When Milo finally entered her room the next day, it was different. He walked straight to her bed, paused, then sat down carefully at her side. He didn’t nudge her or ask for a pat. He just watched her, alert and still, as though waiting for a signal only he could hear.
From then on, he chose her room every time. If handlers tried to guide him elsewhere, he pulled toward Lily’s door until they gave in. His visits weren’t playful like the others; he stayed quiet, tense, focused. Every sound she made seemed to anchor him in place.