Oh, what a day. Had to deliver two babies today and stitch up a man who had been attacked by a dog. Plus, I was put in pediatrics for awhile. My ears are still ringing from all the screaming you hear there. It was nice to sit in peace and quiet.
"DADDY!" Or not. "Edward? What is it baby? What's wrong?" I watched, slightly concerned as Edward threw himself at my legs.
"I'm breaking daddy! I-I'm gonna die!" I quickly picked him up, trying to calm him. "Shh, you're fine sweetie, you're not going to die. I wouldn't let that happen." Edward continued sobbing. "I am daddy, I am! I'm falling apart!" Another loud shrieking sob came from the small body in my arms.
My slight worry was slowly creeping into a full blown panic. I knew what ever he was upset about was probably small, but he wouldn't tell me, and I couldn't calm him down.
"Shh baby, it's ok. Daddy's here, daddy won't let anything bad happen." Small fingers wound themselves in the back of my shirt. "I'll starve daddy!"
"Starve? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I pulled him back a little so I could look at his face. "M-my t-tooth daddy, my tooth is w-wiggly!" I peered into his mouth and sure enough, his bottom front tooth wobbled around as my poor boy cried. "I'm f-falling apart! If I l-loose all my t-teef I c-can't e-e-eat!" He sobbed uncontrollably.
I walked over to the rocking chair that was in the living room. "Shh, baby, shh." I murmured as I rocked him. "Your tooth is going to fall out, everybody's does."
He pulled back, looking confused. "W-weally daddy?" I nodded. "Yes honey. You see you have baby teeth right now and over the next few years they are going to fall out and bigger ones will grow in." Edward looked wide eyed at me. "Dat's awful daddy!" He yelped, still very upset. "No it isn't. Loosing your teeth is just part of growing up."
"I don't want to grow up!" I chuckled. "It isn't all that bad." He still had tears leaking from his eyes. Suddenly a thought dawned on me. "You want to know the best part about loosing your teeth?"
"W-what?"
"The tooth fairy."
"Whose that daddy?"
"She's the fairy that comes after you loose your teeth. You see, after the tooth comes out, that night you put it under your pillow and go to sleep. During the night the tooth fairy will come and take your tooth and leave a present behind. Its small, like money of a small toy. But you must remember one thing Edward."
"What? What daddy?" He questioned, his eyes wide with wonder. "You must never try to trick the tooth fairy. No putting anything other than the tooth under your pillow, or she won't bring you a present."
"Oh I'll be good daddy, the tooth fairy will always bring me a present."
He sat on my lap for a minute, making odd faces until suddenly he was beaming. "Look daddy look!" He held up his little hand, between his fingers sat one small baby tooth. "I'm gonna put it under my pillow tonight daddy." I smiled at my excited little boy. "That's wonderful Edward." But I couldn't help the doctor side of me take over a bit. "Open up so I can see if you're bleeding." Edward rolled his eyes and jumped off my lap. "What do you think the tooth fairy will bring me daddy?"
"Oh I don't know. Maybe you should go to sleep and find out." Edward nodded happily and ran off to his room. I watched from his door as he settled into bed. Several times he sat up and check to make sure his tooth was really under his pillow. "She'll come, right daddy?"
"Yep, she'll be here kiddo. So you need to fall asleep." Edward lifted his arms out to me. "Wead first daddy?"
"Ok, we can have a short bedtime story." I lifted him into my lap, where he cuddled closed and popped his thumb into his mouth.
Not long after I started reading, Edwards breathing had evened out, and he had fallen into a deep sleep. I tucked him into bed and kissed his forehead. "Night buddy." Then I went to the task of finding a little gift for my semi-toothless child.
I knew Edward liked drawing quite a bit, so I bought him a brand new set of crayons and a sketch pad. I slipped back into his room and somehow maneuvered the gift back under his pillow without him waking up. Now all I had to do was wait till morning.
Just as the sun began casting full rays of light on the world, a very jubilant little boy came bounding into my study. "Daddy, daddy! Look, look!" Did I mention Edward has decided he likes daddy more than dada? "Look what I got daddy! Look what she left me!" He lpt into my lap, waving his crayons and paper in my face. "Brand new daddy, and so many colors. Thank miss tooth faiwy lady, Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I laughed and kissed his wild mop of hair. "I'm sure she is very pleased you like it."
"Oh yes daddy, I love them." He plopped himself on my lap, facing my desk and began pulling his crayons out of the boxes.
"Whatcha doing bud?"
"I'm going to draw a picture for the tooth fairy. Maybe she'll hang it up at her work. You think daddy?" I rested my chin on top of his head as he drew. "I think that's a very good possibility bud." I smiled, yes a very good possibility.