The boy vanished from the yard, and eight years later, his father looked under the neighbor’s doghouse and went pale…

Michael nodded, already turning back to the kennel. “See you then.” As Thomas walked back across the street, he couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling.

Nothing in their conversation was overtly suspicious. Michael was polite, if a bit awkward. But something felt off.

Maybe it was just the unusual sight of a reclusive neighbor suddenly planning to get a new pet after years of solitude. Or perhaps the oddity of someone doing carpentry in the snow. Reaching his front door, Thomas brushed off the thoughts.

People cope with grief differently, and if Michael was finally taking steps toward a new life, that could only be a good sign. Thomas stepped inside, shaking snow off his boots in the entryway. Emily was in the living room, tidying scattered pillows and magazines that had piled up over the week.

“He agreed to dinner,” Thomas announced, hanging his jacket on the hook by the door. Emily’s face brightened. “That’s wonderful.

What time should we expect him?” “Around six, probably. You know what’s interesting? He’s building a new dog kennel and planning to get a dog. I offered to go with him to the breeder this afternoon.”

Emily paused, looking at him with surprise. “A dog after all these years?” She smiled thoughtfully. “See, I told you he must be lonely.”

“Getting a pet is a good first step toward healing.” Thomas returned to the dining table, where he’d left the police documents. “Maybe so.

It’s just unexpected. He’s kept that old kennel as a sort of memorial all these years.” Emily resumed cleaning, moving to the kitchen.

“People find different ways to move on. By the way, we need groceries for dinner tonight. We’re almost out of everything, and I want to make something special.”

Thomas sighed quietly, eyeing the stack of papers before him. He’d hoped to spend the morning reviewing the new leads, gathering his thoughts before the week consumed his time again. “Could you grab the groceries? I’d like to tackle these documents today.”

“Could you help with the shopping?” Emily asked. “I want to clean the house properly for tonight, and you know I’m not great at driving in this weather. It’s too cold to walk or wait for a bus.”

Thomas looked at his wife’s hopeful face and felt a familiar pang of guilt. She asked for so little lately, and it was her idea to reconnect with their neighbor, taking a small but meaningful step toward normalcy. “Alright,” he relented.

“I’ve got time before Michael’s ready to go to the breeder. I’ll grab the groceries, bring them back, and then, if he’s ready, head out with him.” Emily’s grateful smile was worth sacrificing his morning plans.

She quickly jotted down a shopping list, adding items while checking the pantry and fridge. Thomas stepped outside again, shoveling the path from the front door to the driveway before starting the car. He let the engine warm up, his breath forming small clouds in the frigid air.

As he was about to pull out of the driveway, he saw Michael crossing the street toward him. Thomas called out to Michael, approaching the car window. Thomas rolled it down.

“Hey, you done with the kennel already?” Michael shook his head. “Actually, I just remembered I’ve got a meetup with some friends this morning. I’ll have to skip the breeder trip, but I’m still good for dinner.”

“No problem,” Thomas replied, surprised that the reclusive Michael had any plans. “I’m just heading to the store. See you at six.”

Michael nodded and walked back to his house. Thomas watched him go, that uneasy feeling creeping back. In all their years as neighbors, he’d never heard Michael mention friends or gatherings.

Then again, they hadn’t been particularly close in recent years. Both families had retreated into their private grief. Thomas drove to the supermarket, his thoughts shifting between memories of Caleb and mental notes of what to buy.

The supermarket was relatively empty for a Saturday, likely due to the forecast predicting more snow later that day. He methodically worked through the list, adding a few items he knew Emily liked but forgot to write down. As he loaded groceries into the car, heavy gray clouds gathered overhead, promising the predicted snowfall would arrive sooner than expected.

As Thomas pulled out of the supermarket parking lot, a familiar car passed on the main road. He squinted and recognized Michael’s blue sedan. The car’s windows were clear enough for Thomas to see that Michael was alone, driving in the opposite direction from their neighborhood.

Thomas’s route home partially overlapped with this road, and he found himself trailing Michael’s car at a distance. A few minutes later, Michael’s car turned into the parking lot of Western Kennels, the local dog breeder Thomas had mentioned earlier. Thomas drove past slowly, confusion settling in.

Michael had canceled their joint trip, claiming he had plans with friends. Yet here he was, at the very breeder, alone. For a moment, Thomas considered pulling in, but what would he say?

He had no right to question Michael over a harmless lie. Maybe he just wanted to pick out a dog on his own, without outside opinions. Or perhaps he was meeting friends there…