Some stories serve as a reminder that love can occasionally save your life and that it can come from unexpected places.
My story started with a dog named Loki, a long-prayed-for pregnancy, and an unexpected revelation.
My world seemed happier than it has in years when I learned I was expecting. When my husband and I got married, the calm excitement of preparing for a baby filled our home. However, as soon as I saw the two pink lines, things started to shift in our home, not only between us but also with our dog.
The Odd New Behavior of a Dog
I had known Loki for a considerable amount of time prior to our marriage. She entered my life when I was lonely in a new place, just out of college, and in dire need of company. Loyal, protective, and smart in ways that frequently surprised me, she was the kind of dog that made people grin.
Upon my engagement, Loki gazed curiously at my husband. She adapted after we got married. However, things were never exactly the same. He just appeared uninterested, not that he didn’t like her. He never replenished her dish, never reached out to pet her, and would walk past her without a look. It was a little painful, but I ignored it. I reminded myself that not everyone had the same affinity for animals.
Then
Loki started to follow me around, waiting outside the bathroom door and even going from room to room. As if listening for something, she would softly place her head against my stomach. She would wag her tail and occasionally bark happily when the baby kicked.
However, Loki’s attitude abruptly altered every time my spouse grabbed for me. She would flatten her ears. She stiffened. A silent but powerful growl rumbled in her breast, a warning.
I
Her actions, however, became more defensive. One evening, Loki jumped forward and gave a piercing bark, obstructing my husband’s hand as he grabbed for my stomach. Then, pulse pounding, mortified by her response, I reprimanded her. I ordered her to stop, yet a tiny, uneasy feeling still permeated my thoughts.
The Uncomfortable Months
My husband became aloof as my pregnancy progressed. He worked longer hours and frequently stayed up late studying. He would only answer with one word when I tried to discuss the baby with him.
“I’m simply exhausted,” he would say.
Loki, however, was not duped. Her head would lie protectively close to my stomach as she curled up against my side every night. I started to depend on her. When I couldn’t sleep, her calm breathing helped me, and her vigilant gaze gave me an unexplainable sense of security.
On occasion, when my husband sat next to me, Loki would stealthily stand between us, eyes wide, as though protecting me from something invisible.
Dismissing it became simpler than facing it. I told myself it was hormones. Stress. paranoia during pregnancy.
But I had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right.
The Day That Changed Everything
Loki was ecstatic when my son was born. She watched over him like a guardian, spending hours by the crib with her tail thumping quietly.
But my hubby appeared aloof. He tended to withdraw to another room and hardly ever held the infant. I reminded myself that some men simply needed time to acclimate to fatherhood.
Then one afternoon I grabbed his phone and set an alarm while he was taking a shower. He was texting his mother, and the screen was open. At least not on purpose; I wasn’t spying. But my heart froze as I heard the words.
“This child is not what I want.” In any case, she will love him more than I do. I wish he hadn’t been born sometimes. I despise him.
Before it finally clicked, I read it three times.
It was a message from my hubby.
My digits became icy. My head whirled in shock.
This man, the one I believed would defend us and help me start a family, had written hateful and demeaning remarks about our newborn boy.
And everything made sense at that particular instant.
Loki had known the instinct that saved us.
She had noticed something in him long before I did, a tightness, a shadow, a silent animosity that I had dismissed as stress. Throughout my pregnancy, she had protected me every day by alerting me in the best manner she knew how.
She wasn’t envious of him for those growls, the times she stood between us, or the way she growled when he reached for me. They served as defense.
I couldn’t see what she felt.
I realized how devoted she was when I saw her now, resting next to my child, her eyes steady and serene. She had served as my child’s first guardian angel in addition to being my dog.
A Fresh Start
It was challenging to face the truth. Even more difficult was the knowledge that my marriage was based on a shaky foundation that was already failing long before I saw the symptoms.
Finally, I walked out. I created a new life gradually, cautiously, and with the support of friends and family. One was about my son and the dog that had come to our rescue.
My little boy turns three today. His first true word is “Oki,” which he names Loki. She curls at the foot of his bed every night, vigilant as ever, and he giggles as she licks his face.
I sometimes reflect on how easily things could have turned out differently when we watch them together—how easily I could have ignored her warnings, how easily we could have remained in danger.
However, love has its own language, particularly when it comes from a faithful heart. You simply must pay attention.
What I Learned from Loki
Dogs are said to be intuitive because they can perceive things that humans cannot. I now firmly believe this with all my heart.
Loki told me that something wasn’t right without using words. She saw what I didn’t, and when I didn’t, she didn’t back down. She showed me that love can be fierce at times and isn’t always kind and gentle. It offers protection. It won’t remain quiet.
Cherish it if you’re fortunate enough to have such a loving animal as a companion. That type of love saves your home rather than just filling it.
I now see more than just a boy and his dog when my son bumps against Loki’s open paws. I see a connection that was forged in the face of peril, restored by trust, and reinforced by an unforgettably poignant truth.
She was aware before I was. Additionally, we are secure, whole, and free because she did.
