For over a year, Chris and Becka lived in the same apartment building, often crossing paths at the dog park. Their dogs, Bailey and Charley, became fast friends from the start, always excited to see each other whenever they happened to meet. While the dogs ran around playing together, Chris and Becka would exchange small talk—comments about the weather or how much energy Bailey or Charley had that day—but they never stopped for a full conversation. It was almost like they existed in parallel, always just shy of truly connecting. Bailey, however, seemed to know something long before Becka did. For a while, he would sit in front of Chris’s door, wagging his tail and waiting to see Chris and Charley. Becka thought it was just his excitement to see his doggy friend, but looking back, it seemed like maybe Bailey was trying to give her a hint. One day, as Bailey and Charley raced around the dog park, chasing each other in their usual excitement, Chris finally struck up a real conversation with Becka. She was caught a little off guard—after so many months of brief exchanges, they were suddenly diving into something deeper. They talked and laughed for a while, and that same night, they hung out as if it were the most natural thing in the world. From that moment on, everything changed. Chris and Becka became best friends almost instantly, spending as much time together as possible. Despite being quite different—opposites, really—their connection just worked. Chris was spontaneous and carefree, while Becka preferred to plan things out, but they quickly realized how well they balanced each other. Their shared sense of humor and love for animals, especially Bailey and Charley, bridged any differences, and soon they were inseparable. Looking back, it seemed funny that they spent so much time near each other without ever really connecting. But maybe Bailey had it figured out long before they did—he just waited for them to catch up.