Dave’s breath caught. He leaned in, squinting, but he couldn’t see anything. Max stood up again, his ears standing straight up, his nose twitching so fast it looked like it was vibrating. He let out a soft whine, a sound that was half-pleading, half-excited.
Jake set down the flashlight and grabbed a small net from the truck— the kind used to fish out debris from drains. He lowered it into the drain, his hand steady, and maneuvered it toward the back wall. Dave held his breath, watching the net disappear into the darkness. Max took a step forward, his tail wagging once, hard, like he knew something was about to happen.
Then Jake pulled the net up.
Dave’s eyes widened. There, tangled in a clump of wet leaves and a piece of string, was a silver ring. It was small, delicate, and even covered in dirt, the tiny blue stone in the center still sparkled—faintly, like a star in a cloudy sky—catching the light from the sun.
Max let out a low, happy whine, the sound so full of relief that Dave felt his throat get tight. He trotted over to Jake, his tail wagging so hard his whole body shook, and nudged the net gently with his nose, like he was confirming it was real—like he couldn’t believe he’d finally found it. He sniffed the ring, his whiskers brushing against the metal, then looked up at Dave, his amber eyes shining, as if to say, See? I told you it was here.
Dave reached out, his hands trembling a little, and took the ring from the net. He carefully pulled off the leaves and string, wiping the dirt off with his thumb. The silver was tarnished, but when he rubbed it gently, it started to shine again. And on the inside, etched into the metal, were two tiny initials: “M.E.”—Margaret Evans, Clara’s mom.
Jake and Mike stood there, watching, their expressions softening. “Well, I’ll be damned,” Mike said, shaking his head. “Never thought I’d be out here retrievin’ a ring for a dog. But… good job, pup.” He reached out and patted Max on the head, and Max let him, his tail still wagging.
Dave held the ring in his hand, turning it over and over. It was small, lighter than he’d expected, but it felt heavy—like it held all the love Clara had for her mom, all the loyalty Max had for Clara, all the days and nights of waiting by the drain. He looked at Max, who was now sitting at his feet, leaning against his leg, and smiled. “We found it, buddy. We found the ring.”