Chapter 13 - The Bunny's Final Secret and the True Legacy of Elena
Three days later, the rain had finally stopped, replaced by a crisp, clear winter morning at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Queens.
Mateo and Sofia Vasquez stood beside the fresh grave of their daughter, surrounded by dozens of neighbors from the neighborhood.
I parked my car near the tree line. Bruno sat beside me in the front seat, wearing a padded medical vest over his bandages, watching the service through the open window.
Sofia walked over to the car, carrying a small, worn plush bunny—the one that had been placed inside the casket before the burial.
"Don Salvatore," Sofia said softly, handing the toy to me through the window. "When the mortician prepared her, he found this folded inside the bunny’s pouch. Elena wrote it the morning she died. She wanted Bruno to have it."
I unfolded the small piece of drawing paper.
On it was a crayon drawing of Bruno standing tall and proud beneath a bright yellow sun, his head resting against a little girl in purple sneakers. Beneath the picture, in child-like block letters, was written:
May you like
The big dog is my best friend. He keeps the monsters away.
Bruno gave a soft, gentle whine, pressing his wet nose against Sofia’s outstretched hand.
