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 whip up

Norris busied himself in the backyard tending to

her study, fingers flying over the keyboard,

calm and

to them, not far from their cozy suburban home, in the faculty housing area where their old house stood, a woman was growing impatient as she knocked on

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

Such surroundings!

Such conditions!

than a

been for Madge's contract nearing renewal, she

after their last argument, Madge had blocked all her

years, but Madge always came crawling back, ready to compromise. This time, she wanted Madge to venture into digital publishing, which probably explained

Resistance would eventually give

a matter of

I know you're

"Open up!"

professional disagreements, but where's your basic courtesy and respect?" "Madge-If you keep this up,

grew more furious, her hands reddened from the effort, but the door remained unresponsive. "Knock, knock, knock, first thing in the morning-are you

hair a

hands on hips, glaring at