Ana Sofia and the Search for Santa

🎄Chapter 2: Welcome Home🎄

Mom and dad always went big when decorating for Christmas. The house was once again the most decorated on Breen Street inside and out. Maybe the most festive in the whole city of Temecula.

Ana Sofia ran inside as soon as the car pulled into the driveway. There was so much on her mind. Maddie. The blue light.

How did nobody else see that?

Am I losing my marbles? she thought.

The Wilson family tree was huge and wrapped in tinsel garlands with no branch untouched by an ornament, and the star-shaped topper almost touched the ceiling, as usual. She never knew why they'd never put the tree in a more open part of the house, but couldn't imagine it anywhere else either.

Bookshelves and counter tops were covered with plush and ceramic holiday characters, some of which she'd made herself. One thing she could say about her mother was she definitely wasn't tacky. Everything was neatly placed, from the inflatable Santas and snowmen in the yard to the cheerful pieces inside, everything looked truly amazing.

She plucked a Christmas tree cookie from a large red dollar store plate and headed for the stairs while the rest of the family got situated inside. She needed to be alone to think about all that had happened in such a short amount of time.

Nearly at the top, she heard Albert and dad by the door.

"Is Ana Sofia mad at me?" she heard her brother ask.

She couldn't understand why he'd think that. Sure she'd been quiet on the drive home, and had darted inside before everyone else, but she'd never felt so overwhelmed.

"Of course not," said dad. "She probably just missed you like we all did. Now come to the kitchen, mom made those cookies you love."

She heard them step towards the kitchen and ran outside with a groan. Maybe it was better to run from her problems than sit in her room and think about them over and over again.

🎅🎅

It had been a typical winter in Southern California. Sixty-five degrees and clear skies just about every day. Sometimes Ana Sofia wished it would snow to make it feel more like a proper Christmas, but Ashley always told her it was impossible.

Mom was next door at Mr. Winston's who'd apparently just made it home from the busy shopping center. Mr. Winston didn't decorate for Christmas at all, and never had. Ana Sofia wondered if that was part of why he always looked so sad.

Having gone out to the yard, Ana Sofia carefully moved closer until she was close enough that she could hear them from behind a bush. She'd been yelled at for eavesdropping before, but sometimes it was hard to resist. Plus, she was curious to hear if mom was talking about her too.

Mom carried Mr. Winston's bags towards his front door while he took his keys out of his pocket.

"Thank you so much," the old man with the creaky voice said.

Mom told him not to worry about it. That she was always happy to help.

"How bad is it out there?" she asked. "I have to do some shopping myself."

"As crazy as usual," said Mr. Winston. "Lines keep getting longer and longer."

They moved into the house and Ana Sofia noticed Mr. Winston's kitchen window was open, and low enough for her to see inside, so she decided to do a little more detective work, and moved under it to listen.

Inside, mom set the bags on the small, wooden kitchen table and helped him unload the groceries.

"Was that Albert I saw?" he asked.