Thank you!! Max's mum was never in his life. She left when he was a baby and he was raised by his dad. He has bitter and derogatory feelings towards her because of the way his father had talked about her his entire life, which were the only things he even heard about her. Jesse's mum was in his life, but was caught up in a bad addiction and was severely neglectful. He loved her, but never had a real relationship with her. Seeing her poor condition would make him very upset as a child, and he was always trying to seek comfort that she would never give him.