Page 53 of Surrender

“First, take a piece of floss about this long and wrap most of it around your middle fingers, leaving a little space between.”

She tried to wrap the floss around her fingers. “Like this?

I moved to assist her with the proper technique.

“Yes, just like that! Now, hold the floss tightly between these two fingers. Remember to leave the space in between.”

“Okay, got it!

“Perfect. Now, gently slide the floss between two of your teeth, all the way down to your gums. Slide it up and down the sides of both teeth.”

“Like this?”

“That’s great, Shana! Make sure you’re being gentle and not snapping the floss into your gums. It’s important to clean both sides of each tooth. Always use a clean section of floss as you move from tooth to tooth. Don’t forget to floss behind your very back teeth as well. It might be a little tricky at first, but with practice, you’ll be a flossing pro.”

I watched as she demonstrated what I showed her on a few teeth. She was very cautious and a good listener.

“There you go! You’re a quick learner. Now, how about we clean your teeth? You have such a beautiful smile already, and I want to keep it that way. I’m going to use this special toothbrush to clean them really well. I just need you to sit back and relax for me. How about I put on some music for you? What do you like to listen to?”

Her mother chuckled. “She’s an old soul. She loves listening to gospel with my grandmother.”

I smiled. “What’s her favorite song?”

“Blessed and Highly Favored.”

“Excellent choice!”

I pulled off a glove and retrieved my phone from my pocket. Going to my gospel playlist, I turned on the song and watched Shana smile as the instruments dropped. She relaxed into the chair and opened her mouth. After reapplying a new glove, I got right to work cleaning her teeth and singing along to her. It took me no time to wrap up her cleaning.

“All done! You did an amazing job, Shana. Your teeth are sparkling clean!”

She smiled brightly in the mirror as she examined my handy work.

“That was easy!”

“You were a very brave little superhero today! And because you did such a great job, you get to pick a prize from our treasure chest.

Her eyes widened. “Really? Yay!

“Absolutely! Even superheroes like prizes. Keep up the good work with your brushing and flossing at home, and I’ll see you again in six months for another checkup.

“Thank you, Dr. Mitchell!

“You’re welcome, Shana! My assistant will be right in to set up your next appointment and take you to get your prize. Have a great day, beautiful.”

I left them with a smile and headed to my office. We were about to close for lunch, and I was starving. Since breakfast was cut short, I hadn’t eaten anything else. I grinned to myself as I slipped my wedding ring back on. I realized that I couldn’t wear it with gloves on during my first appointment.

As I thought about this morning, I couldn’t help but blush. That man loved me… he really loved me. I’d been on a high all day long thinking about those three little words. This feeling was so unreal, but it felt so damn good.

I opened my office door, and the smile dropped from my face. Sitting there was my sister. When I stepped in, she stood, offering me a slight smile.

“Hey, little sister.”

I was hesitant as I closed the door. “What are you doing here, Ebony.”

“I was hoping I could take you to lunch and we could talk. We can go to The Juke Joint.”

I folded my arms. “Now you wanna talk after Myra cursed you out?”