Tuesday. I get up and continue with the lighthouse story. I’m really enjoying this one, and hope that means it’ll turn out well. The Elderbeast wakes up and claims he’s not feeling well (he was on the hot side last night so I’m more willing to listen). I have a dilemma though: I need to switch the tooth he’s left by his bedside for cold hard cash, and do it before he thinks to check. My chance comes when he nips to the toilet: I slide the folded note into the makeshift matchbox he uses as his ‘tooth box’. And it’s not a moment too soon: he checks the second he sits back down again, and is delighted to find his money waiting for him.
He then looks at me quizzically and asks: “Is the tooth fairy real?” I point out that if he decides the tooth fairy is no longer real, then she would no longer be able to bring him money. He considers this briefly, and decides the tooth fairy is real.
Work is consumed by change requests, incident reports, assessments, and other nonsense–but I finally manage my shopping trip to Thingz (delayed from yesterday). I come back with two cushions, a new clock and a rug. I also bring back pastries and cookies for the team. The rest of the afternoon goes slowly. I’m the last one left in the office by 4pm and wonder why it’s not home time yet. I finally get away by 5.
Later at home my phone rings. It’s the Elderbeast’s best friend’s Mum. Except it’s not. It’s Elderbeast’s best friend, and he’s using his Mum’s phone to call my phone so he can speak to the Elderbeast. They want to arrange a sleepover for later in the week and unfortunately I’m long overdue for letting the Elderbeast have his friend over. His friend is great, but the volume level when the two of them are together pushes my stress meter way into the red. It doesn’t help that I’m already feeling very tried and stressed. Perhaps it’s my turn to come down with the office plague …