They passed parrots, meerkats, and a sleepy black bear. Then, just as Jamie was starting to feel hungry, they reached the tiger exhibit. A crowd had gathered. A woman in a khaki uniform was speaking into a mic. “This is Meera,” she said. “She’s been with us eight years.”
Meera was beautiful, even from behind thick glass. Her orange coat shimmered in the sun, her eyes deep pools of quiet strength. But there was something different about her. She didn’t pace. She didn’t roar. She just… lay there. Like she was waiting for something.