Santa may be alive and well at our house, but the Tooth Fairy isn’t doing as well. When Puppy lost a tooth last week, I forgot all about it and went to bed. Thankfully, my husband remembered.
Unfortunately, when he came home after a late night at school, the sound of the garage door woke Puppy up. My husband gave her a quick kiss and got ready for bed, expecting her to drift back to sleep.
A half-hour ticked by. She was still awake. Another half-hour passed.
Finally, at approximately 10:30, he tiptoed into her room, feeling confident that she was asleep. He stealthily reached under her pillow, took the tooth, and slipped her some dough.
The next morning, I asked Puppy if the Tooth Fairy had visited.
“Yes,” she said, “but I saw Dad reach under my pillow and put the money down in the middle of the night.”
My jaw dropped. Outsourcing might have worked with Santa as an explanation, but I knew Puppy wasn’t going to buy it this time.
Thinking fast, I responded, “He was just checking to make sure the Tooth Fairy came!”
Much to my relief, she dropped the subject. As with Santa, I suspect she knows the truth, but isn’t ready to let go of the magic just yet.
As for me, I can see I’m going to have to step up to the plate. If Santa and the Tooth Fairy are going to outsource their duties to me, the least I can do is make them proud.
