Emma skipped ahead of her dad on the way to the park, her pigtails bouncing. “Daddy, do mermaids brush their teeth?” she asked, her voice full of wonder.
Dad chuckled, “That’s a good question! Maybe they use seaweed instead of toothpaste.”
Emma giggled. She loved imagining things! The park was her favorite place to imagine. She liked to pretend the swings were rocket ships and the sandbox was a faraway planet. Today, the park was going to be an underwater kingdom!
As they reached their favorite bench, Emma spotted something shiny by the pond. It was a bright blue scale, sparkling like a jewel! Could it be from a mermaid? Emma's heart pounded with excitement.
"Dad, look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the shimmering scale. “I think a mermaid lives in the pond!”
Dad smiled, “Let’s see if we can find her then! Maybe she has more of those beautiful scales.”
Emma closed her eyes and whispered, “Hello? Mermaid? I’m Emma!” She knew she could talk to animals, but maybe her superpower worked on mermaids too!
Suddenly, a gentle voice tickled Emma’s ears, "Hello, Emma. My name is Coral."
Emma’s eyes flew open. A beautiful mermaid with long, flowing hair and a shimmering tail poked her head out of the water. "You can hear me?" Coral asked, surprised.
Emma nodded excitedly. “That’s so cool! Do you really brush your teeth with seaweed?”
Coral giggled, her laugh like tinkling bells. "We try to! But it's hard to keep seaweed on our brushes. It’s very slippery.”
“Hmm,” Emma tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I know! We can use my special toothpaste! It’s sparkly and bubblegum flavored, and it makes brushing fun!”
Coral’s eyes widened. “Sparkly toothpaste? That sounds amazing! But how will you get it underwater?”
Emma grinned. “My dad has an awesome waterproof case for his phone. We can use that!”
Dad, who had been listening to the conversation with a smile, pulled the case out of his pocket. “Only for a mermaid, Emma,” he said, winking.
Emma carefully placed her toothbrush and toothpaste inside the case and handed it to Coral. “Here you go! Remember to brush every tooth, especially the ones in the back!”
Coral squeezed the toothpaste onto the brush and carefully brushed her pearly white teeth. “This is incredible!” she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. "My teeth feel so clean, and my breath smells like bubblegum! Thank you, Emma!”
Emma beamed. She loved helping others, even if they were mermaids! “You’re welcome, Coral! Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you all about flossing!”
As the sun began to set, Coral waved goodbye with her shimmering tail, disappearing beneath the surface of the pond.
Walking home, Emma skipped alongside her dad, clutching her own toothbrush. “See, Dad? Even mermaids brush their teeth!”
Dad laughed, swinging Emma up into his arms. “That’s right, Emma. It’s important for everyone to have a healthy smile!”
That night, Emma dreamed of swimming with Coral in a magical underwater kingdom, surrounded by sparkling bubbles and the sweet smell of bubblegum.
