Inside the shelter, Juno stirred. Then he bolted. Gabby rushed to open the gate just as Juniper flung himself forward. The moment their eyes met, the barking stopped—and then erupted into chaos. Paws flew, bodies collided, tails thumped wildly. The two brothers crashed into each other with the kind of force only grief and love could create.
Gabby stood frozen, tears falling hard and fast. All around her, the shelter had gone quiet. Staff members wiped their eyes. Someone clutched their chest. The boys yelped, rolled, nuzzled, unable to stop touching, pressing, licking—as if making sure the other was real. Gabby finally let out a sob, her whole body trembling from the weight of relief.