The next morning Jamie approached the glass. Meera saw him. She rose slowly and walked to the edge, her eyes locked on his. Behind her, Nibbles padded close, yawning, tail wagging. He barked once—short, cheerful, bright. Jamie burst into tears. He didn’t even know why.
Jamie sat with his father on a bench outside the enclosure. “I want him back,” he said quietly. “But I want her to be okay too.” His father looked at Meera through the glass. “Sometimes, we don’t get to keep the things we love. Sometimes, we have to share them.”