Spot came to me whenever I felt sad, and she never betrayed me. One day, while playing ice hockey on a lake with my brothers and the other boys in the neighborhood, I skated over a hidden log in the ice and fell hard, smashing my head on the frozen lake. When I awoke, I saw a circle of kids standing around me, and they teased me, claiming I was faking injury. None of us knew I’d sustained a concussion. Spot came over and licked my face. I slowly got to my feet, but I could not remember the way home. My dog led the way.