My hands fall away from Lila as I stare back at my sister. “You … Lila … Wait, what?”

Beth sets her phone aside and folds her hands in her lap. “Vanessa felt so confident in all the work you’ve been doing with Lila that she went ahead and put her picture up on the rescue’s website,” she explains. And she’s doing that thing with her voice again, where it goes all soft, like she’s talking to a little kid. “She didn’t put up any of her information yet or anything. Just a note that she’d be available for adoption soon. But someone called the rescue today.”

“Why does that matter if she ain’t ready to be adopted yet?” The words come out forceful and angry. “I’m still training her. I’m still—”

“I know,” Beth says. “I know, Hadley. And normally Vanessa would have just told the person that. Asked them to wait awhile. But the person who called … she thinks Lila is her dog.”

“I don’t understand.”

Beth slides off the couch and comes to sit on the floor with Lila and me, her legs folded. She reaches out and strokes Lila’s back. Lila doesn’t move away from her. Instead, her tail thumps against the floor. And I realize just how much she really has changed since we brought her here.

“The woman who called the rescue recognized Lila’s picture,” Beth says. “She thinks Lila is her dog. Or was her dog. She misses her, and she wants her back.”

“And Vanessa is just gonna give her back?” I demand.

“She’s going to meet her first. And she wants us to come to the rescue to meet her, too. With Lila. To see how Lila reacts to her.”

“Why is she giving her a chance at all?” My voice is loud now. Almost yelling. I don’t wanna be, but I can’t help it. My chest feels tight and my hands are shaking.

“Hadley …”

“Lila ended up in a shelter,” I say. “Because y’all got her out of the shelter, right? That’s how she got to Right Choice. But how’d she wind up in a shelter to begin with? If this woman wants her back, she never should’ve lost her in the first place.”

“I don’t think she gave Lila up on purpose,” Beth says. She’s still petting Lila, but her other hand reaches out to touch my shoulder. I jerk away. My sister sighs. “Vanessa had a long talk with her today. She had the same question as you. It sounds like Michelle—that’s the woman’s name—went through … a hard time. She had to go away for a while, and Lila got taken to the shelter. But Michelle is doing better now, and she’s been looking for Lila for some time.”

“Had to go away to where?”

Beth runs a hand through her hair. “I normally wouldn’t tell you this, but Michelle was very open about it, and Vanessa got her permission to share after she explained where Lila was.” Still, she hesitates for a minute before answering. “Michelle was arrested about a year ago. She went to jail. Lila was with her when it happened, so the police took Lila to a shelter. And then Right Choice took her in a few months later.”

“No.”

“No what?”

“She can’t have Lila back.”

“Hadley, I know you love Lila. And you’ve done a real good job with her. But we can’t keep her.”

“That ain’t the point,” I snap. But maybe it is. Just a little. “This lady went to jail. People go to jail because they’ve done something wrong. Something bad. Why should she get Lila back if she did something bad enough to go to jail?”

“People mess up sometimes. And sometimes they try really hard to make up for it and do better,” Beth says softly. “Vanessa says Michelle seems to have gotten her life together. And she loves Lila and misses her a whole lot.”

“She should’ve thought about that before she messed up, then,” I mutter. “It’s too late. Y’all can’t give her back to this lady.”

“We want what’s best for Lila. Vanessa and I aren’t just gonna hand her over without making sure it’s the right thing to do. Which is why Vanessa wants all of us to come to the rescue to meet her this Saturday.”

“I ain’t doing it.”

“Yes, Hadley, you are.” She reaches out and puts her hand on my shoulder again, and when I try to jerk away, she tightens her grip, just slightly. I look up at her. “You love Lila, right?”

I try to shrug, but even as I do, I can’t help answering truthfully. “Yeah.”

“Then think about it from Lila’s perspective,” Beth suggests. “She might really love Michelle, and she might miss her a lot. If it turns out Michelle could have a good home for her, doesn’t Lila deserve to be with her again?”

I look down at Lila, whose head is resting in my lap now. She’s staring up at me with those big, dark eyes. They look almost concerned. And I’m annoyed to realize I’m having to blink back tears.

“How do you know this lady really cares about her, though?” I ask. My voice comes out choked. “If she messed up bad enough to get arrested and get taken away from Lila, how do you know she really cares about her? And what if it happens again?”

“I can understand why that’s something you’re afraid of, but sometimes people do learn from their mistakes,” Beth says. Her hand on my shoulder is gentle now. “You can meet her this weekend. I promise you, Hadley, if Vanessa or I—even for a second—think Michelle won’t take care of Lila or that Lila won’t be happy with her, we won’t just hand her over. We want Lila to be happy. And we have to give her that chance to be. You love her. You’ve been so good for her. And I know you want her to be happy.”

“If … if she’s awful, you won’t make Lila go?”

“Of course not.”

“And if she is okay … does that mean Lila will just leave with her? This weekend?”

“No,” Beth says. “It won’t be that quick. Vanessa is going to interview her and do a home visit—make sure she’s got enough space for Lila and all that. And then we’re going to meet her, make sure she and Lila get along. Make sure Lila seems like she’ll be happy with her. And if all that goes well, there will still be paperwork to do. Lila will stay with us for a few more days while we wrap things up.”

I nod, but I don’t say nothing. I’m pretty sure if I do, I won’t be able to stop myself from bawling.

“It’s gonna be okay, Hadley.”

But I ain’t so sure she’s right about that.

“Okay,” Beth says, giving Lila one last pet before pushing herself to her feet. “Why, um … why don’t I heat up some of those leftover pulled pork sandwiches? I know it’s a bit early for dinner but … but yeah. I’m gonna make us sandwiches, okay?”

I don’t answer. I don’t think Beth expects me to. I keep my head down and listen to her footsteps as she walks into the kitchen. My eyes stay on Lila’s face. She’s still staring back at me.

I lean down and press my face against the top of Lila’s head and wrap my arms around her.

And then I stop trying to hold back the tears.

I just let myself cry into Lila’s fur.