Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Owen didn't make a sound. To him, food was a means to refuel, and he never cared about the taste. "All clean now."

Glancing at the neatly arranged bell peppers and kale, it was evident the work of someone with a touch of OCD.

"What's so funny?" Owen asked, puzzled.

Roseanne cleared her throat. "Nothing. You should head out now."

"Okay." Owen dried his hands and nodded slightly.

Roseanne had made a whole spread of dishes, leaning toward the lighter side, the kind of food Madeleine could and would enjoy.

"It's kind of you to remember," Madeleine remarked, touched.

After the meal, Roseanne cleaned up without being asked. Owen naturally joined in to help.

While standing under the warm glow of the kitchen light, his silhouette elongated. From Roseanne's perspective, his finely chiseled profile resembled that of an ancient Greek statue. Madeleine leaned against the doorframe. "Anne, how did you meet Owen?"

proud pupil, and Roseanne her favorite student. She had long wanted to introduce them to each other. Surprisingly, they had met each other beforehand due to a twist of fate. Just then,

smile. "Ms. Payne, I'm Hertha. I visited you

remember. Please

at home, so I

tea table. There

Her smile slightly faded.

time, we talked about the graduate program spots for this

I appreciate the gesture, but please take these back. As for the graduate program,

Hertha was shocked.

time at the hospital, Madeleine's words were full of encouragement, talking about "opportunities," "trying," and "doing your best."

off. "Ms. Sherwood, I'm sorry, but I have guests over, so I can't keep you any longer. I'll have Bob help you with

about what went wrong, she left

surprise, "What are you doing

in simple attire, a white T-shirt paired