Claire nodded, crying quietly. “He followed the sound he knew,” she said. “He found you because he never stopped listening.” Lily reached out and took her hand. Milo lay between them, head low, eyes soft, as if finally at peace. Claire opened the box and gave her an old, used ball, “My son trained Milo to fetch using this. You keep it now.”
The two families stayed in that room for a long time. No words were needed. It was just gratitude, shared in silence. In that moment, everyone seemed to understand something larger than explanation: love, once given, never really left. It only changed its home.