Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

The speaker was her aunt Abbey. She worked at the local utility company, enjoying what you'd call a "steady job," free of stress, which probably explained her easy-going, full-figured nature. Today, she was rocking a bright green sweater that made her look like a robust Christmas tree, especially with her short hair styled into fluffy curls.

"What in the world are you going on about, Abbey?" Irving Cole chided, pulling at his wife's arm.

Compared to Abbey's "broad" and "plump" figure, Irving was tall and lean, dressed in a beige pullover matched with dress pants, his hair slicked back, shining under the light.

Despite being in his forties, Irving's face showed little sign of aging, and one might even describe him as charmingly dashing.

The Cole family genes were indeed something to boast about, with the three Norris brothers all being quite handsome.

Pulled by her husband, Abbey just pouted, "I'm not talking nonsense... Roseanne really hasn't spent Christmas with us for years. It doesn't bother me much, but Norris and Madge sure miss her."

Then she warmly greeted Roseanne, pulling her into a hug, "My, how women change! You've become even more beautiful. That city life suits you; you carry an air about you that we just don't have here." Roseanne had arrived in a white down jacket, which she took off to reveal a soft apricot sweater paired with a light brown wool skirt, accentuated by tall caramel boots. Her hair was loosely tied back with a butterfly clip, giving her a clean and sweet appearance that justified Abbey's compliment.

Lauretta, overhearing her mother, rolled her eyes covertly, "Mom, you sure love to chat. Can't you keep it down a bit?"

Abbey glared at her. "All you do is play on your phone, and you complain about me talking too much. You could learn a thing or two from your sister, especially about dressing up!"

Lauretta, dressed in a tight, cropped top with a mini skirt and snow boots, with her eyeliner thickly applied, certainly had a rebellious look. Inherited from Abbey, her figure was more on the curvy side, which made her choice of outfit a topic of silent debate.

Unfazed by her mother's words, Lauretta just rolled her eyes again.

"Where's Maddox?" Norris asked, scanning the room.

Raven responded, "In the study on a call. A client called; he couldn't just ignore it. Even on Christmas, he's too busy to join us."

Their mother, sitting quietly until now, finally spoke, "It's normal for Maddox to be busy; he's a big boss, after all. Let's not rush him. We can eat when he's finished."

"Exactly," their father agreed, "We can wait. No one's starving."

Raven looked uneasy. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," their mother said firmly, "I said we wait, so we wait. Any objections?"

"Alright then... It's better when everyone's together for Christmas. Come on, sis, take a seat," Raven motioned to Madge.

"You go on; I'm fine here," Madge replied, choosing a spot slightly away from the elders.

Madge's past was a mystery, even to herself. Saved from a river by Norris, she had no memories of her life before that moment - not where she was from, why she ended up in the river, or if she had any family still alive. She was, in every sense, an orphan.

Norris was the only Cole brother to have attended a university, and not just any university, but Twilight Peak Academy, a prestigious institution on par with Kingswell University, bringing pride to the Cole family.

His parents had once hoped to set him up with a factory manager's daughter, but Norris had eyes only for Madge, despite her unknown origins and lack of possessions. His parents accused Madge of

bewitching Norris, calling her a siren, a sentiment that lingered to this day.