I was never the type to cry in public. I’d fought in wars, buried friends, and lived through grief I never thought I’d survive. But when they lowered that mahogany Coffin into the church for viewing, something in me cracked.

And then came Max.

Lily’s golden retriever. Her shadow. That dog had slept on her bed since she was twelve. The kind of bond that only happens once in a lifetime. We tried to keep him at home that day—thought it would be too much. But Max had other plans. Somehow, he escaped through the backyard gate and ran three miles to the church. No one knew how he found us.

What happened next… well, that’s the part no one has ever forgotten.