Hey Dad, just a quick tail-wagging tale from your fur-ball, Moxie! Became a bit of a Spencerville celeb teaching humans and canines alike about love and courage. Turns out I’m more than just a pretty snout – I’m a guardian, a teacher, and a slice of heaven in a doggo’s life. Missing you tons, but spreading some pawsitivity and tail thumps this Christmas. Keep looking up at the stars, I’m wagging at you from one of ‘em. Happy Howlidays! ✨🐾 – Moxie

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Snowflakes tumbled from the heavens like feathers from an angel’s wing, blanketing Spencerville in a soft, silken quilt of white. The town glowed with a festive shimmer, and the crisp winter air hummed with the promise of Christmas. Even in this nearly perfect place, an undercurrent of melancholy touched my heart as I missed the warmth of my Dad’s laugh and the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled at me. But tonight was Christmas Eve, and a spark of hope flickered within me. You see, on a night like this, even a disheartened Corgi/Aussie mix could find a reason to wag her tail.

I settled beneath the grand oak tree in the dog park, snowflakes kissing my tan and white fur, casting tiny cold whispers against my coat. The Pretzel bone laid forgotten in my paws as memories of past Christmases filled my mind like visions of sugar-plums. My ears pricked up at the sound of soft paws crunching through the snow. I was about to confront the intruder, in the most festive manner possible, of course, when I saw him.

“Spirit!” I greeted my unexpected visitor—every tail-shaking, rump-wiggling inch of me displayed my delight. It wasn’t every day that Gabriel, Spencerville’s very own guardian angel, paid you a visit.

“Moxie, you look like you’ve misplaced your moxie,” Gabriel chuckled, his fluffy wings displacing the snow as he settled beside me.

“I guess even in paradise, you can get the Christmas blues,” I confided, glancing up at the twinkling stars, wondering if one was a window to my Dad. “It feels like there’s a squeaker in my heart that just keeps squeaking, ‘miss you, miss you, miss you.'”

“Moxie, what if I told you that you’re not the only one who’s missing someone tonight?” Gabriel’s wise, glimmering eyes softened as he spoke. “You’ve made more impact than you know.”

With a flurry of wings and a nod of his head, the world spun—a gentle whirlwind of snow and stardust—and suddenly, we were not in Spencerville. Peering through the frosty windows of my old home, the scene before us would have warmed the coldest nose.

Dad sat in his favorite chair, thumbing through a photo album, each page filled with snapshots of adventures and cuddles that we’d shared. “Merry Christmas, Moxie,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you for the lessons you taught me: loyalty, laughter, and the courage to look at each new day as a fresh game of fetch.”

The photos came to life, each one a vignette of our time together. Moxie the Teacher, Moxie the Protector, Moxie the Friend. I saw myself in their games, their struggles, their quiet moments when courage mustered was a small dog believing her bark could stave off shadows.

“See?” Gabriel said gently. “You’ve been his guardian as much as I’ve been yours.”

With another rustle of feathers, we visited Retriever River, where my playful antics had taught the river’s namesake to leap into life with abandon. We peeked into The Barkery, where my penchant for pizza crusts had inspired a specialty treat that brought tail-wagging delight to dogs from all corners of Spencerville. And we toured the woods, where my enthusiastic romps with friends stirred the woods with bursts of laughter and joy that echoed long after I had gone.

Before I could even woof my astonishment, we were back beneath the oak tree, the world once again still and quiet—save for the thrum of my heart, which beat with newfound purpose.

“Every bark, every wag, every moment you’ve lived has shaped the world around you, Moxie,” Gabriel reminded me with a smile. “You’re a thread in the tapestry of their lives, vibrant and strong.”

As the night deepened and Gabriel’s presence faded into the hush of falling snow, I looked up at the stars with gratitude. My spirit soared, light as a snowflake, knowing that my love remained with those I cherished. And when the time was right, we would be together again.

It was, indeed, a wonderful bark. And as the first colors of dawn kissed the horizon of Spencerville, my heart was filled with the promise of a merry Christmas—for all of us.

The End.

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