They would stand there together, sometimes for half an hour or more. Noah chattered about his week—about school, about his favorite dinosaur books, about the new video game he wanted—while Daniel sipped from a paper cup of coffee.
And in those moments, King would stretch, yawn, or simply rest in the enclosure’s center. It was easy to imagine he was listening, a silent third companion to their ritual. The zoo had many attractions, but to Noah, nothing compared.