#i used Gordy because I know I've provided him with a sibling in past work

[awlimagines]

Tina the Teddy Bear

You loved Gordy. You would claim it was love at first sight. That moment on the beach, capturing a flash in the waves, igniting a spark in you for the quiet man. Further interactions only fed fire to the flames. You thought marrying Gordy would be the happiest day of your life. Then your daughter Gwendolyn was born. Gordy’s sister Laura started to come around more with her kids after Gwen’s birth. You were thankful for the extra hands, and the close family your childhood lacked. 

“We cannot accept this,” you cast a worried glance to Gordy for support.

“Oh, come now! It’s from the whole family, and there’s a lot of us!” Laura chirped, holding out the giant bear. You had seen the exact one in Van’s wares since Gwendolyn was a toddler. Gordy and you had agreed the price tag was exorbitant. Your child could live without a stuffed bear that was larger than her. Gordy’s large hand rested on your shoulder, his head shaking ever so lightly. He was right, you reasoned, your nerves calming at his touch. Gordy’s family was large. The cost was surely not as great as it seemed. Sensing your weakness, your nephew and niece quickly gathered Gwendolyn and the bear and fled for your daughter’s room. 

“Thank you, you really shouldn’t have,” you welcomed Laura in as she waved you off. It wasn’t long before the kids returned to the main room, begging you to attend a tea party. Of course, you would need to make them tea first. Gordy told you to join them. Laura and he were going to his studio to go over his recent work. They could take hours discussing art; you would rather attend the tea party. Gordy hugged you warmly, nodding as you told him not to stay too long. 

You shooed the kids back into Gwendolyn’s room with instructions to clear the table while you prepared tea. As the kettle warmed, you fetched the strawberry shortcake you had made. It was for a villager's request, but you could prepare another. You couldn’t have a tea party without cake, after all. You soon entered Gwendolyn’s room, balancing a tray crowded with teacups, kettle, honey, and cake. 

“Here we go! Tea for Gwen, Emma, Andrew, and Teddy,” you hummed, placing cups in front of each. 

“Her name is Tina,” your niece chirped.

“Momma, Tina needs tea too!” Gwen exclaimed as you skipped over serving the oversized bear. You apologized and poured tea for the bear. Playing along with the kids that Tina could drink and wasting a little tea wouldn't hurt. You sat talking with them until you glanced out the window and saw the sun dipping low. Gwendolyn quickly insisted on showing Emma and Andrew the animals while you tended them. 

Gordy and his sister returned while you were outside and gathered to leave. You cleaned up from tea time while he walked his sister and her kids to the mountain path. You couldn’t help but notice the cup for the teddy bear was empty. The only concern to cross your mind was one of the kids drinking too much tea. You hoped it wouldn’t be a problem for Laura on the way home. You placed the last washed and dried cup away as you felt a tiny tug on your hem. 

“Momma, Tina says she lost her ring. Can you check the teacups?” 

You knew kids could have active imaginations, and Gwendolyn’s was certainly active from the drawings in her sketchbook. It seemed odd for her to fixate on a lost ring, though. Forget-Me-Not Valley followed the Blue Feather tradition. Yours and Gordy’s Blue Feather were proudly displayed near your shared bed. You shrugged, pulling the cups down from their place in the cabinet. It must be something she got from her cousin Emma. You expected to pretend to find a ring to hand Gwendolyn for Tina but found an actual silver ring in the cup. The silver ring had small amethysts, sparkling almost as bright as Gwendolyn’s eyes. You plucked the piece of jewelry out to look over it closer. An inscription in the band read Tina.

“That’s it, Momma!” Gwendolyn grabbed the ring and ran back to her room before you could say anything. You frowned, following her through the house. There was no telling where that ring had come from. You would need to call Laura and ask if she knew of one missing. Such a thing was too valuable to be a child’s plaything. You knocked softly before opening Gwendolyn’s door and almost screamed. You could have sworn you saw the bear scuttle across the room when you entered. 

“What’s wrong, Momma?” Gordy asked. You did scream then, surprised by his silent entry. Once he got you calmed down, he took Gwendolyn for a bath, leaving you alone with Tina the Teddy. You tried to ignore the bear and searched every inch of Gwen’s room for the ring. The search halted in front of the bear. You could swear it was breathing and blinking. Unnerved, you hurried from the room. 

“I must be going crazy,” you whispered to Gordy in bed later that evening. Your husband was quiet, worrying you that he fell asleep or was trying to figure out what to do with an insane wife. To your relief, Gordy took you seriously. He said he would observe the bear tomorrow while you tended to the farm and find out what happened to the ring. 

You felt relieved the next day. After a night of sleep and in the brightness of day, you could almost promise you had merely overreacted to the expensive gift. Gordy would find the ring playing with your daughter today, and everything would return to normal. You didn’t think anything of it when Gwen and Gordy came out as you finished milking the cows for the evening. Gwen insisted on helping Takakura put the chickens to bed in the coop. You smiled, excited to see her take an interest in the farm. 

Gordy motioned you to follow him. He had found the ring but didn’t think you could get it back. Puzzled, you followed your husband to Gwen’s room. Gordy pointed to Tina’s left eye and asked you to look closely. You bent down, bringing your face even with the stuffed bear’s to peer into the glass eye. You could see the glimmer of silver and amethyst before the eye blinked shut.