Liana holds me close and I can feel her tears seep into my worn fabric. If my arms could they’d hold her close for a little more comfort, but they are only full of stuffing and I don’t have the ability to move them by myself. I can tell by her sniffling that there has been another fight, that in the morning her arm will bear a new purple mark where Mommy had a hold of her. If I could, bruise I probably would have been too because of how tight my girl was holding me.

When we get our stuffing we are told that we are here to protect our children, here to comfort, as an outlet. Some of us go to kids who don’t really want us and end up being thrown out. I couldn’t imagine that, it would have broken my heart because that would mean that we weren’t loved and all teddy bears need love to survive.

“Sky, I’m scared.” This is the name Liana gave me since in her eyes my now dingy coat used to look like the color of the beautiful sky. “Mommy and Daddy were fighting really bad tonight. Daddy said that he couldn’t deal with Mommy anymore and she got really mad. She said it was all my fault. I don’t want Daddy to leave. If Daddy leaves then it will just be you, me and Mommy. If Daddy leaves I won’t get ice cream anymore, Sky.” Liana buries her face against me. I am her confidante, the one she goes to with everything. She sniffles and pulls back a little. “But you won’t leave me right, Sky?” She hiccups and it makes her entire frame shake. Liana may have been eleven, but she was a very small eleven.

If I could speak I’d assure her that no, I would never leave her. But all I can do is stare at her with compassion.



Later that night, in the dark, Liana lay curled up with me, fast asleep. She holds me close, her small form curled around me. Daddy moves softly in and scoops her up, letting me fall to the floor. She wakes and looks at him. “Daddy, where are we going?”

“Away, sweetie.” Liana nods and falls back asleep against him. They leave and I lay on the floor, alone and cold. But its ok, Liana will be safe now, she’ll be happy. And that’s all that matters. My duty is done here as a teddy bear.