Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Knowing the dramatic change in temperature from her previous destination, Roseanne pulled out her long down jacket before the plane landed, wrapping herself up.

Yet, it was a miscalculation. A freezing rain had fallen a few days ago, leaving icicles hanging from trees and telephone poles. They looked light and fluffy, but once they landed on you, it didn't take long for your wet clothes to turn into ice.

The street was normally busy, but in the freezing cold of winter and late at night, traffic was whizzing by too fast for her to flag down a taxi.

Shivering, she took out her phone to check the ride-sharing app. What was supposed to be a five-minute wait three minutes ago had turned into half an hour.

She glanced at the map, glowing red, showing the driver stuck some distance away. As she debated whether to cancel, a car slowly stopped beside her.

The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face with gentle, clear-cut features. Owen was wearing a deep grey turtleneck sweater, the outline of his Adam's apple partially visible. From Roseanne's angle, his profile seemed cast in shadow, adding warmth to his otherwise aloof demeanor.

"It's hard to get a ride around here at this hour. I'm heading home, too. Hop in."

Once inside the car, noticing Roseanne was cold, Owen cranked up the heating to the max.

Remembering he had a heat pack in the glove compartment, he handed it to her. "Warm up with this for now."

heat pack and the warm air circulating inside the car, she

arrange her a driver. Not wanting to bother anyone, she declined, not anticipating the

a bit of a traffic clampdown, including the ride-shares. That's why

lightbulb moment. "No wonder there were so few taxis on the road. I

"And you? How come you're here at the airport

"A family elder

and I

her and

a cab

tired of waiting

standing in the cold because glare in his rearview mirror, prompting him to turn

nodded, not prying

light, Owen asked, "Feeling warmer

Roseanne bit

embave spent a few

in the