Summary

“Braces” by Nick Werber begins in a dentist’s surgery, where a boy named Nick is getting his teeth checked by his grandfather.

The grandfather’s surgery is in his house. In the living room, Nick’s father is watching the Grand Prix. Nick looks outside, then walks around the room looking at the decorations, including a statue of a boxer. Nick asks if his grandfather was a boxer, but his father does not respond.

Nick’s sits down to eat with his father and grandfather. Nick tells his grandfather about learning the word “somnambulist”; Nick’s father also tries to tell him about one of his son’s stories. However, the grandfather thinks science is better than words, and that it is time for Nick to choose a profession.

Nick says that he might want to be a veterinarian, and his grandfather seems pleased. Nick’s father says that if Nick fails to be a veterinarian, ...