The little girl didn’t respond when Manny called to her, not even a flinch—just a faint twitch of her fingers. Her lips were a frightening shade of blue. She wasn’t asleep. She was slipping away.
When Manny reached forward too quickly, the dog lunged, snapping in panic. Manny froze, letting the animal sniff the sleeve of his jacket, letting it feel his warmth. The tension eased by degrees, thawing one heartbeat at a time.