Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne shook the mop vigorously, continuing her assault.

Louisa darted around, clutching her head, and even as she reached the door, she didn't forget to throw back a threat, "I—I'm not done with you guys!"

"Your goddamn wisteria creeping into my yard, I'll burn it all down tomorrow! It's so annoying!"

With that, she took off running, because Roseanne was already chasing after her with the mop raised.

"Get lost! Come back, and I'll hit you again!"

Roseanne dropped the mop, letting out a deep sigh, but then she noticed Norris with a serious look on his face, making her heart skip a beat.

After a moment, she hesitantly spoke, "...I'm sorry, Dad, I..."

"When did you learn to do that?"

"...Huh?"

"You know... that thing with the mop..." Norris mimicked her mop-swinging action.

Roseanne was speechless.

"Cough! It's better for a young lady to remain graceful and elegant, not resort to brawling."

linking arms with him, "You've got to admit

Uh!

Norris agreed, "...It did."

it her who messed with the wisteria on our side of

fill with soil and plant vegetables, dousing it daily with waste. The Cole family's

never brought up the issue

for her vegetables, so she pulled them all out."

her parents had been put through so

"Dad, what they said..."

Just consider it hot air! They don't know anything, just gossiping. I know my daughter better than anyone; you're not

Roseanne's eyes grew moist.

BUMS

your mom about this; she tends to overthink."

the Christmas, it was

dug out of bed early by Madge, "No more sleeping, get ready, dress nicely, we're going

children, with Norris being the third, having two older brothers and a younger

Maddox Cole, who

in his teens to work on construction sites and in his twenties started his own business, had amassed his first fortune and then ventured into the

a mansion, and driving a

grandparents lived

the