Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed novel Chapter 133

“Coming back home was for two reasons. First, I missed you like crazy. Second, I hoped Mom and Dad could give me another shot to fix my mistakes." Said Roseanne.

For years, she'd stayed away, terrified of seeing that look of disappointment in her parents' eyes. It was also about proving to them that her choices weren't wrong. But reality had other plans, slapping her hard in the face. She was wrong and astronomically off the mark.

Norris' eyes trembled slightly. Did he hear that right? Was she admitting her mistakes?

Madge felt a pang in her heart. If their strong-willed daughter admitted her mistake, it must mean she'd been through a lot.

"Are you... are you sure about this?" Norris' tone visibly softened.

Roseanne bit her lip. "I've thought it over. It’s just that I was afraid of upsetting you, so I didn't dare come home..."

She gave a sniffle, remembering how scared and unsure she was before coming back home.

She cautiously looked up. "Mom, Dad, can I stay? I want to spend Christmas with you."

Norris turned away, hiding the tears in his eyes, his voice gruff, "Since you're back, you might as well stay."

Madge sighed with relief. "Come on. Bring your suitcases to your room. Dinner's getting cold..."

Roseanne couldn't hold back her tears anymore, bursting into laughter and sobs. "Mom, Dad, I've missed you so much. This time, I've finally found my way back home."

Madge's eyes watered as she embraced her long-lost daughter. After six years, their family was whole again.

...

It took a long while for the family, reunited after six years, to calm their tears and compose themselves.

Norris denied crying. "It's just my seasonal conjunctivitis acting up. Don't you know?"

Madge rolled her eyes. Yeah, right.

As he headed to the kitchen, he remembered, "Wait. I haven't finished cooking dinner yet."

Madge chuckled, rising to check on his cooking. "Did you end up cooking the fish again? I've told you to leave it to me. You never get it right. Let me see how you've done..."

"We only had three dishes prepared, and that's not enough now that Anne's back. I'll head to the market to get some more."

Madge reminded him. "And don't forget the bacon."

"I know. Anne loves it."

Hearing her folks' voices, Roseanne felt a wave of warmth inside her.

She looked out the window. The storm had passed, and the skies were clear. It was perfect.