Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

From the initial normalcy to the blossoming of a faint blush on her cheeks, and then to the deepening red that spread all the way to her ears, the entire transformation unfolded in less than ten seconds. Each stage of change was witnessed by Roseanne, and it was truly

hard not to be taken aback.

Owen murmured, "...might be a bit stuffy in the car."

Quick as a flash, Roseanne rolled down her window, "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah."

...

After dropping her off, Owen remembered an experiment he had initiated midway through the day and hadn't yet concluded, prompting his return to the lab.

Roseanne sprawled on the couch, the adrenaline rush now subsided, leaving her feeling as if her bones had turned to jelly, wishing she could meld into the couch.

Closing her eyes, the car scene involuntarily flashed through her mind. The details seemed magnified tenfold. She recalled Owen's distinctively jointed hand, the tenderness in his touch when it rested on her head, giving her the illusion of being cared for and encouraged... Perhaps it wasn't an illusion?

He really was encouraging her.

all there was

couch, a simple tilt of her

had left the place in a bit of a state, with traces of smoke-stained yellow

to fix it up, covering it with wallpaper or using light fixtures for concealment, those

not be noticeable. But if you looked closer or turned the lights up

discover its unsightly aspects, to be loathed and despised, it was better

too close meant

long sigh of relief, touching

rate

and

could wait until tomorrow! And if not tomorrow,

Ah, how wonderful!

...

Another busy week passed.

Sunday, Roseanne's day off.

Leda's call and, as Leda was also off work, they decided

for the tail end of the holiday season, Roseanne picked out the best-reviewed movie

were greeted by a cast of familiar comedic faces. Even Roseanne, who wasn't much for following celebrities, could name the lead