“I thought he was gone forever.” The Marine whispered it like a confession. The dog stood inches away, calm, steady, as if it had been waiting years for this exact moment. The street felt unnaturally quiet. No laughter. No footsteps. Just a few strangers standing still without understanding why. The Marine’s boots scraped the pavement as he knelt. His shoulders were tense, rigid — the posture of someone who never fully came home. His hands shook openly now. The dog’s eyes never left his face. Me