Leonel hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I'm heading back," he said.

He glanced at Ollie. "I came to pick up the dog."

Evelyn clung to Ollie, unwilling to let her new friend go. She gazed at Leonel with pleading eyes. Leonel had planned to use Ollie to persuade Evelyn, but her look made him rethink his decision.

He was indeed carrying a heavy heart. Why make things difficult for his daughter though?

Without fully realizing it, he found himself saying, “Evelyn, if you like the puppy, you can keep it."