I stood there frozen. My face was hot and I didn’t know why.

He clicked his tongue, and the younger dog started moving again. The cart wheels creaked behind them, slow and steady, as they disappeared down the trail.

I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. How long can he keep going like this?

For the next few days, I avoided the trail. Not on purpose, exactly, but something about seeing him unsettled me. Maybe it was guilt. Or shame. Or just… being reminded that love looks different when it’s not easy.