A Father's Love

Chapter 52

The tooth ended up being stubborn and taking a while to fall out, even though Shelby kept messing with it, with both her tongue and her finger. All week, Shelby asked for an apple for her after-school snack, biting and chewing on the side of her loose tooth. It wasn't like she wanted a visit from the "tooth fairy" A.K.A, her dad. She just wanted it out already. Just the feeling of having something loose in her mouth drove Shelby crazy.

"Shell, will you stop messing with your tooth," Luke told her while the three of them were at the dinner table, having dinner together. It was one of the rare times Jess has been home in a few weeks. "It'll fall out when it's ready."

"I can' help i'," Shelby replied in a frustrated tone once she removed her finger from the tooth. "I's bugging me."

"I might have a solution," Jess inputted into the conversation.

"Wha'?" She looked over at her cousin.

He shrugged. "Best way to lose a tooth I know of is being punched in the mouth. That'll knock it right out." Jess smirked to show he was teasing.

"Bu' ten you migh' knock out my uh-ter tee'."

Luke stared over at his daughter. "That's what you're concerned about, Shell?" he questioned. "Getting the other teeth knocked out?"

She looked back at him. "Yeah."

"Just that? Nothing about the fact your cousin just offered to punch you in the mouth."

Shelby shrugged, holding it. "To help knock my too-th ow," she said, some spit flying out of her mouth when she tried to say, tooth.

He let out a slight sigh, dropping his head, briefly. Luke told them both to finish eating, and that there will no punching of any kind.

The next day, which the stubborn tooth still did not fall out, Shelby helped her dad in the diner for a short while before she wandered over to him. There was a bit of a lull and things were kind of boring.

"Dad."

Luke was making a fresh batch of coffee. "Yeah, Shell?" he responded, scooping coffee grounds into the pot.

"Um...Can I, um... Can I go ride my bike?"

"You mean out front?" he asked, looking over at her. "Sure. Give me a minute and I'll carry it downstairs for ya." Luke finished scooping the coffee grounds, shoving the filter back into place.

Shelby shook her head. "No, no' jus' ou' fron'. I wan' to ride my bike all the way to the inn so I can say hello to Lor-lai," she told him.

Luke froze. He looked over at his daughter wondering if he heard right. "You want to do what?"

"I wan' to ride my bike to the inn to see Lor-lai. Can I?" she repeated.

"Shell, you're only seven," he pointed out.

"So?" Shelby shrugged. "All ta o-ter kids ge' to."

He stared at her. Get to what? Is the Independence Inn the new hang-out for kids, these days?

"Hunter was here by himself, remember?"

"If Hunter and the other kids jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?" Luke asked.

Shelby just blinked at him, puzzled. "I don' wan' to jump off a bridge. I wan' to ride my bike to see Lor-lai. Please, Dad?"

"Aw, come on, Shell. Can't you wait another year? I promise, this time, next year, I might consider it."