by Stefanie Kyak

Created on: January 27, 2007   Last Updated: May 14, 2007

"Warm and Cozy"

She picked up her favorite doll - a teddy bear you just want to hold on to everywhere you go - and walked accross her fairy tale bedroom. Night, dark, late, bedtime has just arrived and she needed her teddy to sleep happily tonight. Angel, little darling; she hopped along in her pretty pink night gown all sewn with lace along the seams. Accross the bedroom she went, picking up her little barbie dolls, her cooker ware, her doll house things, and her other toys; grasping her teddy all through the chore. At times, she must put teddy down on her pretty pink carpet, to use two hands to pick up a heavy toy. Quickly, quickly, she grabs her teddy again and gives him a big hug! She missed him, and the sense of abandonment overwhelmed her little head. But, ah, now she'd dance along towards her bed, finally ready for the sandman to spread his magic. Mother woulc come into the bedroom to kiss her good night.

"Darling, ready for bed?"

"Mommy, teddy isn't!" She spread her comforter quietly over her small body.

"Dear, what does teddy need." Mother knew teddy well. She's washed him with her love on many occasions to keep him sweet for her.

"Teddy wants to pray." Mother smiled with great approval.

"Alright, lets pray." She picked herself out of bed to kneel beside Mother. Teddy is held on to her arm, staring straight into nothing, but he's alive in his eyes with a special light reflecting from them.

She spoke, softly, whispering to herself, almost trying not to let Mother hear her, but trying to let God hear her.

"Good night daddy, I know your watching me. Teddy wanted to say hi again and thank you for letting him sleep with me again tonight. God bless you daddy, thank you for watching me. I miss you very much."

Mother tried to hold her tears back. Remembering that day her husband gave teddy to her as a very little girl. He said, "I'll let teddy sleep with you tonight. But only for tonight". And every night she would walk up to her father and ask if teddy could sleep with her.

"Daddy, can teddy sleep with me tonight?"

Sometimes, just for fun, her father would say that he wanted to sleep with teddy for the night. She would enjoy allowing her father to sleep with teddy very much because when she got teddy the next day, it would be so cozy and warm.

Then, her husband became ill and quickly became weak. Mother remembered painfully, the horrors of the night she would last speak to him. "Daddy, please let teddy sleep with you tonight. He wants to be with you."

Her father said, "Okay, but after tonight, teddy will sleep with you from now on."

That morning, teddy wasn't so cozy and warm when she got him back.

"Okay Mommy, now we're ready for bed!" She innocently and happily jumped into the bed, tucked very tightly by Mother.

"May you're dreams be of wonderlands. . . " Lights out. Stars out. She closed her eyes as Mother walkd away, leaving the door open to scare away fears. She turned over in her bed, holding teddy tight to make him warm, but he's never warm enough. Goodnight, angel, little darling. . . Don't forget me. . .

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