There once was a little girl. There was also a china doll. The china doll had such a bright shiny face with eyes that seemed to follow you as she smiled such a big smile. She had a pretty print dress with little flowers and hair in a braid.

The little girl loved the china doll so very much and the china doll had such a big smile because she loved the little girl. The little girl carried the china doll everywhere and was her favorite toy to play with. She talked with her about everything and anything. When she was sad she held the doll so tight and tears soaked her hair and dress. Sometimes she was even shared with the little girl's friends.

The doll was a little dirty and sometimes she was bumped into things on their adventures together. A couple times she was even broken. The little girl sobbed as the doll was carefully glued or sewn back together. The doll did not mind. She was a constant part of the little girl's life and that made her smile so big.

Eventually the little girl noticed that the doll's china face was not so shiny. It had cracks and a bit of glue here and there. There were chips missing and the hair was not so neat. There was dirt ground in and the dress was not so bright. The little girl still loved the doll and decided that putting her on a shelf would be a safe thing to do. She still would take her down and hold her and play with her and sometimes hold her when she cried. But, often she was left on the shelf and admired. The doll still smiled because she was loved but missed always being with the little girl, but the smile was not as big.

When friends came over now and wanted to play with the doll the little girl would be nervous and tell them they could play with the doll but that she was fragile and that they had to be so careful with her. Her friends could see the concern on her face and put the doll back on the shelf. When the the little girl was sad now she would cry into her pillow or hold the teddy bear. The doll so wanted to be the one the little girl held, but she was loved.

One day the little girl took the china doll down and held her. She smiled at her and the doll smiled a big smile again. The smile was so big on both of them at the memories of the times they shared. The doll smiled her biggest and brightest smile hoping the little girl would play with her again. But the little girl sighed and said, "I love you china doll. I am going to put you up on the shelf and no one will ever hurt you again including me." With that she carefully put the doll on the shelf and the doll kept a brave smile, for she was loved.

That night as the girl slept the doll ached to be in the little girl's arms. She heard the little girl whimper in her sleep with a nightmare. She ached to be there and to let the little girl know she was not alone. She didn't care if sometimes she was on the floor in the morning, pushed out in the little girl's sleep. As her porcelain heart broke into little pieces her smile faded away. The little china doll closed her eyes and cried tears of her own.