…And I crowned you… Never gave you away… Loved you as best I could… And kissed you… Kissed you… Kissed you… Kissed you…” William was soaring on wings of love, speeding home on his trusty little Ford to his beloved Emily after three months working away. The wad of cash in his inner pocket warmed his heart. His soul sang, racing toward love! Spring hung in the air, the crisp breeze brushing his face… *And I crowned you…*
As he crossed a small bridge, his eye caught movementa dog, trapped under the thinning ice, flailing weakly. The poor thing had been there too long, its strength nearly gone. *And kissed you… Kissed you… Kissed you…* His favourite song hummed through the speakers, calling him home to his wife. *Poor little chap*, William thought, but drove on.
Emilys face flashed in his mind… Spring… Love… And that wretched dog in its icy prison. *Blast it!* William cursed under his breath and swung the car around.
He pulled up by the bridge, stripped off his coat, and waded into the frigid stream, breaking the ice with bare hands, cuts stinging, until he reached the struggling animal. The dogmassive, half-starvedhad no chance on its own. William shoved it toward the bank, blood dripping from his gashes, teeth chattering. He dressed quickly, only then taking in his shivering rescue: a fawn-colored Labrador, ribs visible, eyes locked on him, refusing to leave.
“Look at you, mateyoure purebred! Howd you end up here? Wheres your owner?” The dog trembled violently. William opened the car door. “Hop in, lad. Youre coming home.” The Lab clambered onto the back seat, curling up with a sigh. *Home.*
Dusk fell. Nearing town, traffic snarled to a halta lorry and two cars crumpled together, blue lights flashing. An uneasy twist in his gut made William glance back. The dog snored softly, warm and dry now. *If not for him…*
“Emily, love!” William swept his wife into his arms at the doorstep, kissing her fiercely. The dog sat quietly, grinning. A house. A new life. He already adored this petite woman in her floral dressing gown, the scent of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. And William? Hed claimed the mans heart the moment those icy waters couldnt drown him.
“Whos this then?” Emily finally noticed their guest, eyebrows raised. “Our angel… Archie. The newest member of the family.” She knelt, offering a hand. Archie sniffed, licked her fingers, thenovercomeslathered her whole face.
So Archie stayed. Archie the Hippo (for his size). Archie the Rascal (for chewing Williams new slippers). Archie the Menace (for dunking the neighbours cat in drool). And Archie the Love, their treasure, their life.
They lived in a sturdy brick house in Cambridge, inherited from Williams parents. A kennel was built for Archie, though winter nights often found him snoozing on his mat by the hearth.
Life rolled on. William took contracts abroadlocal jobs paid pennies. Emily stayed, no longer alone. Archie was company. And soon, more: a rounded belly hinted at news William didnt yet know. Emily planned to surprise him.
Then, an ordinary summer evening. Oppressively hot. Emily took Archie for a stroll by the woodlands, moving slowlyhard to hurry in that heat, a pregnant woman and an ageing Lab. Nearby, rowdy laughter and music set Archie on edge.
“Oi! Look what weve got!” Two lads swaggered over, beer on their breath. “Fancy some company, sweetheart?” One grabbed her wrist.
Archie strained against his lead, growling. *The muzzlewhyd I put it on him?* Emily thought wildly. Hed never bitten a soul. But when the second lad yanked her, she let go.
The knife came out. Archie lunged. They stabbed him. Again. Again. Blood soaked the grass. Emily screamed, begged. They only fled when Archie collapsed.
*And I crowned you…* Williams phone rang as he neared home. “Vetnow! Archies dying!”
He burst into the clinic. Archie looked so small on the table, IVs snaking around him. The vet murmured, injecting something. William gripped the edge, voice breaking. “Archie… son… dont leave us.” He kissed the dogs feverish nose.
A flicker. Eyes half-opened. A sign.
He fought. For his family. For the man whod pulled him from the ice. And he wonfive more years of love, of cuddles with baby Oliver, of devotion. They buried him under the oak, all three weeping. Oliver, solemn at four, declared, “We need a new Archie now. I cant live without him.”
Love works miracles. Its true. Love each other. Love the creatures who share this world. Indifference costs too much. After allwhos to say what form well take next time? Perhaps a shivering Lab, drowning in a frozen stream. Or perhaps that tiny life you save is the one that saves you.
