Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne realized too late that she had been living in a bubble, but thankfully, there was still time to turn things around.

It was 6 pm. After a hectic day, she hadn't had a chance to eat anything.

She had some bread, fresh veggies in the fridge, so she made some sandwiches and cream of mushroom soup.

As she returned the ladder she had borrowed, she thought it over and decided to pack up some soup and the sandwich.

Owen was into revising the experimental data for his paper. Hearing a knock, he stepped away from his study to open the door.

"Thanks for lending me the ladder, and I made some dinner. If you don't mind, give it a try?" Under the porch light, Roseanne's eyes sparkled with sincerity.

Owen was momentarily stunned but then reached out to take the food, muttering a thanks.

He returned to his room and resumed the data adjustments, comparing them against previous experimental results. When everything was in order, it was already eight o'clock.

His stomach was growling. He automatically reached for his phone to order takeout but noticed the bag under the desk lamp. He opened it and found the contents still warm. The sandwich and soup beckoned.

After taking a bite of the sandwich, he paused in surprise. The bacon was perfectly crispy, complementing the freshness of the veggies, with a fried egg in the middle adding just the sweetness and moisture. It was a revelation for his taste buds.

warmed him up from the inside, more so than most soup he had tried. Owen found himself smiling, a rare

at all. Owen finished the soup

...

a nighttime run, Owen bumped into Roseanne on his

in

"Out for a walk?"

"You're running at night?"

at the

nodded. "Yeah, just out for a bit, picking up

breath as they walked

me twice. I should be

Its lively noise

pretty lively

it was always eerily

followed her gaze, realizing he hadn't paid much attention to these details despite

casually mentioned, "I checked with my junior colleague. Ms. Payne has been recuperating at home. I plan