Chapter 7
The next day dragged by. Joe did his best to steer clear of Kris, but he had to see him at meals and, of course, his mom dragged them all together in the evening to watch another Christmas movie. She was a bit of a nut when it came to old holiday films, and in the past, Joe had always enjoyed their movie time. It had become a tradition to watch one, drink cocoa, and have holiday snacks.
Now that Michael was here, it changed the dynamics, but Joe tried to put on a positive face for his mom. He didn’t want her worrying about him or thinking he had a problem with his stepfather.
As they all sat together in the living room, debating what to watch, Joe’s phone pinged. He slipped it from his pocket just as Michael and Karen voted for National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. He glanced
