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Analisa looked up at her brother, her eyes glimmering and dancing with excitement. “What is it, what is it, what is it?” She squealed and began jumping up and down as he reached his hand down into the brown paper bag.
“Okay, okay, but you gotta give the best big brother in the whole world a kiss first,” he said with a grin, his hand teasingly poised just inside of the bag.
Analisa stretched to her tippy toes to reach her brother’s cheek. As he stooped to meet her kiss the bag tumbled to the ground and there she lay, her brown fur so smooth and her eyes glistening. Analisa knew her as soon as she saw her. “Sofira?” she asked with a gasp as she swept the little brown bear off the ground and into a loving embrace.
“Sofira, huh,” her brother asked with a smile. “That didn’t take too long.”
“But we’ve been friends for such a long time,” Analisa crooned into the velveteen fur of the bear, “so naturally I know her name.” Her brother looked over at her mother and father, but they just smiled and shook their heads as if to say, “that’s a six-year-old for you.”
“Come on, Sofira, it’s past bedtime and we have much to do tomorrow.” With that Analisa kissed her family goodnight and began her careful walk up the narrow flight of stairs. When Analisa’s father came to check on her he found them fast asleep together, Analisa tightly embracing her new friend.
“Sweet dreams, little one,” he whispered as he kissed her tiny face.”
Sofira went everywhere with Analisa after that. The days of summer wound down and Analisa found herself preparing for the start of school. Her mother helped her pack a small bag with paper, pencils, a sandwich, and of course a spot for Sofira. Analisa went to bed anxious and excited.
The first day of school seemed magical to Analisa; the sights and sounds and smells were all so exotic to her young mind. Everywhere she went, each new room and activity she saw, she gave her bag with Sofira an extra squeeze and whispered, “Isn’t it all so exciting? Isn’t it all so wonderful?!”
Finally, the first day ended, and Analisa nearly danced out of the school house, already excited for tomorrow. She stopped suddenly though, when she saw a boy about her age sitting alone in the shadows of the steps, his face red as though he’d been crying. Analisa paused, then marched over, clutching Sofira, to see what was the matter. “Hullo,” she said, with the innocent awkwardness of a six-year-old. “What’s wrong?”
The boy looked at her for a moment before he looked down to the ground and muttered something inaudible.
Analisa looked at the boy, then a thoughtful look crossed her face. “Do you wanna meet a friend of mine? She always cheers me up.”
The boy looked up, curious, and Analisa gently placed Sofira in his lap. “A teddy bear?” he said with some surprise and a hint of incredulity.
“She’s not just any teddy bear,” Analisa corrected him. “Just talk to her and you’ll see. You don’t even have to say anything out loud. She always understands.”
Analisa stood there a few moments while the boy hugged Sofira timidly, then she said, “if you are very sad, you can take her home with you for a while. Then you will always have someone to listen and understand.”
The boy gaped at her for a moment and stammered, “are you sure?”
Analisa smiled and said. “sure! Just make sure you love her lots. Lots of love is what makes her such a special bear.”
The boy thanked her, and as Analisa turned to go he stood up and grabbed her hand. “Wait, what’s your name? My name’s Remi.”
“Analisa.”
“Analisa. Can we be friends, Analisa?”
“Of course we can. And then you and me and Sofira can play together sometimes. See you tomorrow!” With that Analisa skipped down the steps into the open arms of her waiting parents.
Remi sat there for a while, stroking the teddy bear and gazing down at the ground. Then with a sigh he stood up and trudged home, carrying Sofira gingerly as if he thought he might break her. When he got home he kissed his tired mother on the cheek and gave his squalling baby brother a hug. “Is Daddy home yet,” he asked above the plaintive wail of his brother.
“No, sweetie, now go wash up for dinner.”
Remi started to walk out of the kitchen, then stopped and whispered to his brother as he handed Sofira over. “Be gentle with her, okay, and I’ll be right back.”
The little boy’s eyes opened wide as he looked at the soft bear, and his open mouth let out one soft coo before he began hugging her with a happy gurgle.
Remi’s mother glanced around and her shoulders relaxed a little as she let out a sigh. She turned back around, but with a peaceful smile playing across her lips.
Remi came back in the room and sat down with his brother, playing quietly while they waiting for dinner.
“I made a friend today, Mom. She’s letting me share her bear with her. We’re gonna play together tomorrow.” Remi relayed all of this happily to his mother.
“I’m glad,” she replied. “Don’t forget we have a visit with grandma next week after school.”
“Okay. Can I bring my new friend to see grandma?”
Remi’s mother paused. “Well, I don’t know her parents, but I suppose you can ask if you’d like.”
Remi excitedly downed his dinner and bounded off to bed, excited to see Analisa again tomorrow, to play with her and Sofira, and to tell her about going to see his grandma.
Analisa was excited when Remi invited her to go visit his grandma. “My grandma’s are so far away I don’t get to see them much. Maybe we can share your grandma and Sofira!”
All day through her classes, and even at recess when she and Remi played with Sofira, Analisa was bursting with the desire to ask her parents. Almost before she had finished hugging her parents her excitement was tumbling out of her. When Analisa finally stopped speaking, her parents looked at each other for a moment before her mother said, “Sure, as long as I can come with you.” Analisa raced off to tell Remi, then skipped happily back home with her parents.
So the week continued, with Remi and Analisa playing happily together with Sofira. Some days Analisa took her home, but most days it was in Remi’s hands that Sofira returned. Although Analisa could not have expressed it, she somehow felt that this was the right thing, that perhaps he needed Sofira more.
The next week after school, Analisa and her mother walked home with Remi, where they met Remi’s mom and baby brother and got on a bus to visit grandma.
Grandma lived in a small, cheerful room in a small, cheerful building that had lots of people with clipboards and stethoscopes. Analisa had never seen a home like this before and gaped at her surroundings as they were ushered into grandma’s room. Remi went forward at once to give his grandma a kiss, and Analisa bashfully followed him.
Grandma seemed pleasantly surprised by the extra visitors, then she leaned over to Remi and said,
“Your Daddy couldn’t make it again today?”
“No, he’s not home yet,” Remi replied. “But I’m sure he will be soon,” he added with confidence.
Analisa looked over at Remi with surprise and curiosity. “Where’s your Daddy?”
“Oh, he works at a very important job far away. But he’ll come home to see us soon, right Mom?”
Remi’s mother gave a small, tight smile before turning away to fuss over baby brother. The gesture was not lost on Analisa’s mother, however, who went over and began a hushed conversation with her.
Remi and Analisa spent much of the rest of the time playing with Sofira and Grandma, and regaling Grandma with stories of Sofira and all their games at school. Grandma was sad to see them go, but Remi promised he would try to bring Analisa with him next time, and they left Grandma looking contented and peaceful.
“I like your grandma,” Analisa said happily, “and I like her house.”
When Analisa and her mother got home, Analisa’s mother and father spoke together for a few minutes, then her mother said, “Sweetie, how would you like it if we went to see Remi sometimes after school?”
“Really, Mommy? That would be so fun!” Analisa gave her parents a hug and a kiss and dashed off to bed with her teddy bear, eager to see Remi the next day.
Remi, meanwhile, was in bed too, but he couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, he tried talking to Sofira, but nothing helped. Finally, he tip-toed out of bed, clutching Sofira, and stumbled toward his mother’s room. Remi paused for a moment when he heard muffled noises, then gently knocked and cracked open the door.
Remi’s mother rolled over and sat up. “What is it, sweetie? What’s wrong?” Even though it was dark Remi could hear her voice shake and her sniffles as he curled up next to her.
“I couldn’t sleep. What’s wrong Mommy?”
She sighed and was still for a moment. “I guess Mommy’s just tired.”
“Can’t you sleep either,” Remi asked.
“It’s a different tired than that, sweetie. But I guess I can’t sleep either.”
Remi gave his mother a little kiss and pressed Teddy Bear Sofira into her arms. “Here. She’s a very special friend, not just any teddy bear. She always understands, even when you don’t want to say it out loud. Maybe she can help you feel better like she helped me.”
Remi’s mother gave him a big squeeze. “Alright. But just to make sure it works, why don’t you sleep in here with me tonight?”
“Okay Mom.”
The next morning as Remi was leaving for school his mother handed Sofira back to him with a smile and a thank you, and Remi skipped happily off to school, his heart buoyed by the hope that maybe Sofira was helping his mom too.
Analisa and Remi could hardly wait for recess that day, they were both bursting to talk and play together. Remi told Analisa about how he was hoping Teddy Bear Sofira could make his mom happy again, and Analisa told him that they might be able to play together after school sometimes.
“Maybe our moms can be friends and we can see each other a lot,” Remi said excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the thought.
“Yeah!” Analisa added excitedly. Then she looked across the playground and her eyes seemed to fix upon something. Her grip on Sofira tightened and she looked over at Remi and said determinedly, “That girl looks like she needs Sofira too. I think Sofira wants us to play with her today. She looks lonely.” Analisa pointed to a girl sitting alone on a swing, wistfully watching all the other children playing. “Come on, Remi, maybe she can be happy too. I think she will love Teddy Bear Sofira as much as we do.”