“Mom, can I go ride my scooter with Vanya?” Danya asked, eager to play outside. Ksenia hesitated, remembering how he had disappeared a few days earlier, only to be found at the park—resulting in a harsh warning. Reluctantly, she agreed, warning him not to leave the courtyard again.
While cooking, Ksenia kept glancing out the window to check on him, her mind drifting to the challenges of raising a child alone and the fear of not always being able to protect him. When the doorbell rang unexpectedly, she opened it to find Danya pale and hurt—he’d been bitten by a dog while playing. A neighbor explained the dog, Goodwin, was vaccinated and provoked, but Ksenia, panicked and furious, rushed him to the hospital.
At home, after scolding him, Ksenia remembered moments when she’d failed to protect him before and realized she couldn’t shield him from everything. They apologized to each other, a moment of quiet understanding between mother and son.
Days later, the dog’s owner, Stas, came to apologize. Their tense conversation revealed their shared loneliness and responsibilities, and soon after, Stas asked Ksenia to care for Goodwin while he traveled. Danya and the dog had already formed a bond, and slowly, Stas became a regular presence.
What started with fear and conflict grew into trust, companionship, and perhaps even the beginning of a new family—thanks to one gentle dog who brought them all together.
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