When discharge day arrived, the nurses gathered to say goodbye. Lily sat in her wheelchair, Milo trotting beside her, his tag catching the sunlight with every step. Applause broke out softly, then faded into tears and smiles as the doors closed behind them.
From the window above, Maya watched them cross the courtyard—the small girl in her bright jacket, the dog glued to her side. Their shadows stretched long across the pavement, slow and steady, like the rhythm of two hearts beating as one.