And now, the universe’s cruel idea of a joke has left me reeling.

How am I supposed to accept a Panther when every time I see her animal form, I will be reminded of what her kind did to my baby sister and to me while I watched?

This agony inside of me has no outlet. It’s just a thrumming pain that I have to swallow every day.

I let out a sigh and pulled on a pair of pants. With an afterthought, I grab a crumpled blue button-up from a chair and shrug into it. Carrying the jug, I head ...