As the morning light fills the mansion, Maryanne slowly makes her way down the steps. The house is bustling, and she can hear the lighthearted conversation between Jeff and Geneva echoing through the air. The smell of bacon reaches her nose and her stomach growls. Holding on to her abdomen, Maryanne makes her way down into the dining room, where Riley sits at the large table, Geneva placing eggs and bacon in front of her.Max stands to the side, his shoulders broad, his thick jaw clenched. His hair, usually slicked back, is down across his forehead. He turns toward her and she moves her gaze to his neck, so she does not have to look him in the eye."Good morning," Max nods softly.Maryanne only smiles back in greeting and pulls the ends of her cardigan closer before folding her arms."Please, sit down." Geneva ushers Maryanne to one of the chairs as several plates of food are carried in by Jeff. He is young, his long hair tied back in a bun.Max sits near Maryanne at the opposite

Maryanne was not expecting to end up taking care of not only Riley, but also Max, on her weekend off. Although he has been adamant that he was not sick, Max quickly turned for the worse as the fever took over and the nausea began to build. Luckily Riley's stomach was not so active and she remained in bed, sleeping."Are you done," Maryanne calls through the closed door of Max's bathroom.He doesn't so much answer as grunt his reply.She opens the door cautiously, not sure what she would see. Breathing a sigh of relief as she notices he has made himself decent, she moves to his side as he wavers above the toilet."Come on," she places his arm around her shoulder. "Who would've thought that the great and powerful Max Ryder could be taken down by the common cold." She tries to laugh but the effort of making sure he doesn't fall is too great and she groans as he leans to the side."Miss, do you need help," Geneva rushes into the room, but hesitates, not knowing what to do."No, i

As the doorbell rings, echoing throughout the mansion, Maryanne calls out, "I've got it." She descends the main staircase and walks across the main floor. "Miss, this is my job," Geneva huffs, trying to reach the door before her.She chuckles, holding out her hand to stop the maid, "Really, Geneva, it's fine. I can answer a door once in a while."Geneva pauses for a second, eyeing Maryanne before sighing and dropping her shoulders, "Okay Miss."Maryanne continues to smile as she opens the front door. That is, until she realizes who is on their front porch. "Shelley?"Her brow shoots up with a greeting before she slightly tilts her head and looks past her coworker. "Hey, how is everyone feeling?"What are you doing here?" Maryanne folds her arms and tries to take up as much of the doorway as possible.Shelley now resorts to shifting around, trying to look around Maryanne as much as she can. She even stands on her tippy toes. "Claire told us about you having to stay home.""Okay

Maryanne slowly ascends the first staircase, her shoulders pinching to the point of agony. She stretches her arms the best she can from the confines of her winter jacket.She winces once she reaches the landing, her body aching. Tension builds in the base of her neck, a slight headache forming. She rubs it, trying to ease the pain as she walks down the hallway. She can hear the laughter echoing from Riley's play room and she finds herself smiling even before she sets her gaze on the girl.She tries to quietly open the door without interrupting what is happening on the other side. She peeks in and is surprised at the sight.Max's large frame is sitting on an overly small pink chair, the legs almost giving way. The equally small table in front of him consists of several miniature teacups and plates of fake muffins. Riley sits across from him, holding the kettle and pouring imaginary tea into all of the cups. They are giggling as Max talks to the stuffed animals lining the table."Oh

"Max, this is ridiculous. You can't keep giving me the silent treatment."Maryanne is now standing within the confines of Max's bedroom. She had barged in a minute prior, not giving him much of a say in the matter. He now towers over her, his t-shirt in hand, half dressed.She forces herself to stop glancing down at his incredible form and to focus on the argument at hand.Max does not bother covering himself in another shirt. Instead, he tosses his old one onto his bed before placing his hands on his hips. "What are you talking about? You're the one usually running away from me every time I enter the room.""Well do you blame me? After everything, how am I supposed to act normal after I am put down for making an honest living." Maryanne crosses her arms and pops her hip to the side as she shifts her weight to her right leg.Max's expression is washed with confusion, "Maryanne, why would you think that I was putting you down? Because I told you to let me pay for everything?""All