"Twenty-two months is a long course of treatment, Cal. I'm guessing you're more than ready to get these things off."
"I am," I told Dr. Sears truthfully.
"I have to tell you this is the most rewarding part of my job. All that time in college and medical school plus orthodontics training is worth it every time I remove a set of braces. That's especially true with someone like you, Cal, who had such a severe challenge. Do you remember the name for it?"
"A class-three malocclusion," I replied. I may have been held back a year and turned 18 as a junior in high school a few months ago, I might never have even been on a date let alone kissed a girl, and I might have had just about the worst grill ever, but I was pretty good in school and remembering something like this was easy for me.
"Very good!" Dr. Sears said as he continued removing the pieces of metal from my mouth. "You had multiple issues going on like overcrowding and a lot of protrusion. The key word there is 'had' as in not any more.
I laughed and said, "Protrusion. Right! That's the politically correct term for bucked teeth, isn't it?" Dr. Sears just chuckled. "I have to say no one's called me 'Bucky' for at least six months now so that's a good thing, right?" That name had stuck since the elementary school and it, more than anything else, had shaped my self-image in the intervening years, and that image wasn't good. In fact, it was something I didn't like to think about. If not for the teeth, I'd been at least an average looking kid. Sure, I was soft and had a round face, but I didn't have Dumbo ears or a third eye and I wasn't morbidly obese or anything. But those 10-15 pounds of extra weight and that "bucked-tooth" grin had taken their toll on how I felt about myself.
"Looks like you've done a little self-improvement beyond your smile, Cal. Have you lost weight?" Dr. Sears asked as he pulled another wire loose.
It was typically the people who didn't see me regularly who noticed. Those who did couldn't really tell that my body was undergoing a change of its own while the braces were doing their thing upstairs. "I've been lifting weights for the last six months or so, Dr. Sears. My dad talked me into taking the class and I guess it's working okay."
My favorite hygienist, Marie, chimed in. "I thought that was the case," she said playfully. "I can really see it in your face most of all but it's also obvious from your chest and arms that you've been doing something in the gym."
I cut my eyes toward her as Dr. Sears was removing the last of the anchors and I noticed the way Marie was smiling at me. In the past, she'd been friendly but I chalked that up to professionalism and her just doing her job. This smile said something new and different. In fact, it was so new I wasn't sure whether to thank her or feel offended. I mean, no one ever complimented me on anything except my grades or video game skills. All I'd ever experienced was a steady stream of jokes, sarcasm, and taunting for as long as I could remember so I had nothing with which I could compare her comment. Even so, telling her "thanks" intuitively seemed like the right thing to do and I told her just that.
"I think you're going to have to start carrying around the proverbial stick from now on, Cal." Marie smiled that smile again even as Dr. Sears chimed in.
"Okay. That's it. Let's polish these up and see if we've got a spare stick to lend you!"
I hated being naรฏve but I knew I had to ask. "Stick? Am I missing something?"
Both of them laughed. "You know," Dr. Sears explained, "the stick to beat back all the girls that are gonna be chasing you. I gotta admit, we did a pretty bang up job here, my friend."
Marie handed me a mirror and I was so shocked by the image looking back at me that I found myself at a loss for words. I finally mumbled, "Holy cow. Is that really me?"
They both chuckled again as Dr. Sears slapped me on the arm and said, "Yes, indeed. That's you. The guy with the perfect smile!"
"And the big pecs!" Marie said in a feigned whisper as she put the mirror back down on the counter.
I nearly ran off the road on the way home from smiling and looking in the damn mirror so many times. I just couldn't believe that was me. My mom had wanted to take me but I insisted she let me do this alone. Not surprisingly, she was standing on the porch waiting for me when I got home. What was surprising was that my Aunt Holly, my mom's younger sister, was standing there with her. She was what my mom referred to as "well connected" and her husband "well heeled." She was married to a wealthy man and it seemed as if she knew everyone no matter where we went. And she was giving to a fault. I have to add she was also very attractive for a woman of 40. I felt my heartbeat quicken as soon as I saw her running toward the car.
Aunt Holly arrived first and grabbed me just as I opened the car door. "OH MY GOD! He's absolutely gorgeous, Wendy! Come look!"
"Let me see your smile!" my mom hollered as she pushed her way in between me and her sister. I obliged. "Oh my heavenly days! She's right! You ARE gorgeous! I am so proud of you, honey!" I wanted to say she and dad did all the work and paid all the money while the only thing I did was agree to get the braces. Still, it was nice to hear another compliment even it was from my motherโand my hot aunt.