'Oh, yes! I was hoping you would bring that up again.' Since their brief conversation a few days previous Abby had been a bubble, floating through life liable to burst at the slightest touch.
Amur tigers were so near extinction there was very little hope even in captivity that the species would recover. Three hundred and fifty individual cats remained; most people in the world would live and die without ever seeing one beyond televised documentaries and stuffed panorama displays at dusty museums. And yet, here was this beautiful example - genetically altered for fashion but Abby refused to hold that against the cat - right in the zoo's backyard.
'I don't think I need to express to you of all people what a true and generous gift that would be. The zoo's never had an Amur tiger here.' She stepped forward, her chin lifting so she could look into Robb's eyes, as blue and full of childlike wonder as her own. 'There are channels of course, insurances and protocols that need to be set in place but I have it all worked out in my mind already.'
And on paper.
Abby had spent her day off Wednesday compiling letters and and creating a proposal for the zoo's board of directors. She knew she couldn't ask for any money but the zoo had an empty habitat - their beloved Black Bear had passed away on Valentine's Day and his enclosure remained vacant, a perfect opportunity - and strong after-school programs were already in place. With volunteers and a bit of extra work, there was untapped potential in the offer which Abby refused to let lie, greedy to dig and discover what gems she might unearth.
'If you're serious about this, I will see that it happens.'