Bubbles struck the makeshift net, knocking two teenagers onto wet ground. They held the jackets closed until Clara reached them. She gathered him against her chest, searching desperately for injuries. Bubbles trembled, released one indignant cry, then pressed his face beneath her chin and began purring with astonishing strength.
Firefighters arrived minutes later, accompanied by Lucy and Mr. Grady. They examined Bubbles and treated the climber’s injured wrist. When Grady began mentioning vandalism, Clara interrupted him. “You decided who they were before learning what they did,” she said firmly. She recognized the accusation applied equally to herself. She explained to Grady how the boys helped. Clara, then, apologized to the boys without offering excuses. They accepted awkwardly. Lucy embraced each of them. Bubbles remained inside Clara’s coat, watching his rescuers with the suspicious expression he ordinarily reserved for visiting veterinarians.