Over the next days, Manny visited the girl, Mia, briefly, always letting her set the pace. Through hesitant fragments, she began revealing pieces of her story in soft, trembling sentences released like secrets. She spoke as if everything she’d endured still lived close enough to touch and could swallow her again.
Eventually, she explained that “Max” wasn’t the dog at all. Max was her older foster brother, the one who tried to shield her when their home grew frightening. Her voice softened when she said his name, carrying both longing and worry, as though she feared remembering might mean losing him forever.