Cecy and Baby curl together in the warm kennel. Their tails twitch. "We're going soon," someone whispers.
Two women point. One at Cecy. One at Baby. They're lifted into separate car rides. Cecy presses her nose to the window. Baby's pink ears disappear.
The new pillow smells like nothing at all. No Baby. Cecy circles three times and flops onto her back with a soft sigh.
A week later. The car door opens — and a curly tail wags from the next yard!
Cecy bolts through the gate. Their paws click together on the path. Then — tumble!
They sniff each other's ears. Then nap — head to head — through the fence.
Evening arrives. Both sleep, dreaming of the other's warm breath.
Close now. Closer than ever.