Now, after all these years, Emily found herself staring at that very same tortoise. Her breath hitched as she knelt down, carefully moving the boxes aside. Trembling hands reached for the small, weathered shell. It was Tubby. It had to be.
“T-Tubby?” Emily’s voice quivered, thick with emotion as tears filled her eyes. Memories flooded back—sunny afternoons spent playing in the garden, watching Tubby slowly navigate the grass, the joy that bubbled up every time he spotted her little friend.