**The Leash of Fate**
Soft morning sunlight, gentle yet insistent, slipped through the thin curtains, casting golden flecks across the sleeping womans face. It whispered, *Wake up, the world is beautiful and waiting for you.* Victoria stretched in bed, relishing the lightness in her limbs after a deep, untroubled sleep. That lightness had been hard-earnedyears of work on herself, of rebuilding.
Eight years, two months, and seventeen days had passed since shed shown her ex-husband the door. Not that she was countingthe date was simply etched into her memory as the start of her real life. Their son, James, was grown now, independent. He studied in Manchester, in his fourth year at a prestigious university, and rarely came home. Just phone calls, his voice on the line, still familiar but growing more distant with each passing day.
*”Mum, Ive got exams, then work, and Lucy and I…”* shed hear, masking the quiet ache in her chest with a bright, *”Of course, love, I understand! Im doing just fine.”* And she wasnt lying. Her life had purpose, order.
Victoria was forty-three but felt thirty. Slender, poised, with clear grey-blue eyes, she looked younger than her years. The secret was simple: four years of strict routine. Up at six, a morning run, a cold shower, a healthy breakfast, then off to the office. She was a manager at a respected firm and valued her position. Her boss, meticulous with an uncanny sense for tardiness, had no patience for lateness.
More than once, shed seen him materialise in the hallway at precisely 9:01, blocking the path of some breathless colleague. *”Late again? Shouldve set your alarm earlier. Explanation on my desk!”* His voice, deep and commanding, could make even the innocent flinch.
At work, Victoria was respectedsmart, driven, always ready to lend a hand. Warm, never aloof. But her personal life had been quiet since the divorce. She filled her time with work, self-care, and her loyal Labrador, Barney, whom she affectionately called Bear.
Bear had been the reason for those revitalising morning runs. He was her alarm clock, her trainer, her most devoted friend. A gorgeous chocolate-brown dog with wise, understanding eyes and endless kindness. He never caused troublehis easygoing nature was the best antidote to loneliness. When shed first considered getting a dog, a friends husband had advised, *”Get a Lab. You wont regret it. Theyre a friend, a therapist, and an antidepressant rolled into one.”* Hed been right.
Shed always had dogs as a child, but during her marriage to Richard, that dream had been shelved. Hed despised animals. *”If you and James drag some flea-ridden mutt into this flat, I swear Ill chuck it off the seventh floor,”* hed snarled, his eyes so full of genuine malice shed believed him.
In the end, *she* had nearly thrown *him* off the seventh floormetaphoricallywhen hed raised a hand to her in a drunken rage. She hadnt had the physical strength, but shed found the emotional resolve. Shed sobbed in the bedroom while he raged in the living room. Then hed slammed the door himself, taking the bags shed already packed. Fifteen years together, the last three a waking nightmare. Richard had failed as a husband, as a fatherselfish, bitter, perpetually discontent. That slap had been the final straw. Thank God James hadnt been home.
*”Thank God I kicked him out. Well manage. My salarys decent. Better alone than trapped, showing my son a warped idea of love.”* She hadnt been wrong. For eight years, shed lived happily, at peace. Shed kept men at arms lengthRichard had soured her for life.
One warm August morning, the air thick with summers last breath, Victoria rose and peeked into the hallway. Bear sat waiting by the door, his tail thumping against the floor, his lead clamped in his teeth. *”Bear, good boy! Who needs an alarm with you around?”* She slipped on her trainers. *”Alright, lets go!”*
She loved their parkjust a quick walk through the underpass, and there it was, a green oasis with neat footpaths. Mornings were busy: joggers, cyclists, fellow dog owners. Victoria unclipped Bears lead, and he bolted ahead, glancing back to ensure she followed.
She jogged at an easy pace, nodding at familiar facesfellow morning enthusiasts. Then, from behind a lilac bush, a sharp yowl. Bear froze in a protective stance. A tiny black kitten, ears flattened in fear, crouched before him. Victorias heart lurched. She knew Bear wouldnt hurt it, but instinct propelled her forward
And then the world tipped sideways. Her foot caught on a hidden rock with a sickening crack. White-hot pain shot through her leg. She crumpled with a cry, darkness swimming in her vision. *”No… not this…”* She forced herself to lookher leg bent at an unnatural angle. *”Bear, what have you done?”* The kitten had vanished. Bear licked her cheek once, then darted away.
Despair, cold and sharp, closed around her throat. Pain, fear, thoughts of Bear, work, utter helplessnessall tangled into one. She tried to push herself up but couldnt. Tears spilled freely.
Meanwhile, Bear raced down the path like a mad thing. He found who he was looking fora tall, athletic man he saw most mornings. The dog skidded to a halt before him and barked, sharp and insistent. *”Hey there, handsome!”* The man grinned. *”Wheres your mum? Something wrong?”* Bear barked again, spun, and sprinted back, pausing to check the man followed.
The manOliverparted the bushes and saw her. Pale, tear-streaked, her leg twisted beneath her. *”Morning… though not a good one, I see,”* he amended, kneeling beside her. *”What happened? Your dog raised the alarm. Clever boy.”*
Through gritted teeth, she managed, *”My leg… I think its broken. Cant move it.”*
*”Ill call an ambulance,”* he said, his calm, steady voice somehow easing her panic.
The paramedics arrived swiftly. *”Definitely a fracture,”* one confirmed. *”Hospital for X-rays and setting.”*
*”ButBear? I live alone. Theres no one to”*
*”No pets allowed, Im afraid,”* the medic said.
Without hesitation, Oliver held out his hand. *”Give me his lead. Ill take him.”*
*”But… we barely know each other. Im Victoria.”*
*”Oliver. Its fine. Well sort it. Lets swap numbers.”* He spoke so simply, as if offering to carry her shopping.
As the paramedics lifted her, she saw Bear whining, straining toward her while Oliver held him fast, murmuring reassurance.
The ambulance left. Oliver stood with Bear. *”Right, mate. Looks like youre with me.”* He led the subdued dog home, promising, *”Well fetch food, then Ive got work. Youll have to manage alone a bit.”*
Oliver ran a garage and parts shop. Hed been single nearly a yearhis wife, whom hed spoiled, had left him for a younger man. His father, shrewd, had insisted the business stay in his name. *”Lifes unpredictable, son. Trust me.”* Now, Oliver was endlessly grateful. The divorce had left him wary, bitter.
That evening, his phone rang. *”Oliver? Doctor from St. Marys. Your friends alright, but its a complex break. Shell need time.”*
*”Are there uncomplicated breaks?”* Oliver joked.
*”Plenty!”* The doctor laughed. *”Visit soon. Shell need rides to check-ups after discharge.”*
Victoria lay in her hospital bed, her leg encased in plaster. The pain had dulled, but loneliness gnawed at her. She stared out the window, thinking of Bear, of burdening a stranger. When Oliver walked in with bags of fruit and juice, fresh tears welled.
*”Hey! Why the sad eyes?”* he asked, unloading the treats.
*”Im so sorry for the trouble, Oliver… And Bearhow can I thank you?”*
*”Dont be daft!”* He shifted to a warmer tone. *”Bear says hi. Hes a model guest. Get better soonwe miss you.”*
His jokes and stories made her smile without realising. Oliver noticedher smile was warm, her eyes bright.
After a week, she was discharged. She called him. *”Oliver, could you…? Ive got crutches, I could take a taxi”*
*”Already on
