The Day Buddy Found the Elderly Woman and Changed Our Lives Forever in the Forest

The forest was dense with the smell of pine as Jake and I trudged along the narrow path, Buddy’s leash loosely gripped in my hand.

It was a ritual of sorts, these hikes, a way to escape the humdrum of everyday life, and let Buddy stretch his aging legs.

Today, the air seemed particularly still, the kind of silence that presses into your ears.