The Dog, The Baby and The Criminal

Chapter 1

Evangeline

I woke up to the strange feeling of someone tickling my toes, quickly coming to the realisation that someone was licking my toes. I pulled my feet back under the covers, away from the golden Labrador's tongue, desperately hoping to get some more sleep. He may have been my everything, but he was definitely annoying sometimes.

Apparently, the dog couldn't take a hint as he jumped off the bed and came to stand next to my head, panting very loudly, I could feel his warm breath on my face, successfully keeping me awake.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now I glance at the clock next to me and see its 6.30am. Is this dog for real? As if hearing my thoughts, the giant Labrador jumps forward barking in my ear, then gives it a long sloppy lick.

"Ew Milo! Was that really necessary?" To which he responded by licking all over my face and jumping all over the bed, and me. I tried to talk in between his pouncing and licking "Okay Milo I get it, let's go", I managed to get out between my laughing and his attack.

I had never seen a dog run so fast before. I laughed, getting myself out of bed and stumbling to the door. Opening the door, Milo practically teleported out of the room, he ran so fast. I walked into the kitchen seeing Milo sat in front of his food cupboard, with his food bowl in his mouth, staring at the cupboard like his life depends on it. I giggle, walking over to the cupboard, I flip the kettle on on my way past. I pour some dog biscuits into his bowl and leave him with his breakfast and start to make myself a cup of tea.

I look around for Milo since I can't hear him eating anymore, and spot him in the living room curled up on his dog bed, asleep. Crazy dog. I sigh and make my way back into the kitchen, grab my cup of tea and lean forward on the counter by the window, I sipped on my tea as I looked into the wintery abyss.

It was still dark outside since it was only quarter to seven and the middle of January, a thick coat of snow lay over the ground outside and the cars that littered the car park of my apartment building, the streetlights only heightened the beauty of it, the snow looked as if it were glowing.

I definitely got lucky finding a ground floor apartment that allowed dogs, I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't bring Milo with me, it wasn't even an option, he was all I had, he had been with me since I was eleven and now I was twenty-one.

Focusing my attention back onto the snow I realised that it would be a great idea to take Milo for a walk, after all it was our favourite kind of weather, and it was such a rarity in England that it lasted longer than a few days. I put my now empty cup in the sink and decided to go and get ready.

On my way back to my bedroom I opened the first door in the hallway, my son's bedroom. The walls were painted a pale blue colour, there were two white oak wardrobes at the back of the room with all of his clothes, I swear he has more than me, even though he's not here to wear them. Right in the middle of the room is his white crib, With a small smile I tiptoed over. I looked down, a lone tear rolled down my cheek. I didn't even realise I was crying.

Staring down at the empty crib, I felt more tears roll down my face. Every single morning I walked into this room hoping that my baby would somehow be magically sound asleep in his crib, and every morning it would hurt just as bad when he wasn't because I'd remember that my son wasn't here, because he was in the graveyard a twenty minute walk from my apartment. He was born sleeping nine days before his due date, the absolute image of perfection and so tiny, 4lb exactly. I missed him every single day and I absolutely would not have let myself live this long without him, if it wasn't for Milo then I probably would have offed myself the minute the doctor told me I would have to live without my baby Alexander, and if I didn't do it then I would have certainly done it when the doctor told me I wouldn't be able to have another child, ever.