Every morning, Max waited by the gate — tail wagging, eyes full of hope. His owner, a soldier, had left for duty a year ago. The neighbors fed him, but Max never left that spot. Rain, heat, even storms… he stayed. One day, a familiar whistle echoed. Max froze. Then bolted. His owner, in uniform, dropped to his knees as Max leapt into his arms, both crying in their own way. Love had waited. Loyalty had lasted. Max proved what words often fail to say — a dog’s heart remembers, even when the world forgets