“Some people believe if you give someone you love a handmade teddy bear named after yourself, then that person will always return your love.”
The boy looked at his teddy bear. Well worn, well loved. He looked back over at his aunt. “What if the person stops loving you anyway?”
His aunt looked at the teddy bear. No dust, not like anything else in the house. “Do you still love him?”
The boy nodded.
“Always return the love.”
That was no answer as the boy wanted it, but it hadn’t changed the truth. He still loved his mother, despite her no longer loving him.