My gaze fell on the scattered empty bags—top-tier dehydrated chicken, freeze-dried liver. The price tags I recalled were exorbitant. "These... rewards for Charlie?" Lily nodded. "He resisted at first... terrified of the rings... treats coaxed him..." Her voice dipped, recalling the struggle. "So expensive... blew my budget..." At "treats," Charlie perked up, nudging Lily's hand, tail whirling like a propeller. Lily laughed through tears, feeding him the last meat scrap.
The Shattered Lock
The study settled into a weary yet warm calm. Lily's tears dried, though her eyes remained swollen. Charlie crunched contentedly. A draft stirred the damaged door, its hinges groaning; the lock dangled pathetically. We stared at it in unison, silence thickening. Lily glanced at the wreckage, then at me, expression mingling exasperation and weary amusement. She opened her mouth, sighed softly, and said nothing—yet that sigh stung more than any reproach.
The Clumsy Pup's Challenge
Finished with his treat, Charlie licked his chops. Forgetting the turmoil, he eyed the skateboard again. Tail wagging, he nudged it onto the floor, placed his front paws on it, and kicked off with his hind legs. The board rolled forward—then struck the ramp with a thud, sending him tumbling backward into a pile of books, collapsing half the cardboard. He scrambled up, shaking off dust, staring at us dazedly as if asking, "What just happened? Who am I?"
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