"I give you my blessings for your whole life long, my darling boy, you won't remember that or me, but they'll stay with you all the same."
"Yes," Charlie said as the words of his mother echoed in his ear. He didn't know what was going on, only that his mother was more than upset. The teddy bear that his grandpa had given him, he held tightly in his hands-it was the only thing separating them, though their hands still touched. His mother hugged him tightly and kissed him, Charlie accepted the kisses, as a kindness but not in an understanding way. He rubbed his mother's arm to comfort her. She smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. He was wrapped into his arms, like the teddy bear, he was limp and unsure.
His grandfather pulled him away, he held onto his mother's hand as long as possible, holding her until he was pulled away out of reach and all he could think of was being there with her again. Because a mother's love was worth it all. He called "mommy," quietly. His grandfather picked him up and put him in his car.
"Have you ever been in one of these?" his grandfather said as he sat next to him.
"No," Charlie said and shook his head. "When is mommy coming?"
"She's not coming, you must wave goodbye out the back window. See." Mr. Bryant said and turned him to see her. "See she's just there."
"Okay, Grandpapa," Charlie said, as his Grandmama got into the car as well. They started to take off. Charlie waved goodbye to his mother, joyfully. He could still see her, everything seemed right. She even seemed to come towards him, walking slowly, as if she would follow him forever and would always be reflected in his eyes. He enjoyed being in a car and his grandparents were so loving towards him. He sat down, for the moment, he forgot his mother.
Later in the evening, he was put to bed by a stranger. He had spent the day playing with his grandfather and walking through the grounds. Charlie came in to a meal that filled him up. By bedtime he was tired, as a maid tucked him in. He missed his mother, the maid had done it so plainly. He missed his mother, who used to tuck him into bed, place kisses on his cheeks, and tell him stories of a magical boy that had everything-he had always known it was about him and now, he did not know what to do. He cried softly into his pillow, as he remembered, that he always had to act proper and look smart amongst his grandparents-that was what his mother had said when he visited them today. He hugged his teddy bear tight, aware that his grandpa had given it to him-he wanted to throw it out. He would give anything to be back in his mother's arms again. Charlie smelled his mother's tears on the bear and decided he better keep it. He didn't know whether he would see her again, nor how long he would remember her. He would just remember the smell and the sacrifice that lingered on his teddy bear, who was his comfort but also his desolation.