A Very Generous Tooth Fairy

Today at school Linus’s teacher noticed that one of his front teeth was missing. She asked him whether the tooth fairy came to visit.

Yen and I are the sort of liberal dreamers who don’t do tooth fairy or Santa Claus or all of those fun things because we don’t want to lie to the kids. But they’re not idiots; they know these myths exist in the world, and that they bring rewards. And along with that, he’s in that very almost-seven-year-old place of desperately wanting to fit in. So he lied.

Yes, he said.

She asked him how much money the fairy gave him.

Twelve dollars, he announced firmly.

Wow, she said. You’re very lucky.

(I adore this teacher. She’s the reason Lnus will sometimes say to a screaming Mina, “Mina, that’s not a good look!”)

Tonight after he finished brushing his teeth, Linus casually reached up and plucked the second tooth out. He handed it to me and said, “Do you think the tooth fairy will come?” I asked him what he thought. He said, “I know there’s no tooth fairy. But I want some money.”

So I’m writing this and debating leaving a little present under his pillow. Because you really can’t fault his approach.