That afternoon, Joseph—the design student who’d drawn Lola’s cartoon—stepped forward with an idea. “We’ll make a missing poster,” he offered. “She’s part of the campus family now. I’ll get it printed right away.”
Pedro’s eyes shone with gratitude. Within an hour, Joseph had drawn a beautiful poster—Lola with her leaf, her name in big, hopeful letters, and a short description underneath. A group of students volunteered to help hang them all over campus: dorm lobbies, the cafeteria, the student union, even the tree near Pedro’s shop.
Pedro was deeply moved by how many people cared for Lola, and he found comfort in their kindness as evening settled in.
Still, the days dragged by with no sign of Lola. Pedro waited each morning, heart leaping at every distant bark—only to be disappointed again and again. Even the smallest hope—a glimpse of black and white fur in the distance—was enough to make him drop what he was doing and run to investigate.
But every time, it wasn’t her.
The students noticed his quiet sadness. Some offered theories—maybe someone had taken her home, maybe she’d found a family, maybe she was living in luxury now. Pedro smiled at their optimism, but deep down, he doubted Lola would ever leave him without a goodbye.