Chapter 2
ONE YEAR AGO
Benjamin stood sat in the attic playing Solitaire with cards that had been left in the attic.
"I win again," Benjamin said in a bored tone.
"We need to clean this attic out and have a yard sale," a female voice said.
Benjamin quickly went teddy just as the attic door opened. Suddenly, a grown up Hunter and his mother walked into the attic.
"Wow, Mom," Hunter said. "It's so cluttered in here."
Hunter noticed Benjamin laying on the floor.
"Oh," Hunter said walking over and picking Ben up off the floor. "It's my old Benjamin Bear."
"You want to take the bear?" Hunter's mother asked.
"No," Hunter said. "The baby already has so many bears. You're better off selling it."
"It?" Benjamin thought to himself. "Now I'm an it?"
"Okay," Hunter's mother said before gasping.
"What is it?" Hunter asked. "Are you okay?"
"Doesn't your boss have kids?" Hunter's mother asked.
"Yes," Hunter replied. "A son and a daughter."
"Why don't you give Benjamin to him for his son," Hunter's mother suggested.
"Good idea," Hunter said. "Hunter might like a bear."
"A new kid," Benjamin toughts. "How nice it will be to not be stuck in this attic."
"Oh, but wait," Hunter said. "I can't just get his son a gift and not the daughter."
"Oh no," Benjamin thought.
"I guess I'll have to get his daughter a bear too," Hunter said.
The next day, Hunter walked into his boss, Mr. Burton's, office. Mr. Burton sat at his desk going over paperwork.
"Mr. Burton," Hunter said.
"Yes, Hunter?" Mr. Burton asked.
Hunter sat Benjamin, and a small purple teddy bear on the desk.
"I thought your kids might like these," Hunter said.
Mr. Burton's eyes lit up upon seeing Benjamin.
"That's a Benjamin Bear," Mr. Burton said. "Thank you, they'll love these bears."
"You remember Benjamin Bear?" Hunter asked.
"Of course," Mr. Burton said. "My grandfather was a toy maker. He owned the One-of-a-Kind Tender Touch Toyshop in Canada. He made the very first Benjamin Bear and gave it to a kid named Simon. When I was little, I saw a picture of Benjamin and asked him to make me one for my birthday, which he did. This meant Benjamin wasn't one of a kind anymore, but Grandpa wanted to make me happy."
"That's so cool," Hunter said.
"I took my Benjamin Bear with me wherever I went," Mr. Burton said. "After my grandfather passed, my mom inherited the toyshop and sold it and all the toy rights. For a while, the Benjamin Bear became a very popular toy for kids here in the United States and Canada."
"What a small world we're living in," Hunter said.
"A very small world," Mr. Burton said.
"Whatever happened to your Benjamin Bear?" Hunter asked.
"I still have it a trunk somewhere," Mr. Burton replied.
"Well," Hunter said. "I hope your kids like the bears."