It was a prop meant to make a mother feel better about abandoning her daughter.

I grabbed the bear by its soft brown leg.

I gripped the synthetic fur and walked over to the corner of the room.

The gray plastic trash can sat under the sink.

I dropped the bear in and watched it hit the bottom with a dull thud.

It landed next to a discarded syringe wrapper and a crumpled paper cup.

“They wanted the college money,” I said.