Liam fell onto Max instead of the staircase, and the force drove Max down against the wood with a painful thud that echoed through the house. Max let out a sharp yelp, but he did not move away. Sarah screamed and ran forward, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
She dropped to her knees and lifted Liam into her arms, her hands shaking as she searched for injuries. “Liam, Liam, it’s okay,” she whispered, her voice breaking as he cried loudly against her shoulder. Daniel stood frozen beside them, staring at Max in disbelief as the dog lay awkwardly across the steps, his chest rising quickly but his eyes focused only on the baby.
“He caught him,” Daniel said quietly, the realization settling heavily over both of them. Max’s tail moved weakly against the step, as if he needed them to understand that he had done what he was supposed to do. In that moment, neither of them realized that this was only the first time they had truly seen how much Max loved their son.
At the veterinary clinic, Sarah sat beside Max as Dr. Rebecca Collins gently examined him, her hands careful as she checked his legs and spine. Liam slept safely in Daniel’s arms nearby, unaware of how close he had come to serious harm.
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