Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Norris quickly nodded, "Sure, sure, we'll catch up later."

Owen gave a slight nod, then took his leave.

Once inside, Roseanne busied herself with the luggage.

Madge and Norris began to survey their daughter's living space.

A two-bedroom apartment, neither big nor small.

Although the layout and basic fixtures showed signs of wear and tear, the personal touches were evident.

The sofa, cabinets, and appliances all looked brand new.

Some of the unavoidable flaws were cleverly hidden with decorative pieces - a cover here, a screen there, managing to conceal most of the imperfections.

At first glance, it looked like a cozy and well-appointed little apartment.

Seeing the disheveled state of the stairwell earlier, they hadn't held much hope for their daughter's living situation.

But stepping inside, they found themselves in a completely different world.

Madge was pleased.

Not just because Roseanne had managed to make the rented apartment look so lovely, but also because it showed her daughter's earnest approach to life.

In her eyes, life could be simple, but one's attitude towards life should never be compromised.

When she and Norris first got married, Norris's monthly salary was only $3,200, and he had to give $2,000 to his parents, leaving them with just $1,200 to spend.

With Roseanne's arrival, their financial situation got even tighter.

But even so, Madge would still buy a bouquet every fortnight.

If they had a little extra, she'd opt for something pricier; if it was the end of the month and money was tight, she'd pick wildflowers during their weekend hikes, arranging them in a bottle, and that was just as good. Roseanne always thought her mother had a taste for the finer things.

Even the occasional splurge seemed out of character for a child raised in a regular household.

But whenever she asked about the past, Madge would say she'd forgotten, struggling to recall any details.

Roseanne suspected that her mother's family must have been well-off.

Norris shared the same thought, so he'd rather scrimp and save himself than limit Madge's spending.

He used to say, "Your mom settled for less when she got with me.

thused up all my luck t

her out of that

So, whenever they faced misfortune, he'd just laugh it off.

ay -

Norris said, "Ever heard of the First Law of Thermodynamics? It's about the conservation of energy. Meeting your mom, that was energy plus; the other difficulties in life, that's energy minus. Because the plus was so much at once, the minus has to come slowly, right?"

Back then, Roseanne was just starting middle school and had recently encountered physics competitions.

After hearing this, she could only draw two conclusions:

1. Dad thinks he's not unlucky enough.

2. Being unlucky for the rest of his life is okay.

Norris was speechless.

Madge: "Hahaha..."

"Mom, Dad, don't just stand there, sit down and rest a bit, have some water..."NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

After pushing the luggage into the Roseanne went to the

to boil water and maknet swelongs to

lemon tea. Content.

"Anne," Madge asked after taking a sip, "Is Mr. Reynolds married?"

"I don't think so."

"Does he have a girlfriend then?"

Roseanne paused, amused, "Mom, are you always this nosy?"

"Just asking. With his looks and successful career, he must have no shortage of girls around him, right?" Roseanne thought for a moment, "Well, since I've moved here, I haven't seen any girls around him." Madge seemed thoughtful.