My Most Famous Role

A Well Known Character Makes A Surprise Visit

How many times have I been the Tooth Fairy now? Eight? Ten? I’ve lost track. How many appearances do I have left? Three or four perhaps?

You come to me tonight, baby, with no warning, with a bloody washcloth sticking out of your mouth and a smile on your face.

“Dashy, dashy!” you said, your words muffled. “It jush popp out. I jush bish down and wham!”

“Lemmi see,” I say. I grab a flashlight and shine it in your mouth. Yup, sure enough, one of the back ones is gone, just a big red hole now. “Was it loose?”

“A little, but not mush…”

“Ok I say, wow, well, that was unexpected. Do you think the Tooth Fairy will be able to come on such short notice.”

“Itsh magic Dashy, of coursh she’ll be here.” You write the Tooth Fairy a short note, one word in all caps, SURPRISE! The tooth goes in a baggy and gets hung on the fridge door.

You’d think after all this time I’d be better at this, more prepared. But I’m not.

After you’re asleep, I root around a special drawer where I keep all your special little momentos, including the first necklace you made me, the first drawing and of course the first tooth.

I find a silver dollar, a handful of quarters and a couple lollipops. Then, in my work bag, I have a rice crispy treat that I was supposed to give you a couple days ago, but thankfully I forgot!

And as I have many times before, in another late evening, with the house and world around me quiet, I take out a piece of red construction paper and a black marker, and I begin to write to you…

“My dearest Uma…”