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?"

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

the living room, where a young woman rose from the sofa with a smile. "Ms. Payne, I'm Hertha. I visited you in the hospital before and inquired about

nodded. "I remember.

"I heard you've been recuperating at home, so I

table. There were vitamins, fish oil, calcium

Her smile slightly faded.

about the graduate program spots

these back. As for

Hertha was shocked.

"opportunities," "trying," and "doing your best." Why does she sound so different today? Hertha tried to say

her 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 your things to

getting dismissed. Confused about what went wrong, she left in a daze, accidentally bumping into

Hertha exclaimed in surprise, "What

paired with a quaint floral apron,