The officers exchanged glances, their rigid postures softening. Even the animal control worker let out a quiet laugh of relief, shaking his head in wonder. The grim tension cracked, replaced with awe at the unlikely scene: a stray dog guarding a litter not his own.
Tina pressed her palms against her eyes, tears leaking through her fingers. Relief swept over her like a tide, washing away the gnawing dread that had consumed her all evening. She laughed then, a wild, shaky sound, disbelief mingling with gratitude.