The writer

The teddy bear was laying sideways on the shelf. It was easy to see why he'd been picked over and left behind with one eye dangling by a thread and his oddly tufted fur. Elaine went straight to him tugged by the same urge that had been the salvation of many an unwanted beast throughout the years. She would name him Bobby and with the naming, she cuddled him tucked under one arm close to her breast and marched towards the cashier daring anyone to judge a single woman in middle age hugging a teddy bear. Those who sought to say anything- even with a glance- were quelled by her fierce stare. She had always been a warrior.

A bumpy ride up five miles of dirt road and a needle and thread later, found Bobby sitting comfortably between two pillows on a well broken in sofa- both eyes properly in place. Elaine, rescuer of teddy bears, puttered around the kitchen her mother's teapot in hand. She stopped to take in the view from the kitchen window while the pot filled. Roughly 25 acres all to herself and if she turned north, south, east or west she could find peace in all of that space. Besides being a white knight to teddy bears, she had recently welcomed one rather large and prissy pig named Petunia. There was once another unwanted character named Joe. Elaine had wanted Joe but all her space was still not enough and he'd left. He'd been a warrior too.

The water started to run over the side of the kettle and Elaine hummed a little tune as she fixed the tea, occasionally glancing over at Bobby and smiling in contentment. She'd write a good story for Bobby. Since Joe had left, she found herself writing sad tales of love and loss that nauseated her and she didn't want to write whiningly anymore. Nope, it was time for some hope- perhaps a tale starring Bobby and Petunia.

A pig who slept with a teddy bear? Naw, nobody'd believe it.