Thomas had been avoiding his family for the last couple months, not because he didn't actually want to see them, but because he knew they would ask about Spectre. Thomas didn't want to talk about Spectre right now. He knew they would instantly note that something was wrong, since that was how the Littletons were. Thomas didn't want there to be anything wrong. So he avoided the issue altogether.
( There's only so much you can hide )
( There's only so much you can hide )