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Maye arrived at the animal shelter early on the day of her volunteer shift. She wasn’t sure what she’d be doing and was told she’d be assigned a task based on what was needed at the time. She assumed the shelter would be bustling and full of Saturday-morning energy, but the environment was very relaxed. When she checked in with the volunteer coordinator, she was excited to learn that she would be on dog-walking duty.

“Aw, will I get to walk that one?” Maye pointed at the little Yorkie mix that was standing up in the kennel behind the front desk. Its little eyes were slightly hidden behind overgrown eyebrows.

The coordinator turned around, and the pup’s light brown ears perked up. “Who, Toad? Nope, that lucky pup was adopted! Laura is picking him up today.”

“Oh, great!” Maye said.

Toad let out an excited bark in agreement.

“Let me go get your dogs,” the coordinator said, disappearing into a back room.

“Dogs? Plural?” Maye said to herself.

The coordinator brought out four dogs and introduced them to Maye.

“This is Abby,” the coordinator said as they grabbed leashes. “She’s a yellow lab and she’s very sweet and polite. She will check in on you often. Molly is also a yellow lab, and she will just follow Abby.” Abby sat down at the coordinator’s signal and Molly followed suit.

“Toby,” the coordinator continued, “he’s a golden retriever, and he cordially requests that you let him say hello to everyone you pass.” Toby sniffed Maye’s hand as the coordinator attached his leash. “Finally, Cody. He’s a chocolate lab and a little overweight, so we have him on a strict diet and try to get him as much exercise as possible. He hates it,” the coordinator said with a smile.

As Maye took their leashes, a bit of anxiety sprang up through her. “So, um, where should I go? Do I need to check in? What if I—or they—need help? Are there any rules?”

The coordinator smiled and rested a hand on Maye’s. “Just take a walk. The dogs love the walk. Go for half an hour, an hour, whatever feels good. If they get tired, you can take a break or come back. There’s a dog park about half a mile down the road that a lot of people visit. The dogs love it there. There’s water and plenty of shade. Just don’t let Cody lie in it the whole time.”

Maye ventured out and walked a few extra blocks for a sweet treat. The walk to Tay’s was exhilarating, and Maye’s mood was lifted immediately. The dogs trotted along happily and marked their territory like a peppy little dog gang. At Tay’s, she ordered four pup cups and found a seat outside. Passersby acknowledged the well-behaved dogs who had found a comfy spot on the cool pavement. Maye held her chin high and sat calmly. She heard a familiar, sing-songy voice.

“Four treats for four well-behaved good boys and girls!” Tabby carried the pup cups to the table where Maye sat.

“Do you mind if I help you feed them? I love dogs,” Tabby said.

“Oh, sure,” Maye said.

The pups started licking the cool, sweet cream, wagging their tails and reaching for every last drop. Maye wasn’t sure how she would have managed feeding all four pups at once.

“Hey, Tabby?” Maye continued. “I know I’ve been a bit cold to you, and maybe resentful, but that’s really not your fault. The day we first spoke was a bad day for me, and you just became the face of it. I actually admire you quite a bit. All those kickboxing skills, and you’re studying psychology? You’re a force.”

Tabby blushed. “Aw, thanks. It’s okay, Maye,” Tabby said. “You are going through a lot right now—” She looked like she had said too much.

“So you’ve heard?” Maye asked, petting Cody.

“Yeah…”

“I assumed you knew by now,” Maye said. “I’d be surprised if you didn’t.” Maye was not in the mood to dwell on this so she quickly pivoted. “So, what are you studying in school? Which area interests you the most?”

“Well, I love kids,” Tabby said. “I have lots of nieces and nephews, and I spend as much time with them as I can. I’d love to work with elementary-aged kids or middle schoolers and help them make sense of what they’re thinking and feeling.”

“That’s really great, Tabby. It’s good that you have such a strong sense of what you want to do.”

“How did you know what you wanted to do?” Tabby asked.

“Well, I always had a sense that I wanted to do something that was a bit of an art and a science,” Maye said. “I realized I wanted to be a psychologist during my first year of college. It was the dream scenario, really. In my very first General Psychology class, I heard the behavior analysis process described in a way that made so much sense. I had grown up around musicians and they would often improvise around each other and jam sessions would happen regularly. Some players would explain how they just let the music take them where they needed to go, while others would explain, in technical detail, the scales they used based on the key they were playing and the theory behind it all. The latter type of musician always fascinated me. I loved the technical explanations and the reasoning. Listening to the psychology professor talk about motivations, perceptions, personalities, and the research that explained behaviors was like listening to those masterful, technical musicians. I was hooked right from the intro.”

“That is so fascinating,” Tabby said. “That must have been so cool being around music like that.”

Maye forgot how cool her story was until she talked about it. She didn’t spend much time reflecting on the unique way she grew up, but people were always fascinated when they heard that she spent most of her first 16 years living on a tour bus and at music venues. When she looked back, she mostly thought about the parts she didn’t like. But it had given her a unique perspective and an experience that not many kids get to have. “Yeah, I guess it was kinda cool,” she said. “But back to you. From what I’ve seen, those kids will be lucky to have you helping them.”

“Thanks,” Tabby said as she collected the empty pup cups. “I’ll throw these out for you so you can get these guys on their walk.”

Maye found the dog park the volunteer coordinator had mentioned and released them to explore inside. She found a spot on a bench in the shade while Abby and Molly found sticks and chased each other around, Toby sniffed around for signs of other friends, and Cody lazily strode along the fence line. After a few minutes, a man who appeared to be around Maye’s age entered the park with a dog, let the dog loose, and made his way toward the shade.