Marina shuddered at the sharp sound of the alarm clock. Another sleepless night – little Misha cried all the time. And then there were those dreams… It had been six months since Sergei had passed away, but she still dreamed of memories that made her wake up in tears.
“We’ll get through this, baby,” she whispered softly, gently stroking her son’s head.
All this time she was alone. After the funeral, her mother-in-law completely withdrew into herself, moved to relatives in another city and almost never got in touch. Marina’s parents had long been living their own lives, and her friends, despite their desire to help, gradually moved away – everyone had their own concerns, and their support was limited to rare calls.
That morning she decided to go for a walk in the park for the first time. The autumn was unusually warm, the sun’s rays were breaking through the golden leaves.
“Look, Mishka, the leaves are swirling,” Marina said with a smile, trying to catch one of them in her palm.
And then she saw him. A large gray dog sat motionless a little to the side, watching them attentively. There was no malice or fear in his gaze – only calm, meaningful interest.
“The only thing we need is a dog,” she muttered and squeezed the handle of the stroller tighter.
But the dog didn’t move. He just looked.
The next day he showed up again. And then again, and again. Now he was following them, keeping his distance, not trying to get closer, but not falling behind either.
“What a strange man!” Marina was indignant when her neighbor Aunt Valya, seeing them, asked:
– Is this yours, Marinochka?
– No, he just follows us, I don’t know why.
The woman looked at the dog carefully and added with a smile:
– It seems to me that he is protecting you. See how he watches your every step?
And indeed, it seemed that the dog was watching the world around him, assessing potential danger. Once, a tipsy man approached the stroller, and a loud growl was immediately heard. Another time, the pigeons took off too quickly, frightening Misha, but he immediately rushed forward, scattering them.
Marina gradually got used to his presence. Over time, she gave him a name – Druzhok. He really behaved like the most devoted friend.
“Do you want a sausage?” she asked one day, handing him the treat.
The dog took the food, but did not eat it, but carefully placed it next to him.
“Proud…” she grinned.
And then something happened that changed everything.
November was cold and damp. It was drizzling that day, and Marina was rushing home from the clinic. Misha was being capricious after the vaccination, and she was rocking him gently:
– Be patient, baby, we’ll be home soon…
And suddenly Buddy, who had always calmly followed them, suddenly rushed forward.
There was a cracking sound.
Marina raised her head – a huge branch was falling from a dry tree, right onto the stroller.
The dog made it. At the last moment he rushed forward, pushing the stroller aside, but he himself found himself under attack.
– Oh, my God! – She checked her son with trembling hands. Misha blinked his eyes in fear, but was unharmed. – My dear friend, how are you?
The dog was limping, but trying to get up, maintaining his usual alertness.
Marina immediately took him to the veterinary clinic, where an elderly doctor examined him for a long time, and then suddenly frowned:
– Where did you find him?
– He just started following us. Why do you ask?
– Because this is no ordinary dog. This is a former service dog. His name was Grom, and he belonged to a dog handler from your area. He died in the line of duty a year ago… Since then, no one has been able to approach him.
Marina caught her breath.
— A year ago? A dog trainer? — Her voice trembled. — What was his name?
– Sergey, if I’m not mistaken…
The world is shaken.
“Seryozha…” she exhaled.
The veterinarian looked at her in surprise:
– Wait… Are you his wife?
The dog, who had been lying patiently until then, suddenly whined quietly and laid his head on her lap for the first time.
The three of them returned home: Marina, Misha and Grom.
“You found us…” she whispered in the evening, stroking his fur. “Seryozha asked you, right?”
Grom just sighed heavily, not taking his eyes off the stroller.
Time passed. Misha took his first steps, holding on to the gray wool. A little later he began to speak, and his first words were “mama” and “Gom” – he could not yet pronounce the letter “r”.
Marina returned to work, knowing that with Grom she could be sure of her son’s safety.
The neighbors were talking among themselves:
— Have you seen? Marina has an amazing dog! She takes such good care of the baby.
But only she knew that Grom was not just guarding her son. He was protecting his own person.
Every year on Sergei’s memorial day they come to the cemetery.
Misha carefully carries the flowers. Grom sits down by the grave, freezing, like a faithful sentry.
And Marina quietly says:
– Don’t worry about us. We’re in good hands.
And somewhere there, beyond the clouds, Sergei smiles, knowing that his family is under the protection of a friend who will never leave them.
