Gloaming (noun): twilight, dusk

The teddy bear has seen the sunset about a thousand times.

From the little windowsill, it would watch every evening as the sun dipped below the horizon and pulled a blanket of stars over its head. There were always a few precious heartbeats of time, where the sky was the loveliest mix of orange, yellow, turquoise, and purple.

Those moments reminded the teddy bear of its owner.

Having already long departed for her journey in college, the owner of the teddy bear hasn’t been home in years. However, the sight of her multi-hued clothing and her equally colorful personality never faded from the bear’s memory.

It missed her often.

And it would seem like the god of stuffed animals answered its wordless prayers tonight, for the next knock on the door belonged to none other than its dearest human.

She brought another human home.

Linked together hand in hand, the two of them practically tripped over each other’s feet as they joyfully stumbled into the room. They chatted for a while, ate some snacks for another, and they were completely absorbed in each other’s eyes.

The teddy bear felt sad. Its owner hasn’t even looked towards the windowsill.

Though an inanimate object could never feel, the lengthy years of her physical absence didn’t seem nearly as long as the few hours of her emotional distance. It knew it would never matter to her as much as another living being; in fact, it wasn’t even upset at her for ignoring its existence.

It only felt melancholic for her lost memories of childhood.