He hugged the dog tightly, burying his face in its thick fur. The tears he had denied himself all those years flowed freely.

He cried loudly, without shame, like a child, while the dog whimpered softly, as if it too understood that their time was short.

— You are my girl… my faithful one… — he whispered, holding her tighter. — What will you do without me?..

His hands trembled as he stroked her back again and again, as if trying to remember every detail. The dog looked at him with devoted eyes.

— Forgive me… for leaving you alone, — his voice broke, becoming hoarse. — I couldn’t prove the truth… but at least I was always needed by you.

The guards stood motionless; many looked away. Even the harshest could not remain indifferent: before them was not a criminal, but a man who, in the last moments of his life, held the only thing left from his world.