Sure enough, after he mentioned these, Maxine’s expression softened considerably.

James began coaxing Maxine to speak. He started to ask about his child.

“Maxine, did Thea come to you? Did Thea suspect that there was something going on between us so you two got into a fight, and that’s why you took the child?” James asked tentatively.

“No.” Maxine shook her head.

“So why did you?” James inquired, perplexed. “We seemed to have a close relationship. We endured hardships together. We’ve become