I had to stretch for the jewelry box Mom kept on her dresser. I pulled out rings, earrings, bracelets, dumping it all into a pile. I had to dig to the bottom, but I found them.

Ten pearly-white baby teeth. I held them up for inspection. “Is this enough?” I asked.

The Tooth Fairy’s glamor faded. She leaned in, inspecting each tooth. Satisfied, she gave a nod. “I’ll tell my minions to repair your parents’ brake-lines.”

Filling her sack tooth-by-tooth, she kept her gaze on my open mouth. “Just make sure those other ten teeth make it under your pillow.”