The Dentist

It had been awhile. Three years since Collette had been to the dentist. And finally, she was going there again, a little worried that cavities would be found, despite the good care she took of her teeth. And this time, OLeif would be accompanying her.
By 12:34 in the afternoon, it was over. And the whole of the lower left half of Collette’s face was numb.
“Your teeth and gums are in great shape,” said the friendly dental hygienist, “especially for not having been to the dentist in three years.”
But there was a little recession of the gums due to heavy brushing, and bone loss (from getting old), exposed roots (from being born without several teeth), etc., and a cavity. Yes, a cavity. Her very first. And hopefully her last. She never would have even known it was there.
Despite everything, however, it was a completely painless morning. And by four o’clock, the numbness had passed and she could eat a late lunch.
After helping Joe set up his new semester at Florissant Valley, Collette returned to find Puck walking around, quite without his pants, which were too big, and kept slipping off. However, Carrie-Bri quickly rectified the situation by dressing him in Linnea’s old black choir skirt tied around his chubby belly. He looked very Greek.
And around all of her other potential plans and studies, Carrie was considering applying for a six-month position on an island in Australia. There was never a dull moment around Carrie, as Mom would always say.
And Collette’s brand new 38-volume set of Shakespeare’s complete plays and sonnets had arrived in the mail. They looked almost too beautiful sitting in the box, to actually remove. Collette would have to make more room on the bookshelves.
The day ended at around fourteen degrees above zero. It was bitter.