Drip drop drip drop…

As he sat on the window sill, propped against one of Bonnie's small doll pillows, Woody watched the rain hit the glass. The twenty-first of May. It's as gray out as I feel, he thought dismally.

"Hey Cowboy!" He looked toward the floor. Buzz was below, Jessie not too far behind. "We're going to go downstairs and watch some TV before Bonnie gets home from Sunnyside. Care to join us?"

"Maybe. What are you guys going to watch?"

"Bonnie's Dad recorded rasslin' on the DVR!" Jessie answered cheerfully as she punched her fist into her hand. "We're goin' go watch some butt kickin'!"

Woody grimaced. "Ick. No thanks." He turned back to the window and resumed his staring.

Jessie shrugged. "Oh well. Come on, Buzz!" Energetic as always, she sprinted to the door. Buzz started to follow, but stopped and turned back.

"Are you sure?" He called, concern in his voice.

"You know I don't watch wrestling. That's your thing."

Buzz didn't seem convinced, but after a moment he gave in. "Well, okay…"

"Go have fun, Buzz." At least one of us will.

Outside Bonnie's bedroom door, Jessie was waiting for her Space Ranger Love impatiently. "Finally!" She gave him a playful push on the shoulder. "It's not very polite to keep a lady waitin'!"

"Sorry…"

"Fortunately, as Woody keeps tellin' me over and over," Jessie said, smiling as she slid her arm through his. "I ain't no lady."

"You are quite a woman though." Buzz murmured as if in a dream.

Jessie looked surprised, then pleased. "Why Buzz Lightyear, ain't you sweet! So…" Together they strolled to the stairs. "Why did you keep me waitin'?"

"Just checking on Woody. He seems a little depressed today."

Jessie began to sing quietly. "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down…" Buzz looked at her quizzically, but she didn't continue with the melody. "You know who always could get him out of these moods? Bo. She could always lift his spirits…" Suddenly she stopped. "Oh."

"What?"

"Well that's what's botherin' him. I shoulda known. Poor fellah."

They were at the steps now. Buzz went first, holding out his hand to help Jessie down after him. "What?"

"It's May 21st."

"2007. So?"

Jessie stood on the step next to him. "Don't you remember, Buzz? May 21st was their anniversary!"

"Of their first date?"

"Their first date, first kiss, you name it." Jessie looked back towards Bonnie's bedroom. "Poor Skinny Britches. He's prolly up there missin' her right now…"

The rain had lightened into a misty drizzle but the skies still hung colorless and low. I guess there won't be a moon tonight if this keeps up, Woody thought. Not like that night. When the full moon shone into the living room and…

He stopped. She had looked so beautiful that night. Not she needed a moon to look beautiful.

There had been another day, a rainy day not unlike this one. It wasn't May though. September maybe. Or maybe October. He had been feeling down on that day too. What was it with rainy days? No, there had been no moon on that day, but she had been beautiful all the same…

Maybe it was the rain. Or maybe it was that Andy had been putting them in the toy box more and more. More than anything, Sheriff Woody was feeling old. Old and depressed.

He sat by the bed now, watching his friends. Andy's junior high had been doing the Presidential Fitness Challenge and Jessie had decided she wanted in on the action. Right now she was giving instructions for the Shuttle Run. Woody had opted out.

"Not running with the others?" Woody looked up and saw Bo.

"Heh, no thank you. I may've only seen gym class on TV but I never thought it looked very fun."

Bo sat down gracefully next to him. "Do they really make the children climb ropes? That seems awfully dangerous."

"It seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. I think they quit doing that years ago."

"That's a relief."

Just then Rex tripped carrying his block of his wood. As the others went to help him up, Woody just sighed.

"Are you all right?"

"Hmm. I'm fine."

"You seem kind of blue."

Woody mumbled a response and shook his head as he continued to watch.

Bo scooted closer to him. "Well…I have a conundrum of sorts. Maybe you can help me out."

"Missing sheep again?"

"Not this time." She wrapped her arm around his. "There's this Cowboy I know. Smart, brave, handsome…" Woody smiled a small smile. "Loyal, kind, not to mention the cutest tush you've ever seen…"

Woody blushed fiercely and pulled his hat over his eyes. "Okay, now you're just embarrassing me!"

"The point is, despite all of this, he never seems to realize just how wonderful he is." She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Why do you think that is?"

Woody pulled his hat up a little. He just shrugged haplessly.

Bo continued. "I don't know why you always seem so down on yourself. You know everyone in Andy's room looks up to you."

"They look up to Buzz."

"Woody…"

"No, they should look up to Buzz." Said Woody. "He's a great guy. He's the cool, hero type." They looked to where Buzz was acing the Shuttle Run. As he crossed the starting line for the second time, block number two in hand, Jessie became so excited she threw her stopwatch into the air and jumped on his back.

"YEEE-HAH!" She hugged his neck. "That was the best time yet! You're a natural!" The other toys crowded around him, showering the Ranger with praise and compliments.

"See?" Said Woody. "Have you ever seen me run? It's floppy and awkward. I look like an epileptic Ray Bolger."

"Oh you do not!" Bo pulled his face toward her. "So Buzz can run and hold a block at the same time. Don't compare yourself to Buzz. Don't compare yourself to anyone. I meant what I said earlier about you being smart and brave and loyal. You don't need to be anyone else because I think you're amazing just by being you."

Woody was quiet for a minute, his eyes downcast as he thought about what she said. "You really think all those things about me?"

"Just a few things I noticed while I was watching your tush." He groaned and pulled his hat down again.

Bo put her head close to his and nuzzled his cheek. "I love you."

Despite the bad weather, Woody felt his heart begin to lighten. He put an arm around her. "You know Bo, you're pretty wonderful yourself."

"Woody?"

"Hey Woody!"

The voices jerked the Cowboy out of his memories. He looked outside. The clouds were starting to break up. Maybe there'll be a moon tonight after all…

Suddenly somebody was pushing a chair to the window. Jessie climbed up the back and hopped on the sill, Buzz behind her. "I thought you two were going to watch wrestling." Woody said.

Buzz took a seat next to him. "Changed our minds."

Jessie sat on his other side. She placed on a hand on his back. "You doin' okay?"

"I guess."

"Been reminiscin'?"

Woody smiled. "Am I that obvious?"

"Well, considering what day it is…" Buzz said.

Woody sat up straight. "I'm fine, you guys."

"It's okay, you know. To miss her, I mean." Jessie said. "And ya don't have to keep anythin' inside. We're your friends."

"We're here for you, Woody." Buzz added.

Woody was quiet for a moment. "I do miss her." He looked back out the window. "And there are days where it really hurts. But I think I'm going to be okay."

"Are you sure?"

Woody smiled as slivers of sunshine began to peek through the clouds. "Yeah. You know, my time with Bo may have been relatively short, but it's okay. Because there was enough love there for a thousand lifetimes. I'll take the few years we did have and I'll keep them with me in my heart."

Buzz stood up and patted Woody's shoulder. "Come on, Cowboy. Why don't you watch TV with us? You pick the show."

Jessie nodded. "Hang out with us for an afternoon, Woody! And if you feel like talking, our ears are open!"

Woody sighed, then smiled a small reluctant smile. "All right. I guess it won't kill me."

As his best friends slid down the back of the chair, Woody stood up. He faced the window one last time, fingers in belt loops as he looked up at the budding blue sky. Happy Anniversary, Bo, wherever you are. Hope to see you again someday. Someday soon.

I love you.