The two walked downstairs and took their places at the table. Ginny brought the steaming hot food to the table, filled their plates, and placed the dishes in front of each of them.
Dinner in the Harwell dining room was unusually quiet except for the clicking of their utensils against the plates. Max loved his mother's meatloaf and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy. It was his favorite meal. He cleaned his plate and added a second helping. His parents barely said a word throughout the meal. He didn't understand why things had changed ever since his father had taken this new job, but his mother's behavior toward his father had become nightmarish in their household. When Max swallowed the last fork full of food, then asked to be excused from the dinner table.
"Yes, Max," Ginny said. "Don't
