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

sofa with a smile. "Ms. Payne, I'm Hertha. I visited you in the hospital

"I remember.

heard you've been recuperating at home, so

table. There were vitamins, fish oil, calcium

Her smile slightly faded.

about the

As for the graduate program, it's competitive every year. Admission depends entirely on

Hertha was shocked.

of encouragement, talking about "opportunities," "trying," and "doing your best." Why does

sorry, but I have guests over, so I can't keep you

dismissed. Confused about what went wrong,

surprise,

in simple attire, a white T-shirt paired with a quaint