For a moment, I thought I’d misheard him. “Excuse me?”

He swallowed hard, his voice breaking. “Her name’s Daisy. I love her more than anything, but I can’t take care of her anymore. She’s cold all the time. I don’t have enough to feed her. She deserves better.”

I stood frozen, my mind racing. The last thing I needed was another responsibility. Between work, bills, and raising Liam, I could barely hold myself together. My instinct was to refuse. But before I could speak, I felt a tug on my coat.

“Mom,” Liam whispered, his big brown eyes glistening. “Please. She needs us.”

That was it. In that moment, I couldn’t say no. I saw the way Liam’s gaze locked onto Daisy, the way the dog’s tail wagged weakly as if sensing hope.

“All right,” I said quietly.

The man’s shoulders dropped with relief. He knelt, whispered something into Daisy’s ear, and kissed her head. “Be good, girl. You’re going to be loved.” His hands trembled as he let her leash go. Then, without another word, he turned back toward the shadows of the lot.

That night, Liam insisted on bathing Daisy. He wrapped her in his favorite blue blanket and set her gently in his bed. She looked up at him with those wide, trusting eyes and licked his cheek. I hadn’t seen Liam smile that big in months.