Blankie

Blankie lives in the liquor cabinet.
When Maggie would fall asleep feeling Blankie’s lovely silky edge—a fine thing to do when you’re trying to get some shut eye—she would also suck her two middle fingers. This made Maggie an orthodontist’s dream.
One day Blankie disappeared. When, weeks later, Blankie was discovered behind the curtains, Maggie was already weaned from him. Maggie’s mom saw this as an opportunity to let Blankie stay lost and shoved it in the back of the liquor cabinet above the refrigerator.
Now, whenever a recipe calls for brandy, Maggie's mother reaches into the cabinet, catches a glimpse of Blankie and feels a pang of guilt, but not $5,000 worth, which was the cost of Maggie’s braces.