A New Toothbrush

I forgot to pack my toothbrush for Pennsylvania.

This wasn't the only thing that was left behind. Mom's loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, intended to be shared with all the Davises, is still in our fridge at home. The coffee I had roasted for the trip is still in a kitchen cupboard. And apparently my very worn-out purple toothbrush is still in the bathroom.

My toothbrush isn't worn out because it's old. It's worn out because I am, apparently, an extraordinarily vigorous brusher. J commented on this several times before I believed her, and experience has proven her right. If we both open new toothbrushes at the same time, hers will still look relatively new one month later, and mine will look like I've been punishing it by jamming the bristles into a food processor.

So I went downstairs and asked J's mom if she had a spare toothbrush anywhere, and being a thoughtful host, she had a whole drawerful of extra toiletries for needy/forgetful guests like myself in a dresser drawer upstairs.

But in Owen's room. Where Owen was sleeping.

I slowly turned his doorknob, careful not to make any clicking sound as I pushed the door onwards, even lifting up on the handle in case the bottom might run against the carpet. I tiptoed over to the dresser, and gently eased out the 2nd drawer down. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pressed the home button--not the full flashlight, lest Owen should happen to be sleeping with his face towards me, but just the little glow of light that came from my Unlock screen, by which I could distinguish several new toothbrushes in their cases lying in the drawer.

I picked one up, put it in my pocket, and tiptoed out of the room. I shut the door behind me just as quietly as I'd opened it, then went into the bathroom and pulled the toothbrush out of my pocket.

"Boy, this is kind of girly." I thought to myself.

"In fact, it looks just like J's."

I saw J's toothbrush lying on the sink.

Light pink, light pink.

Oral B in blue letters, Oral B in blue letters.

Relatively new looking bristles, relatively new looking bristles.

I'm going to have to brush my teeth even harder than usual so that we can tell them apart.