She called him Peeg. He was a stuffed pig born at IKEA, on a trip when I needed candles and she needed distraction. One routine checkup led to one visit with a specialist, Peeg perched in her lap for both. She was 15 months old. Her baby hospital gown was yellow. When she was carried into surgery, Peeg went too, his pink snout peeking over her shoulder. Little wires connected the tear ducts under her little face. I donned blue scrubs in Recovery. Her dazed eyes met mine. I hugged her tightly, and then I reached down and hugged Peeg.
Kelly Q. Anderson is the VP of Off Campus Writers’ Workshop. She holds two degrees from the University of Iowa and studied at StoryStudio. Find Kelly at KellyQAnderson.com and on Twitter and Instagram @KellyQAnderson.