Adoria rummaged through Otis's drawers, looking for the pair of trousers she wanted Otis to wear to dinner that night. He had conceded to take her out on a date, and she was tired of seeing those jeans that looked like they had been put through a wood chipper.
Something shoved in the back of one of his drawers caught her eye, and she pulled on it gently. Cocking her head, she examined it.
It was a well-loved teddy bear, a light brown with a dark brown nose and two black eyes that smiled back at her. Blood stained it's soft fur in some places, along with other stains she didn't care to identify.
She wondered how many times tears had soaked it's deerskin fur as the little albino clung to it hopelessly.
"Where did you find that?" Otis whispered behind her, frozen. "What were you doing rummaging through my shit, Adi?!"
"I was looking for your black slacks, asshole. You're not wearing those jeans again. But Otis...W...What is this?"
"Fuckin' nothin' put it away!"
"Babe, it's okay. I love you. I'm your wife just...Tell me."
At dinner that night, while Otis slowly ate, Adi stared at him in disbelief.
"Y...Your parents...Just...Grabbed you back?"
"Yup."
"But Macie and Abraham loved you so much."
"Abram." He shrugged. "Yeah...And it was really great with them. First time I ever felt happy in my whole life was with them."
"And that bear was from them..."
"Mm-hm." He swallowed. "I don't know why I kept it. Just...As a reminder there are good people. I dunno. Think about 'em sometimes."
"Have you seen them since?"
He shook his head. "Nah. Probably still in Alabama somewhere."
"Hmm..."
Otis should have known that Adi wouldn't have let the issue drop. Shouldn't have been surprised when she threw their suitcase in the back of her car and shoved him in. Shouldn't have been surprised when they crossed into Alabama.
"Are you excited to see them?"
"No."
"Otis?!"
"I'm nervous. I'm so nervous...What if they WANTED to get rid of me, Adi? What if they never wanted to see me again? What if-"
"Otis, the fact that you kept that bear as a connection to them after all this times proves to me you know better."
He fell silent, clutching the teddy bear. She imagined him as a small boy, clutching it gleefully the day he had gotten it.
When she pulled onto the street where they lived, Otis visibly stiffened.
"Baby?"
"Pull over."
"Why?"
"JUST PULL O-" He gagged, and Adi immediately jerked to the side. His door flew open, almost hitting the curb as he retched.
"Sweetie...It's okay." She stroked his back. "Calm down. You okay?"
He sat back up, wiping his mouth, and nodded. "Y...Yeah..."
"Are you just that nervous?"
"Your driving is shit." He smirked. "N...No...That...That stop sign right there is where he got me..." He sighed shakily. "I...I just...Got that same feeling, is all..."
"Okay...You ready to keep going?"
"Their house is just down here. Make a right at the stop sign it's the 6th on the right hand-side of the street..."
"You still remember?"
He nodded. "Of course I do."
She pulled into their driveway, taking Otis's hand.
"They painted..." He commented. "That garage wasn't there before, either."
"You ready to go in?"
"N...No...You go ahead."
"Sweetie-" She noticed him clutching the bear to his chest, likely just as he had done as a child.
"Just...Make sure they're still living here. I don't want it to be someone else..."
"Okay." She kissed his head before she got out, hopping up the stairs and knocking on the door.
A kind-faced woman answered the door. She was still beautiful, though age marked her face. "Hello! How are you today? Is there something I can do for you?"
"Erm...My husband...is in the car and he...says he knows a Macie and Abram that lived here years ago?"
She smiled sweetly. "I'm Macie. My husband Abram is upstairs. Who is your husband? You look to young to be married to anyone we would know!"
Adoria smiled back. "Well...I have a feeling he's not someone you would ever have expected to see again."
She cocked her head, a frown settling on her face. "You...You're not here to hurt us, are you?"
"No! Absolutely not! In fact, I've brought a basket of goodies for you. I want it to stay a surprise! Go inside and wait and we'll come in, then, if we're welcome?"
"Of course. I'll get my husband."
Adi walked back to the car, collecting Otis and the lunch they had gotten on the way. Macie met Adi in the kitchen, helping her unpack the food.
"Oh! This looks wonderful! Where is your hu-"
"M...Macie?" Otis murmured, standing nervously in the doorway, clutching the bear in both hands still. To Adi, he looked to be on the verge of tears.
Macie let out a pained cry and covered her mouth, her knees buckling. Tears fell from her eyes, and to Adi's shock, began to fall from Otis's.
"D...Do you remember me?" He asked, peering up at her from a lowered head.
"Of course I do, Otis! Oh my god!" She flung herself into his arms, sobbing openly. "My baby boy...My baby boy is finally home..."
"Mom..." Otis choked into her hair, his arms tightly around her.
"I never thought I would see you again..." She pulled away from him, placing one hand on either of his cheeks. "Oh, what a handsome man you've become. Look at you..." She smiled through the tears falling from her eyes. "You're married. You're healthy...You're alive..." She stood on her toes to kiss his forehead. "I never...I thought they would have killed you for sure...My goodness, look at the handsome man you've grown up into...There was never a day that went by that I didn't think about you..."
Adi tried to stifle her sobs as tears fell from her eyes, as well. She turned to see a man with a well-trimmed white beard descending the stairs. "Macie, who-" His eyes widened when he saw Otis. "That...That's not..."
"Abram. It's our baby boy. It's our baby! He's home!"
"Buddy!" He stumbled down the stairs, wrapping Otis in an embrace. Otis began to laugh as he tottered backward from the force of the hug. "We looked for years! We looked for years and we didn't find you! I...We thought you were dead for sure! But...Oh my god, buddy!" He turned to Adoria. "Who's this, Otis?"
Smiling hugely, Otis proudly answered. "She's my wife." Taking her hand, he pulled Adi toward them.
"Your wife!" Abram crowed. "You're our son's wife..."
"Adoria. Pleased to meet you both..." She smiled, wiping her tears.
"You've brought him back to us...Thank you." Abram placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You let your hair grow long..." Macie smiled, stroking Otis's hair.
He chuckled. "Yeah. Been that way for a long time, actually."
"When they took you back, did your mother...Did she..."
"Shave my head again? Yeah. It was bad again. But...I...I made it..." He shrugged.
Macie smiled at the teddy bear still hanging by Otis's side. "You still have that?"
"I do..." He glanced at Adi. "Adi found it a few weeks ago...And I told her about you and here we are...She found you for me."
"We kept everything as it was, Otis...We always hoped we'd find you...We never gave up on you..." Macie beamed. "My goodness, I can't believe it's really you."
Otis chuckled. "Like it or not, it is."
"We're so glad to see you again, buddy. We never thought we would again..."
Otis nodded. "I thought you...You would've forgotten about me..."
"How could we forget the little boy with hair like the moon, skin like milk and eyes like roses?" Macie asked. "Oh I still remember that sweet little face smiling back at me when I would read you a bedtime story."
"Or how you would get so flustered when we would compliment you or tell you you were a good boy."
"He still does that." Adi chimed in, smirking.
Otis blushed.
They ate together, reminiscing on old times and Macie showering Otis with affection and throwing picture after picture of him for Adi to gawk at. Finally, she left for a moment, returning with a bundle in her hands.
"I made this for you, hoping you would come back to me...Back to us...But you never did...I couldn't wait to wrap your little body in it and snuggle you like we did when you came home from the doctor's that day. I hope blue is still your favorite color." She passed Otis the blanket, so lovingly crocheted by a mother mourning her son.
"It still is...It's still my favorite color."