Chapter 814

chapter814

While Owen Reynolds was huffing and puffing, rolling snowballs in the yard, Roseanne was buried in data entry at the lab, her attention fixed on the numbers flickering across her computer screen.

Mamie and Scales had already gone home for the day.

She was the only one left.

She'd grown so used to Mamie's constant chatter that, for a moment that morning, the quiet felt almost unnatural as she stepped inside. But the moment she climbed onto her workbench and started her experiments, that unease melted away.

Roseanne never feared solitude. The years Murray kept her shut away in that big, empty house had already taught her how to be alone.

She could read by herself, study by herself, cook for herself, eat alone, and wait for time to pass alone.

Doing research could be a group effort or a solo journey. She'd understood that for a long time.

Around noon, Roseanne rubbed her neck, stiff from too many hours hunched over her notes, and headed to the break room for lunch.

She'd made her meal that morning-just needed to pop it in the microwave to heat it up.

She ate as she scrolled absently through her social feed.

Suddenly, a post from Stoddard, just an hour ago, caught her eye:

Text: "Rolled so many I feel sick."

Attached was a photo-three neat rows of snowballs, each one nearly identical in size, lined up in the snow.

Three rows!

Honestly, it was kind of impressive.

Roseanne hit "like" and left a comment:

[Mr. Stoddard, you're on fire!]

Stoddard replied instantly: [It wasn't me who was fired.]

A minute later, as if the last word hadn't been had, he added: [Actually, I think it's

not 'fire,' it's 'for iPhone.']

Roseanne was lost: []

Stoddard didn't reply again.

For iPhone? What did that even mean?

She shrugged it off, finished her lunch, stretched her legs for a moment, and was soon back at her bench.

Winter days ended early; Roseanne figured there was no point taking a nap getting up again would be twice as hard, and she'd rather finish her work sooner so she could get home early.

Everything went smoothly, so by four in the afternoon, she called a cab and headed back.

Just as she stepped into her street, she spotted two kids in front of the neighboring building, working on a snowman.

And not a bad snowman, either.

The nose and eyes were well-placed, a bright red scarf wrapped around its neck, and they'd perched a metal mixing bowl on its head for a hat.

It actually looked great.

Roseanne paused, unable to help herself, and stood quietly at the side, watching as the kids packed handful after handful of snow onto the snowman's belly. Before long, it was perfectly round.

Owen Reynolds turned into the street just in time to see Roseanne, utterly absorbed, staring at the two kids as if she were conducting an experiment more fascinating than anything in the lab.

He walked up behind her, and she didn't even notice.

"Do you like it that much?" he teased.

Roseanne spun around in surprise, but her eyes crinkled with a smile the next moment. "Oh, Professor! You're home too?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I was pretty productive today."

Not only had he finished two sets of data analysis, he'd even learned how to roll snowballs.

If that wasn't efficiency, what was?

Roseanne pointed at the nearly finished snowman. "Look how good it is! These kids are incredible."

Hearing the praise, the two kids looked up, beaming. "Miss, come play with us!"

Roseanne waved her hands quickly. "Oh, no, you two go ahead-I'm not very good at it. I just like watching."

Once the snowman was finished, the kids' parents called them in for dinner. "Bye, Miss!" one shouted.

Then, turning to Owen, the other added politely, "Bye, Mister!" before they both bounced away, giggling.

"Roseanne," Owen said suddenly.

She turned to him. "Yeah?"

"Let's roll some snowballs! I was off my game this morning-let's try again! People

from the north grow up with snow; there's nothing we can't do."

hovel

Owen couldn't believe it himself-the first time in his life he ever bragged, it wasn't about research or publishing, but about his snowball-rolling skills.

Roseanne's eyes lit up. "Really?!"

"Come on-let's make the biggest snowball on the block."