He held it not as an object, but as a tether—proof that something once lost could return. Ethan breathed in the cool air and smiled faintly. He no longer felt like an outsider drifting through unfamiliar streets.
The town had opened itself to him, piece by piece, until its history had become his own. What began with a dog’s frantic digging had ended with memories restored—and with Ethan discovering a place where he finally belonged.