HE WOULDNT STOP CLIMBING INTO MY LAP, EVEN WHEN HE COULD BARELY STAND

I hadn’t meant to stop that day. My backseat was full of groceries, my phone battery was dying, and I was already running late. But then I saw him—curled up by the curb like a forgotten scrap of life. His ribs stuck out, one ear was torn, and his legs trembled when he tried to stand. He didn’t flinch when I approached. He just looked at me like he already knew I wouldn’t hurt him.