When Rachel finally bought her first home after a painful divorce, she felt free for the first time in years. The little crooked house smelled of lavender and old wood — imperfect, but wholly hers. One chilly morning, she found a Labrador calmly sitting in her garden. His tag read “Max.” After calling the number, she reunited him with his elderly owner, Mrs. Eleanor, a graceful widow who held the dog as if he were her last connection to her late husband. Rachel thought that was the end of it — until a stranger appeared at her door days later.