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."

hanging up, Roseanne headed to the kitchen to whip up some

busied himself in the

over the keyboard, crafting line after line into thrilling

was calm and

in the faculty housing area where their old house stood, a woman was growing impatient as she

nines in a Chanel suit, clutching a Louis Vuitton handbag, her heels

Such surroundings!

Such conditions!

than a

contract nearing renewal, she wouldn't have bothered with this

hassle. But after their last

at the memory. They'd had their spats over the years, but Madge always came crawling back, ready to compromise. This time, she wanted

confident. Resistance would eventually give

a

know you're in

"Open up!"

but where's your basic courtesy and respect?" "Madge-If you keep

effort, but the door remained unresponsive. "Knock, knock, knock, first thing in the morning-are you the

door, Louisa emerged in her pajamas, her hair

glaring at Nadine through the iron fence