After nine months away, I finally returned to my wife and our newborn daughter. Everything seemed perfect—until our German Shepherd, Max, started acting strangely around the crib, his persistent barking revealing a hidden truth that would tear our family apart.
On my first night back, I couldn’t stop gazing at my daughter, Jenna, absorbing every detail. After months in Dubai, sustained only by video calls and ultrasound images, holding her felt surreal.
Ruby, my wife, whispered that Jenna had my nose, and we embraced, settling into our new life. Yet, an unspoken tension lingered—something Max seemed to sense too.
Max, ever-watchful, stayed close to Jenna, especially when she stirred. His presence was comforting, but soon, his behavior changed. He’d whine at her crib, pace, and bark softly as if trying to communicate something urgent.
Ruby dismissed it as protective instincts, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Max was trying to tell us something. One night, I overheard Ruby on a late-night phone call. Her strained expression in the dim light unnerved me.
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