Chapter 39: What's Wrong??

Once the movie has finished and Riley is put down for the night, they both sit in Max's study, both sipping on a drink that Max brings the conversation back around, "Can we talk about what is bothering you now?"

Maryanne knew this was coming. He had stopped badgering her during the movie, but she knew the moment she agreed to have a drink with him that he was going to bring this up once more. "Max," she sighs, tension building in her shoulders, "there is so much."

"Is it about Riley?" He takes another swig of the hard liquor in his glass, his dense gaze shadowed by the dim lighting in the room causes Maryanne to become wracked with an odd, heated shiver.

"Yeah. . ." It is all she can say as she stares into her own glass, swirling the contents around.

Max gives her a moment, maybe hoping that she would continue, but when she doesn't, he asks, "Maryanne?"

Holding down the real reason she is overwhelmed and withdrawn, Maryanne decides to bring up another topic that is just as stressf