Take Care of You

The Tooth Fairy

"Where are you going?" Lou eyes me up suspiciously, as I walk into her room to help pack the overnight bag. It sounds daft, but I hate it when she goes to stay at her mums. There is this constant worry that one day she might ask to move in with her mother permanently. I look down at my attire of white shirt, black trousers and loafers and look back up at her in amusement.

"Can't a dad look nice when he drops his little munchkin off?" I snigger, pinching the tip of her nose.

She pushes my hand away in annoyance and I carry on packing fresh underwear and socks for her, making a mental note to not forget her locket. Ever since I read her that book, she refuses to be without that blasted thing. We thought she had lost it at her assessment the other day and she had the biggest temper tantrum I have ever had to deal with. But with a stroke of sheer luck, I found it embedded in her car seat. The assessment was a lot easier and less traumatic than I thought it was going to be. The assessor asked Lou and myself a series of questions in relation to her behavior and then, I had to fill in a form. We were out of there within an hour. Now, it is just a waiting game to get the results back. I am trying to push it to the back of my brain, but every now and then when she has a melt down about the most insignificant thing, I am reminded of it.

"You've got a hot date," she grins up at me, as she pokes her fingers around her mouth.

"What makes you ask that?" I ask in bewilderment.

"I am seven, dad. I need to ask these things," she continues to pull and prod and finally, out pops a baby tooth. "I did it!" She squeals, holding it in the palm of her hand for me to see.

"Look at you," I smile, taking the dainty milk tooth from her hand. It's hard to believe how small it is.

"So, are you going on a date?" She repeats, her hands on hips now.

"This isn't a conversation for kids," I say, with a frown. I carefully wrap the tooth in tissue paper, and place it in a side pocket in her bag. "Don't forget to put this under your pillow tonight," I tell her, as I zip it up.

"Do you love her?" She asks with a cheeky smile spread across her face.

"You're too young to know what love is!" I gasp, amused and horrified at the same time.

"Am not!" she stomps her feet.

"Oh yeah, what is it then?" I am unable to keep a straight face.

"This," she proceeds to grab her grey teddy from the bed and gives it a cuddle and kiss on its head. She nods her head in satisfaction at me. My God, this kid.

"I am meeting a friend, who happens to be a female for dinner tonight," there is no harm in being honest with her. If this thing between Laura and I progresses, then at least Lou will be prewarned.

A look of gratification lights up her face as she flings her backpack over her shoulders and hands me the locket to put around her neck. "Are you looking forward to seeing mommy?" I ask tentatively.

She shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know. Yes, I guess." As much as I have a deep distaste for her mother, I still want them to have a proper mother/daughter bond. At this rate, Mel is more like an aunt than a mum to Lou.

"Can I have some perfume?" She asks looking up at me.

"Uh, I don't really have anything," I reply, walking through to the bathroom. I rummage through the cabinet. Everything I have is too manly for her. Hidden at the back, I find Calvin Klein, One. The bottle says its unisex, bingo! "Alright trouble, chin up," she gladly throws her head back and I spray a generous amount on her neck. She insists that she that sprays her hands and wrists herself. "Here you go," I hand her the bottle.