With trembling arms, she raised her jar. « I want to bid on Max, » she declared in a weak but confident voice.
At first, the audience chuckled. What was a child doing in a place where wallets were overflowing and bids were in the hundreds? But suddenly, a senior officer rose from the back of the room. His silver badge glittered as he announced, « This is Parker’s daughter. »
The atmosphere froze. The name was heavy with meaning. Respect. Memory. Loss.
A silence fell. Then, something unexpected happened. One bidder lowered their offer. Another did the same. « Let the girl take the dog, » someone said. In a few moments, the auction transformed into an act of compassion. No one outbid them.
The auctioneer, his voice thick with emotion, closed Max’s file. « Sold. To Lily Parker. For eighty-two dollars and forty-seven cents. »
When Lily stepped onto the platform, Max stood up and pressed his head to her chest. She buried her face in her fur, tears streaming down her cheeks, while the crowd—adult men and women—watched them in respectful silence. That night, Max didn’t return to the kennel. He went home.
Mourning shared in silence
The house, however, was no longer the same. The walls that once echoed with Hannah’s laughter and her bedtime stories were now silent, only the ticking of the kitchen clock echoed through them.
Max stayed by Lily’s side during those desolate nights. He no longer barked, no longer patrolled as before. Slower, older, he nevertheless never took his eyes off her. When she cried, he gave her his hand for her to hold onto. In their grief, they were like two peas in a pod: two hearts filled with the same emptiness.
For three weeks, they lived in this tranquil shadow. And then, one afternoon, everything changed.
The discovery in the cupboard
Lily came home from school earlier than expected, suffering from a stomachache. Her neighbor lit a candle in the hallway, and as a faint scent of vanilla wafted through the house, Max stiffened. His ears perked up. He walked slowly to the closet and sat down, his eyes fixed on the door.
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