Mid-spring, a month and a half after Kutone arrives in the valley, at around the time she finishes clearing the overgrowth at Breezy Banks Farm and starts on patches of cauliflower and strawberry, a bark outside her door summons her awake. At first, she rolls over in her sleep and dismisses the barks as figments of her dreams—Dad and Mom never let her have pets, after all, and the apartment spaces of Zuzu City were always too small for the retrievers, huskies, or shepherds Kutone begged to own. Just another five minutes, she negotiates. Just another four minutes.

Then a frantic knocking sounds at her door.

"Kutone! Oh Kutone, I know it's so early in the morning but I need your help!" Marnie, Kutone identifies. That plump little lady constantly frets over some animal, but surely she doesn't own a dog on her ranch?

Kutone drags herself out of bed, pulls on a flannel shirt over her pajama shirt, and finally opens the door, to find a great golden dog staring up at her, panting eagerly. A winded Marnie holds him by his collar, and wheezes just as hard as the dog. Upon seeing Kutone's dozing expression, however, Marnie's features light up in a smile. "Kutone," Marnie starts, "I think this poor thing's a stray—I've seen him wandering around outside your farm for a while now and he must need a home, so I thought, maybe you might be interested?"

It's too early, thinks Kutone, for decisions. But Marnie launches into an anecdote about catching and collaring the big dog, as Kutone stares back into his droopy brown eyes, an expression, she thinks, the poor boy probably never asked for. He drums his tail on the old veranda, in an uncanny echo of her own heartbeat.

And Kutone has no Dad or Mom to tell her "no." The dog's fur runs like silk under Kutone's petting hand, as he closes his mouth and eyes, enjoying the gentle rub under his ears and chin. "I've never owned a dog before…"

Marnie, hands pressed together as though in prayer, rattles off reassurances: If you need help training and feeding him, I can help; and Alex has that great big Dusty so I'm sure he knows a thing or two too; Look at him, he's such a gentle and sweet thing, he loves people so much but I just can't keep him; He'll be such a good companion for you here, Kutone, I just know it…

A stray. Who left him on the side of the road, in the middle of the valley? Or did this dog run away from an old home, and stumbled upon the town in his search for food and love? For a stray, his coat practically glows, or maybe the sun shines at the perfect angle on him. Either that, or Marnie and her niece Jas have given him a good brush-down, to prepare him for Kutone's first impression. Whatever the case, the dog doesn't care, and after a survey of the open land around him, he makes himself immovable on the veranda, no matter how much Marnie pulls on his collar. Palpitations deep in Kutone's chest amplify, and stop her from saying "no."

She says the next word that comes to mind.

"Oki."

The dog barks back.

"That's the name of a character who searched for a light."

He barks again. Twice.

"You think your light is here?"

Marnie releases the dog's collar, allowing him to stand on his hind legs, prop his front legs on Kutone's shoulders, and give her a sound series of licks up her cheek. He brings his forepaws back down to the veranda, circles behind Kutone, and sits at her side.

"Well," Kutone laughs, scrubbing her palm against her wet cheek, "I'm not sure he understands what I'm saying to him, but I think he's here to stay."

Marnie, happy to see animal and human bonding so immediately, thanks Kutone for taking Oki in, and with a delighted bounce in her step, leaves through the southern exit of the farm.

Oki never leaves Kutone's side as she walks between her crops. He drums his wagging tail against her leg, and follows her back into the farmhouse in the evening. As she sits on her floor, in front of the TV, he stretches himself over her lap and presses his head against her shoulder. He negotiates the awkward position again and again, but never detaches himself from Kutone.

His coat smells warm, like spring sun and promises.