Page 32 of Single Teddy
When she excused herself to the restroom later, she entrusted Bubblegum’s safety to Bear, and he hugged the dragon tight.
As Slade and King tried to talk to Bear about Bubblegum, I looked around, searching for Wesley, wondering if he’d been watching Bear’s progress. If he’d been watching me. But when I found the table he’d been sitting at, there was no one there.
I sighed and focused on my current company, feeling slightly defeated despite Bear’s leaps and bounds in a single evening. I didn’t know why, but I wanted to share this achievement with him, which made no sense. But then again, he was Bear’s teacher, so…maybe that was why.
Yeah, that must be why.
“We should get going,” King said and pushed his chair back when Mac returned, and I looked at Bear.
“Mac is going now, Bear. I think she wants her Bubblegum back,” I said.
“No!” Bear turned away from Mac with Bubblegum, and I felt deflated. One step forward, two steps back.
“But, Bear, sweetie, Bubblegum isn’t yours. He’s Mac’s, and she’d like him back,” I said.
“Oh, it’s okay. Bubblegum told me he’d like to stay with Bear,” Mac said, and I looked at the mature little kid in front of me and felt so much worse for denying her the toy.
“Oh no, it’s okay, Mac. Bear is just saying goodbye, that’s all,” I said before Bear shouted another few nos, making it clear he wasn’t parting with the dragon without a fight.
“Don’t worry, Bear,” Mac said. “You can hold on to Bubblegum for as long as you need. He’s such an awesome dragon. It’s no wonder you don’t want to part with him. Just promise me something.”
Bear hesitated but glanced at Mac.
“Will you take good care of him? He’s one of a kind, and he needs someone who will look after him.”
She put her hand out, and Bear not only took it, but he shook it, smiling at her.
“I will take the best care of him,” he said.
My chest warmed at what I was witnessing, and even though stealing toys from other kids wasn’t on the ideal list, at least Mac didn’t seem to mind, and Bear had made a friend.
I’d take my wins where I got them.
“Don’t worry. He’s got hundreds more. She. I meantshe. She’s got hundreds more. She won’t miss him,” King whispered beforethey left and threw a sneaky glance at his boyfriend, making me wonder what the hell that was about.
“Thank you,” I mouthed at him, and he winked at me, and then it was just the two of us once more.
Like we’d have to be from now on.
But maybe…just maybe, we wouldn’t be all alone. We had friends here. Friends who cared. A family made up of old and new friends we could count on.
And what was more precious than that?
Maybe love, but I was pretty sure that wasn’t in the cards for me. And that was okay.
It would have to be.
TEN
WESLEY
“Are you doing it today?” Monica entered my office as I packed my bag, and I jumped. “I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”
“Oh, it’s not your fault.” I chuckled. “I jump at my own reflection sometimes.”
“Do you want me to come with you? I don’t mind,” she said, and I shook my head, following her out of the classroom into the hallway.
“Nah, I don’t want them feeling ambushed. I just want to make sure they’re okay. They’re constantly late and have missed school three times already. That’s not normal.”
