1:

Bonnie scowled at the toddler in front of her. She didn't know why her Mom had insisted on this playdate. J.J. couldn't say much more than "Mama" and let out the occasional shriek. Now he was just staring at her blankly as they sat in the living room of his house.

He reached for the Cowboy doll she was clutching. Protectively, Bonnie shielded him. "No, J.J.! This is mine…"

J.J.'s lip began to quiver as teardrops formed in his giant blue eyes. Bonnie sighed and held Woody out. "Fine, J.J. But be nice…" J.J. snatched Woody. "Hey! Careful!"

He stared at Woody's frozen smile for a moment, silently examining his features. Then he opened his mouth and stuck Woody's face inside.

"HEY!" Bonnie grabbed the toy out of his mouth. "J.J.!" J.J. screeched and lunged for the toy. "No! If you can't play with Woody nicely, you can't play with him at all! He's not food!" J.J. just shrieked some more as she held him out of reach. Falling back, he began to cry.

"Stop it J.J.! Oh…" Frustrated she yanked on Woody's pull string.

"Giddy up, Partner!" J.J. stopped blubbering. He stared at the Cowboy. Bonnie pulled the string again. "Reach for the sky!" Through his tears, J.J. smiled.

Bonnie held Woody up. "Look, he's a Cowboy! He's the best Cowboy in the Wild West but you gotta be nice to him! He doesn't like being stuck in your mouth, understand?"

"Kerowboy…"

"Yes, Cowboy." She placed Woody in J.J.'s tiny hands and gently guided him. "See?" Turning Woody over slightly, she put J.J.'s hand on his pull string. Together they tugged.

"Someone's poisoned the waterhole!"

J.J. laughed and clapped. Grinning, Bonnie took off Woody's hat and placed it on his head. "Now you're a cowboy too!" She held the Toy up to his face and bobbed him up and down. "Well howdy, Partner! Have you seen my hat?" The Baby kept laughing as she continued.

"You look like a real tough Om-bray! Wanna join my posse and help me catch some varmints?"

J.J. grabbed Woody from her hands. This time however he slung the doll over his shoulder and embraced him in a hug.

Bonnie sighed. Much better than being chewed on.

Twenty minutes later, J.J. had fallen asleep on the floor, Woody under his arm. Bonnie stood and wandered out of the living room.

There was a utility room by the back of the stairs and the door had been left open. As she approached she could hear an aggravated voice. "It's not your weekend! Well we already have plans! None of your business! If you want to see him you can't just call at the last second and expect me to…Hello?"

Bonnie peeked inside. J.J.'s mother had her back to the door as she spoke harshly into a cellphone. "Hello? Hello?" Growling she clicked off. "Stupid son of…" Bonnie coughed and she spun around. "Bonnie!"

"Sorry. J.J. fell asleep."

Sunny checked her cellphone clock. "It is pretty close to his usual naptime. Would you like to watch a movie? Or maybe have a snack?"

"No thanks." A long grey table had been pushed to the wall adjacent to the washer and dryer. Paints, sandpaper, and tools sat along the back. Bonnie eyed the supplies curiously. "Is this where you fix toys?"

"Well it's no Doll Hospital, but yes. This is my work area. And occasional laundry folding station."

"I bet Doctor Marcella taught you everything!"

"That's right." Bending down Sunny picked up a cardboard box and placed it on the table. "I learned everything I know at my Mother's side." Looking into the box, she said wistfully, "I always thought I'd run the Doll Hospital someday…"

There was a stool nearby and Bonnie pulled herself up. "You should! You should be Doctor Sunny Miller and open the Doll Hospital again!"

Sunny stared at her as if she had forgotten she was there. Then she laughed and gently rubbed Bonnie's hair. "It's…a complicated grown up thing, Sweetie."

Bonnie frowned. "Grown up things are usually complicated."

"That they are." She pushed the box in front of Bonnie. "Would you like to see what I'm working on?"

"Yes! Yes yes yes!" Bonnie sat up on her knees so she could see into the carton. "Tiny furniture?"

"For a dollhouse. I picked these up at a yard sale. Another thing my Mother and I used to do together. But they're all old and some of them need fixing. I figured I can restore them and try to sell them online."

"Can I help?"

"Sure." She handed Bonnie a damp rag. "First we've got to clean them. Think you could wipe down some of the dirty ones with me?"

Bonnie grabbed the rag eagerly. "Okay!" Reaching in the box she picked up a small chair and began rubbing it. Sunny smiled and began to clean a tiny china cabinet.

"Miss Sunny Miller, is sandpaper really made with sand?"

"Well not anymore. It used to be made with glass but now it's usually aluminum oxide."

"Aloo-mimum ox-eyed. Neat…"

It was about three hours later when Mrs. Anderson arrived to pick up Bonnie. As the little girl bounded to the door with a wide smile, her mother looked at her in wonder.

"So happy! And this morning you didn't want to come!" She motioned to her face. "What's that on your cheek?"

Bonnie rubbed the spot. "Dirt? I was helping Miss Sunny Miller fix dollhouse furniture!"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"She is," Sunny appeared behind her, cradling J.J. in her arms. "A marvelous helper."

Bonnie held up Woody and gave his arm a wave. "Happy trails, Partner!" J.J. giggled.

Setting J.J. on the floor, Sunny turned to Bonnie. "You really were a big help today, Bonnie."

"I like helping."

"Why don't you pick out a few pieces of doll house furniture as a reward?"

Bonnie gasped. She threw her arms around Sunny's neck joyously. "Thank you, Miss Sunny Miller!" Letting go, she sped off to the utility room. "Come on Woody, help me find something!"