My Bathroom Looked Like A Blood Bath

Another one bites the dust!

Mercedes O'Leary
The Motherload

--

Girl with front teeth missing, curly hair, and hand covering her eyes like a visor
Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

Well, really, it was just the sink.

The kids were tucked in bed, my husband was watching TV, and I stood there looking at the bloody mess, wondering why nobody was crying.

Then I remembered! My 8-year-old running through the house waving her tooth around while blood dribbled down her chin. I wiped her face clean, but I never followed her tracks back to the original scene.

Ohhhh… those hard won teeth and sleepless nights! Those little fearsome chompers that bit my nipples and now empty the pocketbook of the Tooth fairy!

I groaned. The Tooth Fairy and I are not on good terms. The last time my oldest lost a tooth, it took TWO WEEKS for the fairy to show up. I blamed Santa, explaining that all the magical beings were tired and needed a vacation.

It’s really a hard hustle the tooth fairy has. AND the children are trying to trap her these days. The older child probably knows the whole deal is a racket, so you better tiptoe softly, not trip on anything, and slip your hand under the pillow carefully.

--

--

Mercedes O'Leary
The Motherload

Essays on being human, parenting, grief, and life in Alaska. MFA in poetry.