Back at the bench, the little dog happily drank from a bowl of water Selena had filled from the fountain.
Gala chuckled. "Well, he definitely has good timing. Perfect for our heatwave squad."
Sam grinned. "I'm calling him 'Sunny.' Because, you know, Mr. Sun's secret agent."
Yan laughed. "Nice! Sunny it is."
Selena sat down, brushing some dirt off her pants. "So, Sunny, you're officially part of our crazy crew. Hope you're ready for the heat and all our drama."
The dog wagged his tail, looking up as if he understood every word.
Gala looked thoughtful. "You know, maybe this little guy is exactly what we needed. A reminder to take care of each other — even the small, unexpected parts."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, like how sometimes we get so caught up in our own heatwaves we forget to cool down together."
Selena smiled, eyes warm. "Exactly. Mr. Sun might be hot, but we've got each other — and now Sunny."
Suddenly, Sunny jumped up, barking at something behind them.
Everyone turned to see a woman rushing toward the group, looking worried.
"Excuse me! Is that my dog?" she asked, breathless.
Selena stood up. "We found him just a little while ago. He looks thirsty and tired."
The woman smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much. He's Max — always getting into trouble."
Gala laughed. "Sounds like our kind of dog."
The woman looked at the friends, then nodded. "I'm Mia. Nice to meet you all. Seems like Max brought me to the right place."
Sam smirked. "Or maybe Max knew you needed some new friends."
Mia smiled. "Maybe you're right."
As the sun finally set, the friends, new and old, stood together — a little cooler, a little stronger, and ready for whatever tomorrow would bring.