He was a small caramel colored bear with eyes as dark as the night sky. He had a green heart on his chest, representing the month of May. It was 4 days before Christmas and we were going out to go shopping. I had to have Teddy with me. He had gone everywhere with me since I was 6 months old.
My mom, grandma, and I got ready to go out into the cold December air. Cozy stocking caps, sweaters, and our heavy winter coats. December in Wyoming is also icy and cold. When you walk outside you can see your breath as soon as you walk out the door. Your nostrils stick together when you breath in. But climbing into a nice warm car, melts all of that chilliness away.
We headed out to our first store, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer was playing on the radio and we were all singing along. I was making Teddy dance around in the back seat. I couldn’t wait to pick out a present for my great grandma and my favorite aunt.
I had some ideas, but mom was going to help me find the perfect gift. As we pulled in the crowded parking lot, you could see Santa Claus sitting just inside the door, waiting for all little kids to tell him what we wanted.
Mom unbuckled me from my Minnie Mouse booster seat and held my hand as we walked across the parking lot. Mom’s hand was so warm, wrapped around mine, as I held tight to my teddy bear. Mom wanted me to leave him in the car but I couldn’t. I didn’t want Teddy to be cold and lonely in the empty, dark car.
As we walked in the doors of the Department store Santa said, “Ho Ho Ho.” I slowly walked over and climbed up on his knee. I remember his big red chair being velvety soft, and his breath smelling of candy canes.
Santa asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said, “I would like a puppy and a friend for Teddy.” I held Teddy up so that he could see the bear. Santa nodded his head, I jumped down, and grabbed a candy cane from the basket.
As we walked into the store and retrieved a shopping cart, you could hear Jingle Bells playing from the big speakers in the ceiling. I wanted so terribly to go look at the toys, like any normal child, but mom wouldn’t let me.
She said there were too many people in the store and it was very unsafe. I crossed my arms and huffed and I also made a disgruntled noise for Teddy. We were both disappointed.
The first thing we did was go over to the shoe section. I wanted to get my grandma a nice, soft, and very fluffy robe. My grandma was going to get her some matching soft warm slippers.
My grandma’s were the best of friends. They did all kinds of things together; bingo, puzzles, cards, and other fun things.
We grabbed a couple other items that my mom wanted for her friends and then we headed back out into the ice age weather. We headed a couple of blocks back towards the house and stopped in at an electronics store. There was a remote control that my grandma wanted to look at for my cousin. He was a couple of years older than I was and he thought he was too old to play with me.
So, we didn’t hangout much. It didn’t take grandma very long to find what sh wanted. Backing the warm car mom and grandma decided we would head home, make some milk chocolate hit chocolate with fluffy Christmas colored marshmallows and then I would head off to bed.
Mom unbuckled me when we reached the house and when I reached for Teddy he wasn’t on the seat beside me. I screamed bloody murder and it scared my mom and grandma. They couldn’t believe I had lost Teddy or that I had freaked out that way. Grandma said she would go look for Teddy and mom carried me in the house. I was crying so much and so hard that I could barely breath and my tears running down my cheeks were turning to slushy tears.
When we got inside and got our coats off, I laid on the couch crying and sniffling while mom started the hot chocolate.
It seemed like forever had passed when grandma walked into the house. Stomping her feet on the rug to remove the snow from her boots. She walked over to the couch and pulled Teddy out of her coat pocket.
I jumped up, wrapped my arms around grandma, and hugged her so tight that she almost couldn’t breath. Mom came in and told us that the hot chocolate was ready and while we drank our mugs, I promised Teddy that I would never lose him again.
