A New Chapter Begins
After that breakthrough, our relationship transformed completely. Every morning when I arrived at work, Dumbo would be waiting by the fence, swinging his trunk in greeting like he was waving hello. Sometimes he’d even gently push against my shoulder with his trunk—his version of a hug.
“Morning, handsome,” I’d say, and he’d respond with these low, rumbling sounds that elephants make when they’re content. It was like he was talking back to me.
“Good morning, Emily,” in elephant.
The weekly vet checks that used to require sedation? Now Dumbo would stand calmly as long as I was there talking him through it. Dr. Smith, our veterinarian, was amazed.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said after a particularly thorough examination. “It’s like he trusts you completely.”
Trust. That word meant everything to me.
