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Barnaby let out a soft huff, his tail thumping once against the dry earth. To Leo, that was a definitive "no." Clouds had work to do, just like the bees in the clover and the hawks circling the ridge.

Beside him, always, was Barnaby. Barnaby was a Golden Retriever who seemed to have been spun from the very sunlight they sat in. He didn't climb the fence—he was far too dignified for that—but he would lean his heavy, warm shoulder against Leo’s leg, a silent anchor in a world that felt too big for a seven-year-old. 5429006_035.jpg

"Do you think the clouds ever get tired of floating, Barnaby?" Leo asked, his voice barely a whisper against the rustle of the wind. Barnaby let out a soft huff, his tail