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."

headed to the

himself in the backyard

study, fingers flying over the keyboard, crafting line after line into thrilling narrative

calm and

them, not far from their cozy suburban home, in the faculty housing area where their old house stood, a woman

a

Such surroundings!

Such conditions!

than a

it not been for Madge's contract nearing renewal, she wouldn't have bothered with this

after their last argument,

ready to compromise. This

would eventually give way to

was just a

know

"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 washing my hands of

grew more furious, her hands reddened from the effort, but the door remained unresponsive. "Knock, knock, knock,

in her pajamas, her hair a mess, clearly just woken up, exuding that

hips, glaring at Nadine through the