Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne caught Hertha's underlying skepticism with a small, knowing smile but didn't bother to argue.

Hertha leaned in with curiosity. "Weren't you an undergrad at Kingswell University? Planning to stick with them for grad school?"

"Yep, Kingswell again."

"Research or professional track?"

"Research."

"And the field?"

"Biomedical Sciences."

Hertha raised an eyebrow, surprised. "That's my field, too. Got your eye on any mentors?"

Roseanne nodded. "Yeah. Ms. Payne."

"Madeleine Payne?"

"Right."

Recalling how she'd seen Roseanne cleaning at Madeleine's house, Hertha's expression twisted with doubt. "You don't think doing a bit of housework will make her more inclined to take you on, do you?" Oops! Roseanne hesitated. "That was a misunderstanding."

"Look, Madeleine is a titan in her field, known for her rigor. Plus, she's been focusing more on her Ph.D. students lately, hardly taking on any Masters students. It's going to be tough..."

Hertha paused, choosing her words carefully. "I'm also applying to be her grad student. It might sound like I have an ulterior motive, but you should consider looking for another mentor. There's still time before the results are out. You can reach out to other professors."

Feeling she'd said her piece, Hertha awaited a response.

"Thanks," Roseanne nodded, then excused herself.

Hertha was bewildered. 'That's it?'

Catching the 5 p.m. subway, Roseanne welcomed the blast of warm air her fingers gradually thawing. Her phone buzzed in her bag. Removing her gloves, she answered with a light tone, "Hello, Ms. Payne."

"How did it go?" Madeleine's voice was as comforting and optimistic as ever, devoid of pressure. "As usual, I'm not too worried about your exams."

"I did what I could," Roseanne responded honestly.

Madeleine was proud. "That's my girl. I never doubted you with your track record. Just make sure you don't stay out in this cold for too long."

Roseanne continued, "I'm on the

subway now. I heard your leg's been

troubling you again, huh? I've picked up some medication. I'll drop it by after my exams."

Madeleine had injured her leg years back, and the pain flared up, especially during the cold or rainy weather.

"Sounds good. I'm home these days." Glancing at her calendar, Madeleine invited, "Come over for dinner this Saturday."

As Roseanne approached her stop, she ended the call and navigated through the bustling crowd, exiting at the second gate.

The cold wind nearly swept her off her feet, but a steady hand on her back and a shadow looming over her steadied her. She looked up to see Owen, her surprise morphing into a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Just grabbing some documents from home. Roads are icy, so I took the subway instead." Owen steadied her as they walked. "How did the exams go?" Roseanne smiled. "Pretty smooth, I guess."

Owen smiled, letting the topic drop as they continued to walk through the chill.