiday party, but with no texts or calls from him since, maybe she read him wrong. Maybe he wasn't as clear as she thought. She despised the mystery that was men.

Ever since her encounter with Andrew, which opened her eyes to how stuck she was in her last committed relationship with Marc, she hadn't had the best streak of luck with men. They were confusing to her. One minute they were into her, and the next they weren't. Not to say that women were any less confusing... she thought as Veronica's face popped into her memory.

She sighed as she finished her last bite, then stood, and rinsed her dish in the sink. Her parents watched her curiously as she headed back upstairs to unpack.

After unpacking she noticed the stink of the airport was still on her. She undressed and hopped into the steamy shower. The showerhead at her parents was always sporadic with the water pressure. She missed her steady rain shower in her apartment.

~~~

A/N: Please remember to vote and comment! xo