A Mother’s Quiet Courage in the Grass
The dog’s eyes were sharp, searching. She stood in the trash-strewn alley, her ribs pressing against thin fur. She nosed through the garbage. Plastic bags crinkled under her paws. Her ears flicked at distant sounds—car horns, voices, the hum of a summer evening. She was alone, but not alone. Somewhere, her pups waited. She moved …