**The Leash of Fate**
Morning sunlight, soft yet persistent, filters through the sheer curtains, casting golden streaks across the face of the sleeping woman. It seems to whisper, *Wake up, the world is beautiful, and its waiting for you.* Lydia stretches in bed, savoring the pleasant lightness in her limbs after a deep sleepa well-earned reward for years of hard work on herself.
Exactly eight years, two months, and seventeen days have passed since she kicked her husband out. Not that she was counting, but the date was etched into her memory as the start of her real life. Their son, Ethan, was now a grown man, independent and thriving. He studied in Manchester, in his fourth year at a prestigious university, and rarely came home these daysjust phone calls, his voice on the line, familiar yet growing more distant with each passing day.
*”Mum, Ive got exams, then my part-time job, and me and Laura”* Shed hide her faint sadness behind a cheerful reply: *”Of course, love, I understand. Im absolutely fine!”* And she wasnt lying. Her life was meaningful and orderly.
Lydia was forty-three, but she felt thirty at heart. Slender, toned, with clear gray-blue eyes, she looked younger than her years. The secret was simple: four years of unwavering routine. Up at six, a morning run, a cold shower, a healthy breakfast, then off to the office. She worked as a manager at a large company and valued her position. Her boss, a punctual man with an uncanny knack for spotting tardiness, despised lack of discipline.
More than once, shed seen him appear out of nowhere in the corridor at exactly 9:01, looming over a breathless employee.
*”Late again? Shouldve set your alarm earlier! Get me an explanation on my desk!”* His low, commanding voice sent shivers even through those who werent guilty.
Lydia was respected in the officesmart, driven, always ready to lend a hand. She wasnt arrogant, just easygoing. The only silence in her life was in romance. Since the divorce, shed filled her free time with work, self-care, and her loyal companiona chocolate Labrador named Barney, whom she affectionately called “Bear.”
It was his arrival four years ago that kickstarted those invigorating morning runs. Barney was her alarm clock, personal trainer, and best friend. A stunning dog with intelligent, understanding eyes and an endless supply of kindness. He never caused trouble; his easygoing nature was the perfect antidote to loneliness. Years ago, when choosing a breed, shed asked a friends husband for advice.
*”Get a Lab. You wont regret it. Theyre a friend, a cure for loneliness, and a therapist rolled into one,”* hed said. And he was right.
Shed always had dogs as a child, but during her marriage to Richard, shed had to let that dream go. He *hated* animals.
*”If you and the kid drag some flea-ridden mutt into this flat, Ill throw it off the seventh floor. I swear,”* hed snarled, his eyes filled with such genuine malice that she believed him.
In the end, it was *she* who nearly threw *him* off the seventh floor when, drunk and raging, he raised a hand to her for the first time. She hadnt had the strengthonly the emotional resolve. Shed sobbed in the bedroom while he rampaged in the living room. Then hed slammed the door himself, taking the bags shed packed for him. Fifteen years of marriage, the last three of which had been pure hell. Richard had failed as a husband and a fatherselfish, bitter, never satisfied. That strike had been the last straw. Thank God Ethan hadnt been home
*”Good riddance. Well manage. My salarys decent. Better alone than putting up with that and setting a terrible example for my son.”* She hadnt been wrong. Eight years of happiness, harmony, and keeping men at arms length. Richard had soured her for life.
—
The warm August morning carried the last whispers of summer. Lydia got up and peeked into the hallway. Barney was already waiting by the door, leash clamped in his teeth, tail drumming against the floor.
*”Bear, lets go! Youre such a good boywho needs an alarm clock?”* She smiled, slipping on her trainers. *”Alright, alright, were going!”*
She adored their local parkjust a quick dash across the underpass, and there it was, a green oasis with neat paths. Mornings were busy: joggers, cyclists, fellow dog walkers. Lydia unclipped the leash, and Barney, tasting freedom, bolted ahead, glancing back to make sure she was following.
She jogged at an easy pace, enjoying the air and nodding at familiar strangersfellow morning enthusiasts. Suddenly, from behind the lilac bushes, came a sharp bark. She veered off the path and froze. Barney stood rigid, hackles raised, staring at a tiny black kitten, ears flattened in fear. Her heart lurched. She knew the Lab wouldnt hurt it, but instinct propelled her forwardjust as her foot hit a hidden rock with a sickening *crack.*
White-hot pain shot through her leg. She crumpled with a cry. The world blurred.
*”Oh no, not this”* She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to look. Her leg bent unnaturally. *”Bear, what have you done?”* The kitten was gone. And Barney, after one lick to her cheek, tore away into the bushes and vanished.
Despair clawed at her throat. Pain, fear, thoughts of her dog, her job, her utter helplessnessit all tangled into a knot. She tried pushing herself up, but her arms buckled. Tears spilled freely.
—
Meanwhile, Barney raced through the park like a mad thing. He found the man he was looking fortall, athletic, someone he saw almost every morning. The dog skidded to a halt and barked fiercely.
*”Hey there, handsome!”* The man chuckled. *”Wheres your mum? Something wrong?”*
Barney barked again, spun, and bolted back, glancing over his shoulder to ensure the man followed. At the bushes, he stopped and howled.
The manhis name was Jamesparted the branches and saw her. Pale, tear-streaked, her face twisted in pain.
*”Morning Though, not the best one, I see,”* he corrected, kneeling beside her. *”What happened? Your furry alarm clock sounded the alert. Clever dog.”*
Lydia clenched her jaw. *”Leg think its broken. Cant move it.”*
*”Ill call an ambulance.”* His voice was calm, steadystrangely soothing.
The paramedics arrived astonishingly fast. A quick glance, and the doctor confirmed: *”Definitely a break. Needs X-rays and setting.”*
*”The hospital?”* Her voice wavered. *”But Barney Im alone, theres no one tothey wont let him in, will they?”*
*”Absolutely not,”* the nurse said.
James didnt hesitate. *”Give me the leash. Ill take him.”*
*”But we dont even know each other! Im Lydia.”*
*”James. Its fine. Well sort it. Lets swap numbers.”* He spoke so simply, as if offering to carry her shopping.
The doctor took Jamess details. As they lifted her onto the stretcher, she saw Barney whining, straining toward her while James held him firmly, murmuring reassurance.
The ambulance left. James stood with the dog.
*”Right, mate. Youre with me now.”* He headed for the park exit. *”Well grab some food, then Ive got work. Youll have to manage alone for a bit.”*
Barney walked quietly, his drooping posture betraying his worry.
—
James ran his own businessa garage and auto parts shop. Hed been alone for nearly a year. His wife, whom hed spoiled, had left him for a younger man. His wise father had insisted the business stay in his name. *”Son, lifes unpredictable. Trust me.”* Now, James was endlessly grateful. The divorce had been clean but left bitterness and distrust.
That evening, his phone rang.
*”James? Its Dr. Carter from St. Marys. Your friends doing alright, but its a complex break. Shell need time.”*
*”Are there *un*complicated breaks?”* He smirked.
*”Plenty!”* The doctor laughed. *”You can visit. Well discharge her soon, but shell need follow-ups.”*
Lydia lay in the hospital bed, her leg in plaster. The pain had dulled, but loneliness gnawed at her. She stared out the window, worrying about Barney, her helplessness, the burden shed become. When James walked in with a bag
