**ARCHIE THEIR ANGEL**
*And I crowned you And never let you go And loved you as best I could And kissed you Kissed you Kissed you Kissed you*
Jack was soaring, heart alight with love, racing home on his trusty motorbike to his beloved Emily after three long months away. The crisp pound notes in his jacket pocket warmed his chest. His soul sang as the wind whipped past his face, carrying the first whispers of spring.
*And I crowned you*
As he crossed a narrow bridge, movement caught his eyea dog, trapped beneath the ice, struggling weakly, its strength nearly gone. The beast had been there too long, its fight fading.
*Kissed you Kissed you Kissed you*his favourite song hummed in his mind, calling him home to Emily. *Poor little thing*, Jack thought, yet for a heartbeat, he rode on.
Emilys smile. The promise of spring. Love. And that poor dog, drowning in the frozen river.
*Damn it.*
With a curse, he swung his bike around.
He skidded to a stop, tore off his jacket, and waded into the icy water. He smashed the thin ice with his fists, the shards slicing his skin. Cold bit deep, but he pushed forward, dragging the gasping animal to shore. The dog was enormous, its fur matted, its ribs sharp beneath his hands. The ice wouldve claimed it soon enough.
Blood trickled from his cuts. His bones ached with cold. He dressed quickly, only then taking in the creature hed saveda massive, tawny-coated Labrador, shockingly thin. It stared at him, trembling violently, refusing to leave his side.
Hey, mate Youre purebred! Howd you end up here? Wheres your owner? The dog only whined, pressing close.
Jack opened the bikes sidecar. Hop in, lad. Youre coming home.
The Lab clambered in, curling up at once. *Home.*
Dusk settled as he neared the outskirts of town. Traffic snarled aheada lorry had collided with two cars. Flashing lights. Ambulances. A chill prickled Jacks spine. He glanced back. The dog snored softly in the sidecar, warm and dry. *If not for him* The thought slithered in unwelcome.
Emily, love! Jack swept his wife off her feet, spinning her on the doorstep, kissing her breathless. The dog sat quietly, tail thumping, watching. *Home. A new life.* Already, he adored this bright-eyed woman in her floral dressing gown, the scent of roast beef and gravy wrapping around him. And Jack? Hed claimed his heart the moment he pulled him from that frozen grave.
Oh! Whos this? Emily finally noticed their guest, blinking at her husband.
Our angel. Meet Archie.
Emily knelt, offering her hand. The dog sniffed, then*slurp!*his tongue swiped her palm before enthusiastically bathing her face.
So began their new life. Archie. Also known as *The Menace* when he chewed Jacks slippers. *The Drip* when he drooled on the cat. And *Their Treasure*, their love, their guardian.
Jack and Emily lived in a sturdy brick house in Coventry, inherited from his parents. They built Archie a spacious kennel with a heated bedthough most winter nights found him sprawled on his mat by the door.
Life rolled on. Jack took contract work up northdecent pay, unlike the pittance in their town. Emily stayed behind, never alone now. Not with Archie. And not just himher softly rounding belly hinted at news she hadnt yet shared.
One sweltering summer evening, Emily took Archie for a stroll along the treeline. The air hung thick, sluggish. Somewhere nearby, raucous laughter and blaring music set Archies ears twitching.
Oi! Look what we got here! Two lads staggered into view, grinning. Fancy some company, sweetheart?
The reek of beer hit her as one leaned in. Fear coiled in her gut. Archie snarled, straining against his leaduseless, with the muzzle shed foolishly clipped on.
*Why? Hes never bitten anyone!*
When a hand clamped around her wrist, she let go of the lead.
The knife flashed. Archie lunged.
They stabbed him. Again. Again. Blood darkened his fur, pooling on the dirt. Emily screamed, begged, but they didnt stop until Archie collapsed.
Silence.
*And I crowned you*
Jacks phone rang as he turned onto their street. Emilys voice was raw. *The vetnow! Archies dying!*
He burst into the clinic. Archie looked so small on the metal table, swaddled in tubes. The vet shook his head.
Jack cupped the dogs face. Dont leave us, son. He pressed a kiss to his damp nose.
A flicker. Eyelids fluttering open.
*Fight.*
Archie fought. He came home. He met baby Oliver, lived five more years, filling every day with love.
They buried him under the old oak. Emily and Jack wept. Oliver, just four, wiped his nose solemnly. We need a new Archie now.
Love works miracles. Its true. So love fiercely. Protect those who cannot speak. Because whos to say what waits in the next life?
Perhaps a dog named Archie, drowning beneath the ice.
Or perhaps an angel, sent to save you.
