Aaron looked at the name carved in marble: Emily Carter, 1989–2024.

Something twisted in his chest.
“Someone call animal rescue?”

“They tried. The dog bites everyone who gets too close.”

Aaron reached out slowly. “Not everyone.”

When his fingers brushed the puppy’s head, it trembled but didn’t pull away. He wrapped his jacket around it and whispered, “You’re safe now.”

At the vet’s office, they found a tag on its collar: “Lulu.”

Aaron smiled. “Lulu it is.”