Grace. Notice the good-luck bindi on her forehead. Also the pout (that’s her Blue Steel).
Went to the dentist because of the loose tooth that will not come out. It is turning yellow and the grown-up tooth behind it is almost all the way in. Dr. McEachern wiggled her tooth, creating some bleeding, and then rubbed on topical novocain. That was not enough, so he took a syringe of novocain and shot it into her bloody gum, right next to her tooth. My brave girl just held my hand and said quietly, “OW, ow, ow.”
After a minute had passed, Dr. McEachern (who was my dentist, a fact that Grace loves) reached for scary, huge metal forceps. Like the kind you buy at the hardware store to work on wood with. Like the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors uses. I saw her eyes widen behind her stylish glasses. He reached in and yanked that tooth out! Blood gushed, a tattoo and a ring were selected, and we were on our way in the sleety slushy day.
And tonight the tooth fairy will come!
she is brave like her mother