Lily wiggled, pointing a small finger. “Doggie,” she chirped. The moment Ranger saw Lily, something in him softened — a tiny tilt of the head, a barely-there wag of his tail, like a flicker of light cutting through fog. Emily’s heart clenched. She lowered Lily a little so the toddler could see better. Lily giggled, bouncing in her mother’s arms.
And then Ranger did something that made Emily freeze. He stepped forward slowly — not lunging, not crowding the gate — and gently lowered his head until it rested just inches from the metal bars. His tail wagged again, shy but unmistakably warm. David blinked. “Is he… wagging at her?” Emily nodded, tears pricking unexpectedly behind her eyes.