The little bell tinkled as the woman entered the dollmaker's shop. He was intently showing a little girl how to make a doll. The woman had already begun to walk around the shop looking at all the dolls when the dollmaker finally noticed her.

"Good morning." he called out cheerfully. The woman just looked at him and smiled then returned to her browsing. When she got to one doll, she stopped and said to herself,

"I had a doll just like this when I was a little girl." Recollecting her childhood, she picked it up. The dolls eyes sparkled and its smile seemed to say 'I love you'.

As the woman brought the doll up to the counter, the dollmaker turned and gave the little girl a wink. She smiled in return as they both recognized the special doll. "That's a very popular doll in my shop."

The woman replies, "I had one just like it when I was a little girl. I think my five year old daughter Anne will enjoy one as much as I did."

Anne was very happy with all the presents she got this Christmas especially the doll. Dolly, as Anne called her, had this gaze and smile that always seemed to say 'I love you'. Anne needed that because her Dad had moved out of the house this winter. Anne didn't understand why. Mom would only say that Mom and Dad were not happy living in the same house, but they both still loved her. Anne would clutch Dolly tightly and suck her thumb whenever she thought about it.

Back at the dollshop, the little girl continued to work diligently on her project. The dollmaker encouraged her often and gave her helpful hints. He was proud to see his little helper mature so quickly and to love doll making as much as himself. She had decided to create a doll like the one she received when she was a homeless orphan living on the streets. As she makes the doll she thinks about the family she never had. She visualizes what it must be like to have a mother and father and a nice home and lots of friends. All the things she had not had growing up. She puts a great deal of love and care into the project and when the doll is finished, the dollmaker builds a special display stand for the doll. He places the display on the main counter so that the doll's smiling face greets each customer that enters the little shop.

Anne is riding in the front seat with Dolly as Mom drives them to the day care center before going off to work herself. Anne remembers the horns blare and the jolt as another car skids through a stop sign and strikes the passenger door. The next thing she remembers is waking up in the hospital with lots of strange people standing around. She didn't know that Mom had also been slightly hurt and was also in this hospital.

That evening Anne's doctor talks to her mother before letting her see Anne. "Your daughter is a very lucky little girl. She doesn't appear to have suffered any brain damage something must have padded her head as the door caved in on her. She is in stable condition right now with a compound fracture of her right leg and some minor internal injuries, but I am more concerned about her attitude. She appears very depressed. I have found that a strong positive attitude is better than any medicine for speeding recovery. We have given Anne some medicine now to ease the pain and help her rest.

Anne's mother enters the room and walks over to her little girl surrounded by machines with tubes running into her. Tears fill the mother's eyes to see her daughter like this, but she manages a little smile. Anne says, "I thought you had left me like Daddy, and I was all alone."

"I haven't left you; I'll never leave you." She reaches out and gently strokes Anne's hair.

After a few moments Anne says, "Mom, where is Dolly? I can't find her."

"I'll go look for her and bring her to stay in the hospital with you, ok?"

"Ok, but don't be gone too long... I'm so sleepy."

"Here let me pull these covers up and you can go to sleep and get all better. I'll be here in the morning when you wake up."

"Mom, I love you... " Anne whispers and falls into a restless sleep.

"I love you too." Her mother whispers back trying not to cry in front of Anne.

After a couple of phone calls, she finds where the car has been towed. She is surprised when she sees that the passenger door had been crushed almost to the center console. As the owner of the lot looks on, she shines the flashlight in the open driver's door. Surely Dolly must still be in the car, she thought. Finally, she spots a piece of Dolly's dress. Reaching through the twisted metal and broken glass, she pulls the broken and bloody doll out. Her mind races to decide what to do next.

The little bell tinkles as a weary young lady enters the store carrying an old shopping bag. She walks right over to the dollmaker and says, "I don't know if you remember me, but I bought a doll here about two weeks ago and I would like to buy another one that looks just like it."

"Hmmm... that may be difficult. All our dolls are handmade and each is unique.

Do you have the other doll with you?" He said pointing at the bag, "Maybe we can find one that's similar."

"Yes, I have it here, but it's not in very good shape. It was in an auto accident and probably saved my child's life. She is asking for it in the hospital, but I can't take her this!" and she lifts Dolly from the bag. The little girl let out a gasp. Dolly was ripped open and crumpled. Her arm was missing, and her once pretty hair and dress were now matted with blood. "Let's see", the dollmaker said as he looked into Dolly's face. "I think we can help you. We just finished making a doll that can take this one's place." He reached over to the display on the counter and picked up the new doll. "Thank you", said the mother as she paid for the doll and hurried out of the store.

The little girl picks up Dolly, who used to be her own 'special' doll. She looks into Dolly's eyes and sees a vision of the wreck - Dolly's soft body and arms wrapping around Anne's neck in a loving hug - a final goodbye - as Dolly's body is ripped apart by the jagged metal. She says, "Dolly, you have to start taking better care of yourself." Dolly just smiles a knowing smile.

When Mom enters the hospital room, she sees Dad sitting beside the bed holding Anne's hand. "I brought you Dolly." Mom says with a smile trying to be brave.

"Thank you Mommy! I knew you could find her." Anne said with the first real hint of a smile since the accident. "Daddy brought me some pretty flowers... see?" motioning to a side table.

"Yes, those are your favorite." says Mom, happy to see her daughter more enthusiastic.

After awhile the doctor pokes his head in and asks the parents to come out into the hall where he briefs them on Anne's injures and prognosis. They go to get a snack while the doctor examines Anne. He slips into the room, Anne's eyes following his every move. He reaches over and takes New-dolly's pulse. Then he puts his stethoscope on New-dolly's forehead, and Anne giggles. He moves New-dolly's leg back and forth and says to New-dolly, "Does this hurt?"

Anne replies, "It hurts Dolly a little but she wont cry."

"Will you help Dolly get better?" said the doctor as he examines Anne.

"Yes, she's my friend." "Well, you are going to have to take Dolly to a place called physical therapy every day so her leg will get better. Ok?"

Anne replies reluctantly, "Ok."

"Now let me check where your Mom and Dad are." He finds them sitting together in the coffee shop. It had been a long time since they had given each other any attention. Now they find some comfort in this mutual support. They walk hand in hand back to Anne's room.

Mom and Dad visit Anne everyday after work, and each afternoon Anne and New-dolly ride in the wheelchair to physical therapy. For Anne physical therapy is hard and sometimes hurts a lot. But any time she needs encouragement, she just looks over to New-dolly sitting in the wheelchair. Anne's progress is good because New-dolly smiles a loving smile at every little success Anne makes. One Saturday Mom goes with Anne to physical therapy. She watches quietly as her daughter struggles through the routine and feels her daughter's pain. At the end Mom says, "Anne you did wonderful!" and gives her a big hug. Anne holds up New-dolly and says, "Dolly needs a hug too." Mom hugs New-dolly and then looks into that face that says, 'I love you'. At that moment the inner pain Mom had felt is replaced with a sense of serenity and knowledge that everything would be ok.

As she hands New-dolly back to Anne, she says, "You help Anne get well Dolly." New-dolly just smiles.

One evening Dad is tucking Anne in for the night. He pulls the covers up so that only two angelic faces peer back at him. He kisses Anne's cheek and then on impulse kisses New-dolly's cheek as well. As he straightens up two smiling faces say 'I love you'. A strong feeling of love and family fills his heart. He whispers, "I love you -goodnight."

Several weeks pass and Anne is finally ready to come home. Mom and Dad come to pick her up. During the crisis they had been drawn together by their common love for their daughter. Once together they rediscovered the love they had for each other. Anne rides in the back seat of Dad's car clutching New-dolly. Anne smiles, happy to be going home. New-dolly smiles back at Anne to say 'I love you and I'm happy our family is together again."

At the dollshop the original Dolly has become the little girl's second Project. She insisted on repairing Dolly rather than discarding her. Dolly still had that special twinkle in her eyes but everything else had to be recreated. After many moments of staring into Dolly's eyes and seeing them say 'I love you', and many loving hours of making Dolly as beautiful as she possibly could, she was finished. She puts Dolly in the display left empty by her first doll. Patting Dolly on the head, she says, "Time to go show someone else unconditional love."

Just then the little bell tinkles as the next customer enters the shop.