He let out a long breath — one of those slow exhales that meant he was trying to be reasonable, trying to balance his nerves with her certainty. “Okay,” he said finally. “We can… look. Just look.” Emily sat up straighter, eyes brightening. “No promises?” “No promises,” he confirmed. But the flutter in Emily’s chest felt dangerously close to hope.
Sometimes life didn’t need big changes to shift — just a small idea that refused to leave. And this idea… stayed. So when they visited the shelter a few days later, neither of them expected the right dog to appear almost immediately. Emily had expected the shelter to be loud — but not this loud. Barking ricocheted off the concrete walls, a steady chorus of excitement and nerves.