Prologue

He was gone…Tyler was actually gone. All that love, all that life…just gone in a single instant. Was it possible? Yes, it was.

I couldn’t accept it, but I had to. Tyler Schneider was gone…and there was no coming back. That horrid early November day took his life…it took his love…it took everything he’d ever worked for.

God, it wasn’t fair! He had a wonderful family. He had a mother, a step father, a sweet half sister and a cute little half brother. To die at only 19, it just wasn’t fair! But most of all…he had me…and I had him. We had each other and some times that was all we needed. I could never accept his death…and will never. He was my one companion, my better half, and I was his. We were one when we spoke…and we felt complete.

I owed him so much for his life. He was an angel, sent from God to show me love and compassion when I thought no one ever could show me such things. When life seemed cold as a statue on a frigid winter’s night, he brought the warmth of the sun into it.

God had given me the most precious gift in the world…and took it away. What had I done so wrong to have the one person I had ever loved taken from me?! What had I done so wrong?

And to make matters worse, when I got the e-mail from his sweet sister, Mandy, about his death…no one was home. For four hours I could not get a hold of anyone.

I collapsed on the floor, I felt as if everything I had ever wanted and worked for had just been torn away from me. Why couldn’t I have been there?! Why couldn’t I have held him in my arms and told him I loved him?! I would have given everything in the world to just say good-bye. So, Tyler, good-bye…good-bye.

Chapter 1

It was my 17th birthday, a boring, usual Tuesday night. It was late by the time I got into bed. I had checked the weather for the next morning online and noticed that, for tonight, it was clear skies.

I figured I would look out my window and see if there was a moon. There was a moon, but not much of it was showing. I slowly pulled the curtains aside, sighing. Almost been two months exactly, I thought to myself. Tyler had passed away on November 5th, 2004. That day he been a cold one for me…I wanted nothing to do with anyone that could speak. I had wanted to kick; I had wanted to scream; I had wanted to disappear.

I let out a heavy sigh as I looked out at the deep blue sky.

“Oh, Tyler, I miss you.” I let my fingertips touch the windowpane. The feeling brought chills and I pulled my hand back. I turned my head to look back at my clock. I let out a heavy sigh. “11:11...make a wish…” I turned back to look out the window and saw the first star of the evening. I closed my eyes and thought silently. I wish Tyler was here with me. I opened my eyes and blew a kiss towards the star. I turned away and walked over to my bed.

Pulling the sheets back and slipping under the cool covers, I hugged my teddy bear. I had made a stuffed bear at this wonderful place called Build-A-Bear and named him Tyler.

“Sweet dreams, Tyler.” I kissed the bear's nose and closed my eyes. It did not take me long to fall to sleep.

Chapter 2

“Wake up, Miss Mollie,” I heard someone whispering in my ear. I groaned and rolled over. My eyed quickly opened and I sat up, looking around.

“Who said that?” I saw no one. I began to get scared. Was I hearing things? Was I going mad?!

“Down here.” I looked down and my eyes grew wide. “Hi, beautiful.”

“Oh….my…GOD!!!!!!” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Tyler, my bear, was speaking to me! Those little brown eyes were blinking. That little mouth was moving! Impossible!

“Mollie, shush, please,” the bear’s mouth moved perfectly. This couldn’t have been happening.

“No, this isn’t happening. Stuffed animals can’t talk. As much as I wish some of them could…they just can’t!”

“Well, clearly I can, Molls.” My eyes grew wide. No one dared call me Molls, not since Tyler had died.

“Don’t you call me ‘Molls’. Only Tyler can call me that…and he can’t!”

“And why can’t he?” the bear crossed his arms, a bear actually crossed his arms, I still couldn’t believe any of this.

“Because…he’s dead!”

“Do I look dead to you?”

“No…wait…Tyler?!” I felt my mouth gape.

“In the flesh…or…stuffing.”

“I can’t believe this! You’re here, you’re actually here!” I blinked in confusion. My boyfriend was a stuffed animal. I must have been having a dream…and what a weird dream it was.

“Believe it, beautiful. I traveled long and far to be with you.” I threw my arms around the bear. “Careful…don’t break the bear.”

“Oh, sorry!” I set him down gently, shaking my head. Tears began to run down my face.

“Mollie, don’t cry. Aww, come here.” He extended a tiny paw and I leaned down, letting him wipe it away.

“They are tears of joy. I thought I would never get to hear your voice…never get to see you until heaven. But here you are.”

“Yes, Mollie, I’m here…and I’m going to stay…I promise.”

“Promise?”

“I promise you on the little stuffed heart that is in me…I will never leave you.”

“Oh, Tyler…” I picked him up again and hugged him gently in my arms, rocking him back and forth. I had my Tyler back, and I was never going to let him go.