And then... she''dpletely forgotten!
"Grandma, I—”
"Honey, could you watch the stove for me?" Roseanne heard her grandmother call out to her grandfather. “This has been simmering for three hours, it just needs thisst bit of heat. You have to watch it for me. It''s too noisy in here, I''m going outside to talk to Anne..."
The old woman must have moved to the living room, because the sound of the range hood disappeared.
"Anne, can you hear me clearly now? What were you saying?"
"Nothing... I''ll be there on time. Thank you for making so much delicious food, Grandma."
"It''s no trouble at all!" the olddy chirped happily before ending the call and bustling back into the kitchen.
After hanging up, Roseanne immediately called Owen. It was still early; he probably... hadn''t left yet, right?
The phone rang twice before Owen picked up.
"Roseanne?"
"Mr. Reynolds, I''m so sorry, but today I might—”
Before she could finish, a notification for an ess request popped up on her tablet, and the screen automatically disyed the feed from the camera outside the door.
Who else could it be but Owen?
"Roseanne, I''m at the door. Did you get the ess request?"
Roseanne was speechless. He was way too early!
When Owen came in, he noticed Roseanne wasn''t in the experiment area, and her workbench was clean and tidy.
"Professor, I''m so sorry..."
"What''s wrong? Why are you suddenly apologizing?" he asked, surprised.
"Well... I forgot that I promised my grandmother I''d go to her ce for lunch today. So... I''m really sorry, but I have to stand you up. I was just calling to tell you, but I didn''t expect..."
Owen paused for a second, then understood. "Is that all? That hardly warrants such a formal apology. You should go spend time with your grandmother. I can eat by myself."
Remembering he had turned down a lunch with his colleagues and friends specifically to meet her, only for her to mess things up, Roseanne was filled with guilt.
"Professor, why don''t youe with me to my grandparents'' house for lunch?”
After all, her grandparents knew Owen and had a very good impression of him. They would surely wee him.
"Is... is that a good idea?"
It was a family meal. An outsider shouldn''t impose.
But the more Roseanne thought about it, the better the idea seemed it solved both problems. "Then it''s settled!"
"In that case... I''d be happy to join
you and
pay my respects to
grandparents. It''s been a whilet
ve seen them
Since to
Just as they were about to leave, they ran into Carlson walking out of the break
room.
No, to be more precise, he seemed to float out.
He moved without a sound, with dark circles under his eyes and a listless
expression, yawning as he walked.
Seeing Roseanne and Owen, he froze for two seconds.
When he came to his senses, he quickly greeted them, "Roseanne, Mr. Reynolds, you''re here?"
Owen gave a slight nod.
Roseanne, however, stared at him, her eyes sizing him up.
Carlson scratched his head. "Well, I''ll let you two get back to it. I''m heading to the experiment area."
Watching his unsteady gait, Roseanne''s frown deepened. “Did you pull another all- nighterst night?"
Carlson went silent.
She knew it!
Roseanne was genuinely angry. "You stayed upte the night beforest, and then you pulled an all-nighterst night. Have you even slept a total obfour hours? Are you trying to do research, or are you trying to kill yourself?"
Carlson was a bit stunned by the scolding, standing frozen like a deer in the headlights.
He...
He had often worked at this intensity before, but no one had ever said anything.
And certainly, no one had ever blown up at him over how many hours he had slept, the way Roseanne just did.
It was unfamiliar and strange, but at
the same time, it sparked an
unprecedented feeling of warmth and gratitude inside him.
"Roseanne..."
“Don''t say anything. Just get your things, you''reing with me to my house for lunch."
Carlson was baffled.