The Teddy Bear

Jenna was happy and a little annoyed with her daughter’s obsession with her new toy. Her ex — husband decided to buy a teddy bear for their daughter, to show that he will always be his daughter’s favorite parent.

It bothered Jenna with how happy Sarah got when she saw the gift her father bought for her. Even though Jenna and Mike divorced on good terms, Jenna selfishly wanted to be Sarah’s favorite parent.

Jenna knew that she should be grateful that Mike is such a good parent to their daughter, but she wanted to be the one that Sarah could confide in.

She had read in many parenting guidebooks that it’s normal for their children to have a favorite parent, but Jenna wished it was her.

It had to be her.

She was the one who sacrificed so much for her, not Mike. All he did was work and provide for her, while Jenna stayed home with her daughter, doing everything for her.

She used to be a housewife; shouldn’t Sarah be more appreciative of the parent that was always with her at home?

Sarah was excited to go outside in the snow. She was hopping up and down, her teddy bear also wearing winter gear for the cold. Sarah hugged the bear to her chest, beaming at Jenna.

“Guess what I named my teddy bear, mommy?”

Jenna smiled.

“What did you name him? Pooh bear?”

“Mike! I named him after daddy! He even looks like him too, mommy!”

Sarah giggled, hugging the bear to her chest again. Jenna felt resentment start to build up within her. She forced a smile and led Jenna outside.

They went for a walk, coming across a wishing well that had been in Jenna’s small town for years. She had met Mike while she was having a bad day, wishing for a good man to come into her life.

She dropped a coin in the wishing well, and then on the way back home, Jenna had accidentally bumped into her future husband.

Mike laughed, giving Jenna his best smile. That was when she knew they would be married.

Sarah pointed at the wishing well.

“Can we make a wish, mommy?”

“Sure, Jenna.”

Jenna gave Sarah a coin, and she picked up her daughter to help her drop the coin in the well. Jenna could barely hear the splash down in the well. Sarah took hold of her mother’s hand, leading her away.

“Sweetie, what did you wish for?”

Sarah looked up at her mother.

“I can’t tell you that, silly. Daddy says that the wish won’t come true if I say it out loud!”

Jenna balled her hands into fists.

Mike. Again.

Sarah couldn’t get enough of her father.

Why did she prefer Mike over her own mother?

It wasn’t Jenna’s fault that they got a divorce. Who wouldn’t develop a spending habit? She was always stuck at home all the time. She deserved all those pretty dresses, all that nice jewelry.

Because she was good mom. She loved her daughter.

Jenna deserved nice things.

How dare Mike tell her to calm down with her spending, being careful to not alert Sarah who was sleeping in her room.

Jenna didn’t care, and she purposely yelled at the top of her lungs, so that Sarah would believe she was the good parent.

That she cared about her.

That she sacrificed everything for her.

None of it would never matter to Sarah.

In her eyes, Mike was the good parent.

Jenna snatched Mike the Bear from Sarah’s grasp. Her daughter screamed, reaching for her bear as Jenna marched over to the well. She extended her arm, about to drop the bear into the well.

I wish you would die, so that it would just be me and Sarah. Maybe then she will realize I should be the favorite, Jenna thought.

Before Jenna could let the bear fall, the stuffed animal opened its mouth wide, chomping down onto her hand. Jenna screamed, waving her arm back and forth.

She ran in circles around the well, unbearable pain shooting up her arm. Mike the Bear continued to eat away at her hand, removing several of her fingers and skin.

Jenna used her other hand to punch the bear, but it wouldn’t let go. The bear spread its mouth wider, and swallowed Jenna’s hand whole. Teeth dug into her wrist and chopped off her hand entirely.

The bear fell to the ground, Jenna’s blood staining the snow red.

She collapsed, landing on her side. She clutched her arm to her chest, moaning from the pain. Mike the Bear was sitting in the snow, chewing Jenna’s hand.

Jenna watched as the bear finishing chopping on her hand, gulping it down. Jenna passed out, whether from the shock or the pain, she didn’t know. Blood continued to leak out of her arm, spilling in the snow.

Sarah stood watching her mother for the longest time, before going over to pick up Mike the Bear. She kept looking back and forth to the bear and her mother.

“My wish came true,” Sarah said with wonder.

Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn