Riya walked down the cracked sidewalk of Elm Street, her sneakers scuffing the hot asphalt. A flat brown shape near the storm drain caught her eye.
She bent and picked it up — a leather wallet, its edges worn soft. Inside, thick bills fanned out like golden leaves, and a photograph showed an older man smiling beside a golden retriever.
She could buy so many things — a new bike, ten comic books, maybe even a bicycle with streamers. Her fingers traced the photographs of the smiling man and his dog.
Riya pocketed the wallet and walked toward the corner store, the bills pressing against her hip like a secret. She imagined the toy shelf — bright, shiny, impossible to resist.
Then she heard the jingle of loose change from her own pocket. It stopped. Her hand came out, empty. She looked at the wallet again. The dog's smile stared back.
She turned around and walked the long way to the blue-painted police station at the end of Maple Avenue.
The station door was heavy and stuck halfway open. Inside, fluorescent lights buzzed. A brass bell above the counter clanged loudly when Riya stepped inside.
The officer behind the desk looked down, taking in her scuffed shoes and clenched wallet. He slid it open with careful hands and whistled softly.
"Someone's going to be very glad you're here," the officer said. Riya nodded, her shoulders loosening like untying a knot.
Three days passed. Riya built a cardboard fort in her backyard, almost forgetting about the wallet.
Then a knock echoed — three firm raps on the front door.
The man from the photo stood on her porch, his golden retriever sitting obediently beside him. His eyes were wet.
He handed Riya a small box tied with red ribbon, opened it to reveal a shiny new keychain shaped like a dog.
"My dog would have been so proud," he said, crouching down to her level. The retriever licked Riya's hand, rough and warm.
She clipped the keychain onto her backpack zipper and smiled. The golden retriever wagged its tail once, twice, three times.
Riya walked home down Elm Street, the keychain jingling with each step. The cracked sidewalk didn't seem so boring anymore.
