Chapter 1

I stood on the edge of the apartment roof, staring down at the street below.

I was ready to jump.

My father’s crushing debts had left me with no way out.

Then, blowing up from the animal shelter on the ground floor, I heard voices.

"Stop being so stubborn, meow! They're going to euthanize you!" a squeaky, panicked voice cried out.

"It's fine. I'm not scared. Don't cry," a deep, rumbly voice answered.

I froze.

My feet moved before my brain could process it.

I scrambled down the fire escape stairs.

The moment I frantically pushed open the shelter's back door, I saw a technician in medical scrubs clipping a leash onto a Golden Retriever.

She held a red 'E-List' clipboard, whispering apologies to the dog.

I knew exactly where she was taking him.

"Wait!" I blurted out, throwing my hand up. "How much is the adoption fee for this dog?"

The second the words left my mouth, I regretted it.

Wasn't I on the roof just a minute ago because I didn't have a dime to pay off those debts?

How could I possibly afford a dog?

The technician froze, her hand dropping away from the leash.

Behind her, a girl in a volunteer apron let out a gasp.

A bright, relieved smile broke across the shelter girl's face as she hurried over, gently pulling me fully inside.

In the cage next to where the dog stood, a fluffy Ragdoll cat missing a back leg started jumping around.

"Yay, meow! Buddy is getting a home! He doesn't have to die, meow!"

The Golden Retriever, Buddy, just kept his head resting on his paws.

He didn't even lift an eyelid. He acted like none of this was his business.

The shelter girl gently guided me toward a different cage. "If you're looking for a dog, we have this sweet Labrador puppy..."

The little pup immediately pressed against the bars. It wagged its tail so hard its whole back end shivered, staring at me with shiny, eager eyes.

It was practically screaming, Pick me! Pick me!

My heart completely melted.

But still, I turned back and pointed firmly at the Golden Retriever.

I figured, since I didn't jump today, maybe saving this beat-up dog's life would give my own messy life some kind of meaning.

When I didn't choose the puppy, it let out a soft, pitiful whine.

But strangely, I couldn't understand a single word it was saying.

Instead, the Ragdoll cat's frustrated voice filled my ears again.

"Meow! Hurry up and wag your tail, meow!"

"She pointed at you! Play nice and beg a little, meow!"

When Buddy still didn't move a muscle, the Ragdoll lost her temper.

She stuck her paw through the bars of her cage and aimed right for his stubborn head.

"Take this! Meow punch!"

Whack.

"Ouch!" Buddy yelped, covering his head with his paws and scrambling to the back of his kennel.

I couldn't hold it in. A genuine laugh burst out of my chest.

Buddy turned his head and gave me a totally wronged look. "That hurt. And the human is laughing. Heartless. I don't like her."

But the Ragdoll wasn't letting him off the hook. "Liar! Your eyes lit up when she said she wanted you, meow! If you keep lying, I won't like you anymore."

Panic flashed in Buddy's eyes.

He let out a grumpy huff and, very reluctantly, started thumping his tail against the floor for me.

The Ragdoll purred in satisfaction. "That's more like it, meow."

Watching them go back and forth, it suddenly hit me. I could only hear those two.

To test my crazy theory, I walked down the aisle, looking at every other cage.

Barking, meowing... but just normal animal noises.

Absolutely nothing I could understand.

I walked back and stood in front of Buddy's cage, listening to the two of them bicker.

I couldn't figure out why this was happening to me.

Why could I suddenly understand animals?

And why could I only hear these two?

Finally, I stopped overthinking it.

Maybe we were just meant to find each other today.

I pulled out my phone, opened my banking app, and showed the screen to the shelter girl with an awkward smile.

"I only have twenty dollars left... Is that enough to adopt him?"