At the two-hour mark, Gabby dialed the number Josh had listed. It rang once—then died. The second number was switched off. She tried again. Still nothing. A cold unease crept in. Her fingers tightened around the phone. Something wasn’t right. And whatever it was, it had already begun.
She returned to the kennel, where Juno lay curled, trembling, eyes fixed on the door. Gabby sat beside him, her voice a whisper: “You’ll be reunited with your brother in no time Juno.” But the words turned to ash in her mouth. Even Juno had stopped crying—like he already understood what she was still trying to deny.
By 9:03 p.m., the sky had blackened. No message. No update. Just silence. And in that silence, as Juno stared blankly into the dark, Gabby felt a weight drop in her chest—a heavy, aching truth she couldn’t name yet, but one that shattered her in a way she hadn’t expected…..