ROYGBIV

"What about the blue one, Eddie?" the red-faced man asked, removing an indigo bear from a pile of his polyester companions.
"Naw," Eddie said and clutched his newfound white friend.
His father tightened his thin lips and flared his nostrils impatiently. After a ten second pause, he muttered, "But the white one has a pink bow."
Little Eddie glanced down at his dollar store treasure and tugged its tiny bow. "I like pink, Daddy."
Eddie's father blushed and snatched the white bear away from Eddie. Two elderly women stared at him strangely, but immediately returned to comparing plastic fashion dolls when they realized Eddie's father caught them looking. Eddie's father cleared his throat and took a deep breath of cheap Chinese clay and rubber bouncy balls.
"You know," he began, kneeling down so that he was eye-level with his son, "Blue is Daddy's favorite color, so it would make Daddy really happy if you chose the blue bear."
Eddie sighed, put the white bear back in the basket, and took the blue one from his father. A silence ensued between father and son, interrupted only by the sound of a young girl testing rubber duckies in the next aisle over. Eddie diverted his eyes from his father's steady gaze and focused on a piece of lint nestled between the bear's ears.
"Do I hafta get this one?" Eddie whispered.
"No…but don't get the white one."
The white bear glared at Eddie's father resentfully. Eddie's face lit up. He tossed the homely blue bear to the floor and started rummaging through the bin of plush salmon-eaters. Eddie pushed aside a plethora of autumn brown, Arizona red, sunset gray, ivy green, desert yellow, warlock black, and misty purple, finally plucking a magenta critter from the bottom of the bin. The bear brandished rhinestone eyes and a neatly fastened satin bow. But before Eddie could exclaim his excitement over discovering his prize, Eddie's father let out a stern "No."
But this time Eddie wouldn't yield. He hugged the bear as tightly as he could and plopped himself on the ground. Eddie's father plopped himself down as well.
Laughing children and frazzled parents came and went, filling baskets with pretzels and party favors. Teenagers got their quick thrills by daring each other to steal a pack of gum. Church ladies bought cloth flowers and old men came in search of screwdrivers.
And Eddie and his father sat. When Eddie's lids began to droop, the magenta bear smiled smugly at Eddie's father; the tired man know it was time to make his final decision.
"Okay," Eddie's father murmured, "Let's go."
Eddie perked up and glanced down at the bear. His father nodded slowly. Eddie jumped up without a word and grabbed his father's big hand as they headed to the cash register together.