Back at the barn, George set the puppies down gently in a soft bed of hay he had prepared in an empty stall. The mother dog sniffed around, circling the space before lying down beside her pups, her eyes reflecting gratitude and relief.
George knelt beside the little family, running his hand along the mother’s back. “You’ll be safe here,” he whispered, feeling a deep sense of contentment that he hadn’t felt in months. The barn, once so quiet and empty, now hummed with life. The puppies snuggled close to their mother, their tiny bodies warm and peaceful.