Maya Mercurio never completely gave up hope. Her dog had been missing for more than a week. There was every reason to be pessimistic. But Maya had a feeling that Toby would come back for Christmas.
Maya is a 2019 Cornwall graduate. Her parents, Donna and Patrick, own the Fiddlestix Restaurant on Main Street. When she’s not behind the counter, Mrs. Mercurio likes to hike with the family’s three dogs.
As she drove to the woods on Dec. 15, her three canine passengers were getting restless. She tried to quiet them, but the dogs were too excited to remain still. When she opened the door, all three of them raced into the forest.
Mrs. Mercurio chased after them, but it was a wasted effort. Dogs are much faster than humans and, if you’re patient, they’ll eventually return. At least that’s what Mrs. Mercurio expected.
But only two dogs came back. Toby, a beagle, had disappeared. After a long wait, Mrs. Mercurio returned home without him.
The family, however, didn’t give up. Maya hung some of her clothing in the woods, built a fire and cooked Toby’s favorite food — hoping that one of the scents would attract him.
When that didn’t work, Maya went to Brid’s Closet on Main Street to get a reading from Bernadette Montana. The news was neither discouraging nor encouraging. Ms. Montana could sense a lot of tension. But she didn’t say that Toby would come back.
The chances of a small dog surviving in the woods are not great. It was warm when Toby ran into the woods. But for several nights in a row, the temperature dipped into the teens — once going as low as 12 degrees.
On Christmas Eve, the family went to bed late, hoping to sleep through the night. The two remaining dogs had other plans. At about 3:30 a.m., they started barking and scratching at the door. Someone or something must have been lurking outside. A wise guy would have said it was Santa Claus
Mrs. Mercurio tried to quiet her pets and get them to go back to bed. The dogs, however, wouldn’t be still until she opened the door and looked around.
At first she saw nothing. Then she noticed a small shadow and spied Toby sitting perfectly still. He had lost a little weight. But he seemed healthy and very happy to be home.
It was still dark, but it was officially Christmas morning and Maya’s premonition had come true. Her dog was home.
