The Truth About the Tooth Fairy

From the back of the van the other day, Lucy finally cut to the chase: "Mom, are you the tooth fairy?" Looking at Jasper through the rearview mirror, I asked Lucy if we could talk about it later. She agreed. So, that night, after J. had gone to bed, I brought it up. "Lucy, do you want to talk about the tooth fairy?" She did but she rephrased her question to: "Mom, did you give me the tooth gift?" Yes, Lucy, I did. Lucy eyes well up with tears and sobbing "Please don't do that Mom, because then the tooth fairy doesn't have a chance to come. I thought you had come because the tooth fairy didn't bring me my secret wish: make-up. But she doesn't come to me because you've already brought me a present. So don't do that." Me, baffled and unsure and sad: "Parents are the tooth fairies, Lucy." Lucy, drying her eyes, says, "Oh, I thought that you probably were. I really love the drawing pencils you gave me, but I do wish I had some make-up, especially" and here she pauses to brush on pretend eye shadow. Then, not looking at me, she adds: "Well, at least I know that Santa is real." I love that girl...