The German Shepherd wouldn’t leave the coffin — then started barking, and what everyone saw a minute later made them scream…

The silence was deafening. No one moved. The puppy continued to weakly squeak, pressing against the fabric of the uniform, which still retained a barely perceptible warmth.

Her breathing was weak but steady. She was alive. Officer Jack slowly and carefully extended his hands and took the little one into his arms.

She instinctively tried to press against his palms, trembling all over. «This…» someone muttered. «This is impossible!» Rex quietly yipped and reached his nose toward the puppy, gently licking her wet forehead.

It wasn’t a frightened bark, not an anxious growl, but confirmation. Here. I knew.

He’s here. And then something fell out from the fold of the uniform when Jack lifted the puppy. A thin sheet of paper, folded in quarters.

Jack, still in a stupor, picked it up. The handwriting on the front was recognizable. Neat, confident, in blue ink.

If something happens to me, take care of them. Them? — Jack repeated aloud. Some guests gasped again.

Sarah, the widow, swayed as if struck from within. She pressed her palm to her chest. Rex sat at Jack’s feet, still not taking his eyes off the puppy, his gaze softening.

His mission wasn’t over. All this time, he wasn’t just grieving. He was protecting.

Jack unfolded the letter. His fingers trembled. He looked at the priest, at Sarah, then down again.

He began reading aloud. If you’re reading this, it means I didn’t return, it means I failed. The air in the room grew cold, like before a storm.

All eyes were fixed on the paper. But if Rex is nearby, and if by some miracle she survived too, then it wasn’t all in vain. This isn’t an accident.

I knew she would appear. I just couldn’t tell about it earlier. I didn’t want panic, didn’t want interference.

Rex and I saw what others couldn’t understand. But we always understood each other. Sarah couldn’t hold back.

She approached the coffin, leaned toward the puppy, and placed her palm on her tiny body. Her eyes were full of tears, but now there was no fear in them. Only recognition.

She was born that very night when I disappeared. In the cold. I was alone.

But Rex didn’t leave. He stayed. He guarded…