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When I was little, I went lots of different places with my Mummy and Daddy. Woolly came to all the places too.
We went to the pool, where Woolly had once helped me to not be scared of all the splashing. As I splashed in the water, I thought I saw a pink butterfly toy sitting with my blue spider. When I went to collect Woolly, the pink butterfly was gone.
Another time, Daddy took me to a leisure centre. I saw the pink butterfly with Woolly again. I wondered if another little girl brought the butterfly everywhere, just like me and Woolly.
I watched Daddy on the exercise bike and treadmill. I went to play in the children’s area.
When I grabbed Woolly, the butterfly was gone. She was playing hide and run, just like Woolly and me.
There were lots of children when we went to the doctor’s office. People came and went and waited in chairs.
While Mummy checked me in, I saw the butterfly again. There were lots of little girls and boys she could have belonged to.
I didn’t see who took her when she disappeared.
One day, Mummy and I rode our bikes. There was nobody else on the bike trail, but I saw the pink butterfly again.
She was following us. She was lost. There were no other children.
While Mummy stopped to pump up our tires, I picked up the beautiful butterfly. She had yellow eyes and a nose, just like Woolly. She had a stripey body and six long stripey legs. She had bows on her antennae, and flowers on her wings.
She was a perfect toy friend for Woolly. I put the butterfly in my basket, and moved Woolly from his little seat on my bike. I put Woolly in the basket too, to cover up the butterfly.
Mummy still saw the butterfly. “Where did you get her?” asked Mummy.
“I found her.” I said.
Mummy took the butterfly out of my basket. “You need to leave her here,”
I crossed my arms. Mummy was cross, too. “You can’t take things that aren’t yours, Tig,” she said. “How would you feel if someone took Woolly?”
But the butterfly was following me, and there were no other children. I glowered and stomped away.
Woolly came to life.
“Hey, Tig, not every toy needs a kid.” he said. “Floot is happy to fly around and explore different places.”
“We go lots of places,” I pointed out.
Woolly nodded. “We do, and we have tons of fun.”
“I want to have funny, funny fun with Floot, too.” I said. I thought of something. “Are you worried I’ll like Foot more than you?”
It seemed like a silly worry. No toy in the world could replace my spider cuddly toy. We’d been together since we were wee.
Then I remembered when Baby Ben came to stay for the day. I’d thought Mummy liked Baby Ben more than me. Woolly had helped me realize that wasn’t true, and that I could help Mummy babysit.
Woolly shook his head and laughed. “No, Tig! I’d love to live with Floot. When you and I go on adventures, Floot asks where we are. I explain the places we go to her.”
I looked at Floot. She wasn’t moving in Mummy’s hand. Did she really talk with Woolly? I thought Woolly just talked with me.
I’d never seen another toy come to life the way Woolly did. Floot didn’t look very alive.
“Go for it, Tig!” Woolly cheered. “Leave Floot here, and let her fly off to her own adventures.”
Yes, I thought! Floot can have her own adventures! I have Woolly to come with me on mine.
I ran back to my bike and set Woolly in his little seat. When Mummy saw Woolly there, she jumped!
“It’s only my toy spider,” I laughed.
Woolly would always be my toy spider, but Floot wasn’t my toy butterfly. As we pedaled away, I thought I saw Floot wave and flutter away. When I looked back, she was gone.
I like seeing Floot on our adventures. I like letting her have her own adventures. I love Woolly!