Not fear exactly.
Decision.
The highway roared behind us, indifferent.
And for the first time since I stopped, it became clear this wasn’t about returning something.
It was about not letting him be taken from the only place he’d chosen on his own.
PART 2
The man’s jaw tightened.
For a second, I thought he was going to argue.
Instead, he glanced down at Bo and forced a smile that never reached his eyes.
“Come on, boy,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Bo didn’t move.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the traffic.
The man tried again.
“Bo.”
Nothing.
Not even a step.
Just that same pressure against my leg.
The man’s face changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Enough to reveal the irritation underneath the performance.
“You don’t understand,” he said, looking at me now instead of the dog. “My father is gone. I’m his next of kin.”
