Watching their unexpected rescuers fade into the distance, Elias turned to Elizabeth. In her eyes, there was not only surprise but also a kind of quiet, almost fairy-tale-like comfort. She blinked her sleepy eyes a few times and said: "It seems to me, darling, as if we’ve stepped into a three-dimensional movie. Not as characters writing the script, but as privileged witnesses to everything unfolding around us."

  ?Just then, from a dark nook among the trash cans that served as their backdrop, came a fearful rustle and a plaintive scratching. Before them appeared a tiny, destitute creature—an exhausted Maltese dog. Her little body was so emaciated it seemed almost translucent, and her once snow-white fur, matted into dirty clumps, looked more like awkward, gray dreadlocks. Yet, despite this horrific and neglected appearance, her delicate face retained an incredible, achingly touching cuteness that begged for human warmth and care. She briskly wagged her tail, drumming a beat against a metal trash can, and whimpered pitifully, never taking her eyes off the burger in Elias's hand.

  ?Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately unwrapped the paper and placed the whole burger before her. Then Elias silently turned to Elizabeth and looked into her eyes.

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  ?— I understand everything, — Elizabeth said. — Only until morning... and in the morning I’ll take her to Gioco, he’ll give her to the Society for Homeless Animals.

  ?— Don't deceive yourself, dear, — Elizabeth whispered gently. For she knew: if the dog stayed with them until morning, she would never go anywhere else ever again. Turning to the little Maltese who was eating greedily, she solemnly proclaimed: "Congratulations! You are now in the club of feathered and four-legged rascals!"

  ?And the Maltese, a true French beauty, holding the remains of the burger in her teeth, ran joyfully around them in wide circles, incessantly wagging her tail and looking from Elizabeth to Elias as if thanking them both for accepting her.

  ?— Well, a gift from the Universe? — Elias said.

  ?— Let’s go, little one, — he said, leaning toward the dog.

  ?— Yes, Snowflake. You don't belong among the trash cans, — Elizabeth added.

  ?They walked through the night streets of Boston. And because of that kind act which warmed their souls, the world around them seemed transformed: the streetlights now shone with a magical brightness, and the harsh, gloomy buildings turned into welcoming and majestic beacons. The street itself saw them off with a light, tender, and soft aura, as if the Universe were embracing them, escorting them home.