‘I know, I know. You hate the idea of animals in the house. But she wouldn’t stop crying when I tried to leave her there. I couldn’t just leave her. You know how much I love animals.’
I softened a little at his tone. He sounded so sincere, so guilty.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I asked, placing the bowl of water on the counter.
‘I didn’t want to wake you. And then I thought it would be better to explain everything later.’
I crossed my arms. ‘So you brought her home and decided to hide her in the garage?’
He smiled mischievously. ‘I panicked.’
Despite myself, I laughed. ‘You panicked?’
‘Yes. And that probably explains the strange dream about the cop,’ he said, scratching the back of his head. ‘I was probably worried about the damage to the car. In my dream, they accused me of hitting someone!’
I couldn’t help laughing again and shook my head. ‘You’re impossible, Robert.’
He came closer, his expression softening. “I’m really sorry. I couldn’t just leave her. I thought I’d take care of her for a few days and then let her go. If you want, I can take her somewhere tomorrow.”
I looked at him, at how his shoulders slumped under the weight of his guilt. ‘Let’s just make sure she’s okay for now. But you owe me big time.’
His face lit up. ‘Deal.’
The next few days were spent in a whirlwind of learning how to care for a wild animal. We took turns feeding the fox small portions of food and making sure she had plenty of water. Robert even dug out an old heater to warm up the garage for her.
At first, I kept my distance, letting Robert do most of the caring. But one evening, when I was checking on her, the fox lifted her head and made a soft, almost grateful sound. It melted something inside me.
‘She likes you,’ Robert said, standing in the doorway.
‘Maybe,’ I replied, smiling.
By the end of the week, the fox had grown stronger. She could stand and even take a few steps. Robert and I sat in the garage and watched her cautiously explore her little corner.
‘You’re very good with her,’ I said to him one evening.
He shrugged. ‘Yeah, I guess so. It’s just… I’ve always felt a connection with animals, you know? They don’t expect much — just kindness.’
I nodded, realising for the first time how much his love for animals said about his character.
Two weeks later, it was time to let her go.
We drove to a nearby forest, where Robert knocked her out, and the fox settled into a box in the back seat. She seemed calm. As if she knew what was happening.
When we opened the box, she hesitated for a moment before stepping out. She sniffed the air, then turned and looked at us.
‘Go,’ Robert said softly.
The fox took a few steps, then stopped. She turned around and, to my surprise, pressed her head against Robert’s leg, then disappeared into the trees.
I wiped away my tears. ‘She’ll be all right, won’t she?’
Robert nodded. ‘Yes. She’ll be fine.’
From that day on, we made it a habit to go to the forest. Each time, the fox would appear, pushing through the undergrowth to greet us. She would rub against our legs, expressing her gratitude.
Looking back, I would never have thought that a sleepless night and a strange mumbling dream would lead to communication with a wild fox and a deeper connection with the man I married.