Javier remained silent for several seconds, holding the boy's gaze as if trying to discern whether it was all a cruel joke or a delusion born of pain.
Then he slowly reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out something small, folded with extreme care.
It was a pink sweater, worn at the edges, with a butterfly embroidered on one of the sleeves.
Jimena had used it many times when she was cold, and he hadn't had the courage to get rid of that garment since the day of the supposed accident.
Javier's hands trembled slightly as he extended it to the child.
It wasn't just a piece of fabric; it was the last tangible trace of a life he had buried with his own heart.
Luis Ángel took it with respect, as if he perfectly understood the emotional weight of that object.
Then he bent down and brought the sweater close to Luna's snout so she could sniff it calmly.
The dog inhaled deeply several times, closing her eyes for a moment as if memorizing that scent.
Then he raised his head, let out a small groan, and began to walk in circles around the grave.
Suddenly he stopped, sniffed intensely at the base of the gravestone, and then decisively pulled towards the path leading out of the cemetery.
Luis Ángel held the makeshift rope he used as a leash and looked at Javier with a mixture of excitement and caution.
"Sir… when Luna finds something, she's never wrong," he said in a low voice.
"It doesn't always mean what you expect, but it does mean there's a trace."
Javier looked at Jimena's grave one more time before following them.
The name of his daughter engraved in the gray marble suddenly seemed too definitive a statement for something that was now beginning to be filled with doubts.
They walked between the rows of gravestones as the wind gently moved the dried flowers that some families had left days before.
Luna was not distracted by anything, she moved forward with her nose glued to the ground as if she were following an invisible line.
As he left the cemetery, the noise of the city hit Javier's senses hard.
For two years that place had been his only quiet refuge, and now he was returning to a world that seemed all too alive.
They crossed several streets while Luna followed the trail persistently.
They passed a flower shop, a mechanic's workshop, and a small park where some children were playing soccer.
Javier could barely see what was happening around him.
Her mind was trapped on a single question that she didn't dare to fully formulate for fear that she would collapse.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, Luna began to pick up the pace.
Its tail was stiff, its ears perked up, and from time to time it let out small warning sounds.
"When it gets like this, it's because the trail is strong," Luis Ángel explained without stopping walking.
"It's as if the person had passed through here many times."
Javier felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the street they were walking along.
It was an old part of the city, with large houses, tall gates, and old trees that shaded the sidewalk.
Suddenly Luna stopped in front of a metal gate painted dark green.
The dog began to sniff intensely at the base of the gate and then looked into the yard.
Luis Ángel crouched down next to her, watching each reaction carefully.
"It's here," he finally murmured.
Javier felt the air grow heavy inside his chest.
He looked at the house behind the gate: a large building, with white walls and windows covered by thick curtains.
It looked like a normal, quiet house, like any other in that neighborhood.
But Luna didn't move, she kept sniffing the ground intently while her tail trembled slightly.
"Sir," Luis Ángel said in a low voice.
"Luna only stays like this when the person she is looking for has been very close… or is still here."
Javier's heart began to beat so hard that it hurt.
For two years she had learned to live with the certainty that her daughter was no longer in this world.
She had buried her toys, put away her clothes, and tried to accept a silence that weighed more heavily on her every night.
But now, standing in front of that gate, something inside him was beginning to break.
I didn't know if it was hope or fear.Maybe both at the same time.
"What do we do now?" he finally asked, his voice dry.Luis Ángel looked at the house for a few seconds before answering.
"First we need to be sure," he said calmly.
"Don Ricardo always says that when the moon marks a place, it's best to observe before making noise."
Javier nodded slowly, though he felt like his whole body wanted to run to the gate and shout his daughter's name.
However, something in the child's serenity compelled him to restrain himself.
They moved a few meters towards a large tree that cast a shadow in front of the house.
From there they could see the gate and part of the courtyard through the metal slits.
Several minutes passed without anything happening.
Time seemed to stretch out as the light of the setting sun began to fade.
Then Luna suddenly raised her head and let out a small, soft grunt.
His eyes were fixed on the interior of the courtyard.
Luis Ángel followed her gaze and frowned slightly.
Javier felt a lump in his throat even before he saw what was happening.
Inside the courtyard, a small figure appeared walking slowly near a tree.
She was a blonde girl, wearing a light-colored dress, who seemed to be drawing something on the ground with a stick.
Javier stopped breathing for a moment.
It took her mind several seconds to accept what her eyes were seeing.
The girl lifted her head for a moment and looked towards the street.
Her features, her hair, even the way she tilted her head were impossible to mistake.
It was Jimena.
Two years after she was buried, her daughter was standing on the other side of that gate.