Bling Baby.

She said it was no big deal. She wasn't worried. But she couldn't sleep and she had trouble focusing. She WAS worrying. And it WAS a big deal. Thursday night she came and got me.

"Mommy? I'm scared."

"I know Bunny. It will be all right. You'll just be a shinier star."

I got up and took her back to her room. I played with her hair. We giggled and whispered for a while then drifted off. I hoped it would be okay. Friday peeked into her room. It was time.

She played with her breakfast and fidgeted. Ben wasn't helping. He had all KINDS of brotherly advice.

"It won't hurt. They'll just rip out all your teeth and then cram metal in the empty holes! You won't be able to eat or drink for YEARS! Well just mashed up soupy things. Drink through a straw until you're old. But they may not even be able to do it if you THROW UP!"

It earned him a frog punch in the arm. That's when she told him that she would get to ditch school for the day. It hit home.

"Mom? Can I have braces?"

Not yet Boo. Not yet.

We got ready and took Ben to the corner. The bus pulled away leaving just the two of us. I drove her to the "Hardware store" where I signed her in. She sat in the chair looking tiny and pale. After a child's eternity, the orthodontist appeared.

"You must be Madeline"

My chatty daughter nodded weakly and I heard her swallow hard. It sounded like a golf ball going down. He smiled down at her.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Come on in. We'll see ya later Mom."

And he pulled her from me. They waltzed off. Wait a minute. This wasn't it. I stepped forward. They closed the door on me. She turned in horror. I touched the glass and left a print. OH! What had I done? They were going to stuff her mouth with horrible minty marshmallow fluff! She'd choke and gag. They were going to shove metal and wires and rubber bands in that little face that used to laugh all the time. What if they DID rip her teeth out? No!! Wait !! That's MY BABY IN THERE! She might need me! Her eyes were the size of bass drums as they had her lie down in the torture chair. I saw her knuckles whiten as they clenched the arm pads. Dr. Frankenstein leaned over her. In my mind's eye, lightening flashed and there was evil laughter. I swallowed hard. It sounded like a golf ball going down. All I could do was wait. An agonizing hour drifted by. I watched her knees pump up and down with anxiety. My knees bobbed up and down in the chair at the rate of a hungry woodpecker on a termite mound. I clenched the arm pads of the chair. My heart was pounding like a bass drum.

Dr. Frankenstein came out. "It's finished." He laughed and snapped his gloves. My mouth was dry. My palms were soaked. I reminded myself to breathe.

"She was a great patient. Funny. She did a fantastic job. I know she was a little nervous."

"Maddie?"

There she was. I snatched her from Igor and pulled her to me. I kissed her head ferociously and hugged her tightly. There was a small sound and I pushed her away. Was she crying? Oh God he'd HURT her! I looked down to see my girl. My shiny new "tween". Her teeth were brilliant. They had bright pink bands and she couldn't stop laughing.

"PINK Mom! PINK!"

"They sure are...pink. Wow. You look amazing. SO much older." She did. she looked like a teenybopper. We headed out the door.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Something mushy and soupy." she had this gleam in her eye. "A milkshake."

"It's all you Brace Face."

"Moooommmm" But she gripped my hand a little tighter.

Ben couldn't wait to get home. I heard him running full tilt up the drive.

"BRACE FACE?" He had suffered ALLLLL day.

His sister smiled. He leaned way in and stared at her shiny new grill.

"Pink?"

"Yep." She rolled her eyes.

"Tin Grin."

"Yep." She sighed dramatically.

"Metal Mouth."

"Enough Ben."

"It's okay Mom. You forgot one....Train Tracks."

"ooooooo GOOD ONE!" and he laughed. They walked out to the kitchen.

"Maddie?"

"Yeah."

"Did it hurt?"

"Nah. Only when they began to rip out my teeth. After a while, I just passed out. But you'll find out the rest when YOU get braces."