She was breathing on him softly, again and again, with the patience of someone afraid to move too fast.
The other puppies made faint sounds inside the box, their bodies pressed together like folded socks in the dirty rags.
Canela lowered her muzzle over them, but her eyes kept returning to the bracelet on the floor.
Miguel noticed that every time Lupita looked at it, the dog’s ears flattened against her head.
“It came from somewhere,” Miguel said. “Someone put it in that box, or someone lost it near her.”
“Or Canela took it,” Lupita said quietly.
Miguel stared at her.
“She dragged six newborn puppies across the highway,” Lupita continued. “Maybe she dragged that bracelet for a reason too.”
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