Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

It was a bustling June in the lab, and Roseanne had been going nonstop for two weeks before finally getting a day off.

She had just finished feeding her fish early in the morning when Norris called.

"Is Anne up?"

"Yeah, I'm up."

"Why not sleep in? I thought you said you had the day off from the lab to rest."

"My internal clock's set, I guess. How's mom?"

"In her study."

"Working on her novel again?"

"Yep! You know her; mornings are when her muse speaks loudest."

Roseanne's thoughts drifted to the matter of the contract, her gaze intensifying, "Dad, has mom's publisher been around lately?"

"Not that I've seen. Why? They do most of their communicating online these days."

"Just curious."

Roseanne headed to the kitchen to

in the backyard tending to

her study, fingers flying over the keyboard,

was calm and

from their cozy suburban home, in the faculty housing area where their old house stood,

was dressed to the nines in a Chanel suit, clutching a

Such surroundings!

Such conditions!

a dog's

nearing renewal, she wouldn't have bothered with

have renewed online, avoiding this hassle. But after their last argument, Madge had blocked all her contact

crawling back, ready to compromise. This time, she wanted Madge to venture into digital publishing, which

was confident. Resistance would eventually give way

just a matter of

know you're in

"Open up!"

ignore a visitor, Madge. We have our professional disagreements, but where's your basic courtesy and respect?" "Madge-If you keep this up, I'm

door remained

Louisa emerged in her pajamas, her hair a mess,

on hips, glaring at Nadine through the iron fence separating