It was a warm summer morning and while walking on the beach, deliberately in sync with the rhythm of the gently rolling swells, I came across a figure I immediately recognized as being the Tooth Fairy. She was sitting quietly on the sand, staring out at the vast ocean before her. Strangely, I could see no one else on the beach that morning. Seizing what I immediately recognized to be an unusual opportunity, I sat down beside her and decided to get some questions answered that had been nagging at me since childhood.

Q Pretty out here, isn’t it?

A Yes, it is. After all my flitting about every night, I often sit here in the mornings to rest and recuperate.

Q You’re the Tooth Fairy, aren’t you?

A Of course. You knew that before you asked, David. There are few people who wouldn’t recognize me. Although my visits to people are limited to children during their sleep, every human seems to know me when they see me. I don’t mind, though. I sense there’s something you want to talk to me about.

Q Well, I hadn’t planned on this, so I have nothing prepared. But, I would appreciate it if you’d answer a few questions. Is that OK?

A I’ll answer what I can and will leave you to wonder about what I can’t.

Q How did you get to be the Tooth Fairy in the first place?

A Once upon a time, fairies came into existence all in an instant. We were made of a combination of human need and imagination activated by the sheer power of childhood. In the earliest days, surveys were done, divisions were established and, like in any corporation, goals and objectives were established. I applied for the tooth job. As it turns out, no one else was interested in it. They all wanted to be Flower Fairy, Jewel Fairy or seasonal fairies. Lacking competition, the job fell to me by default.

Q What about this job appealed to you?

A Children love being children but also long to grow up and be bigger people. One way that their progress toward growth is noted is by the changing of their teeth — from what you humans refer to as their “baby” teeth to their “second” teeth. This process is both magical and meaningful for children in a way that adults sometimes are not fully cognizant of.

Losing a tooth means that they’re a little more grown-up today. They think, “I’m still a child, but I’m moving in a grown-up direction.” I love being a part of that.

Q Do you really take the teeth the children leave under their pillows and leave a coin or two for them?

A I collect many teeth myself, but I have a lot of helpers: the parents. And since fairies have no use for money, I don’t have any and don’t leave it — it’s those helpers. As for the baby teeth the helpers collect, I can’t say for sure, but I suspect that they are often saved as mementos of their child’s development in a special little container in their home.

(At this moment, I become aware that the image of this crystalline figure was fading and that my opportunity to interview the Tooth Fairy was coming to an end.)

It is now nighttime somewhere. I must go.

Q Just one more thing, please! Will you always be the Tooth Fairy and will children always be able to count on you and your helpers?

A So long as there are children and so long as they have and change teeth, I will be there for them.

And then, I’m alone on the beach. The ocean appears unchanged, but the sun is a bit higher in the sky than it was when I sat down. I run my tongue along my teeth and think about my own childhood and my grandchildren.

I’m up and on my way, almost wishing that the changing of teeth and all that it signifies could happen more than once in our lives.

David Reinstein is a San Anselmo resident. IJ readers are invited to share their stories of love, dating, parenting, marriage, friendship and other experiences for our How It Is column, which runs Tuesdays in the Lifestyles section. All stories must not have been published in part or in its entirety previously. Send your stories of no more than 600 words to lifestyles@marinij.com. Please write How It Is in the subject line. The IJ reserves the right to edit them for publication. Please include your full name, address and a daytime phone number.