Ana Sofia and the Search for Santa

🎄Chapter 12: Light-Seeing🎄

Beyond Breen Street through rows of palm trees, Ana Sofia could see the lights of Sugar Plum Drive. Every time she saw it, or even just heard the name, she wanted to move there instead. Even in the summer when the yards didn't have any decorations in them, living on a street named after sugar plums would have to give you good feelings all year long.

Grandma and grandpa were pointing out anything and everything, often across Ana Sofia's body since she was sitting between them.

"How about that one?!" asked grandpa.

Grandma looked but shook her. "No, that's not it."

"How do you know? It's a lot of blue."

"That's red and green and white and blue!" said grandma confidently.

"Oh..."

There was silence for a moment between them, until grandpa pointed out a pretty important detail.

"Aren't you colorblind?"

🎅🎅

The family finally exited the car and walked Sugar Plum Drive together with wonder in their eyes. Grandpa had only one destination in mind, the blue house with all the blue lights.

When Ana Sofia finally saw the exact one he'd been talking about, she looked up and saw her grandpa seemed younger. It made her think some feelings never died, they just looked different after a while. More wrinkled and white or grey. 

"Isn't it beautiful, Ana?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

Rows of blue lights twinkled from one side of the roof to the other.

"Told you, look at all the blue," grandpa said to grandma as she joined his side.

"Wouldn't wanna pay his electric bill," she said. "How do you think he gets it all up there? Kids?"

Grandpa shook his head. "I think he does it himself. I know I could."

Grandma laughed. "You're crazy. You can barely get out of bed in the morning."

"I'm serious, get me a tall ladder, I'll go up there and do it on our house."

"Our house is one story! And you'd fall as soon as you got up!"

Ana Sofia stepped away, back towards the car, leaving them to their playful bickering.

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As the night went on, even though she was having fun, she knew Percy would soon again be knocking on her window and had to get home.

"Sit still, girl or you'll take flight!" warned grandma, making her realize she'd been fidgeting in her seat as the car drove along the road back home.

"That's why I need to get home!"

Every member of her family looked at her like she'd lost her mind, which embarrassed her. Then she told her mom in her most polite tone of voice to please hurry.

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When they got back to the house, Ana Sofia rushed towards the stairs, but mom stopped her.

"Uh uh, little lady, you're not running off without saying goodbye to grandma and grandpa."

Ana Sofia groaned, as she'd nearly reached the top of the stairs. "But, mom, this is important!"

"So is hugging grandma and grandpa."

Once mom put her hands on her hips she knew there was no getting out of it, so she ran down the stairs and back outside.

🎅🎅

Ashley was being held prisoner and getting lectured at grandma and grandpa's car.

"Don't play your music so loud!" grandpa ordered.

"We don't want you to explode!" grandma added.

Ana Sofia ran over to Grandpa and hugged him while Ashley took her arrival as a chance to escape.

"What's the rush?!" asked Grandpa with a laugh.

"She's gotta find Santa remember!" said Grandma. "Time is running out!"

"Oh right, go, go, go!" urged Grandpa.

Ana Sofia was glad they were so understanding, and headed back towards the house while they continued to talk.

"Her mother said she wasn't doing so good. Seems fine to me," said Grandpa.

"Yep... So, where to now?" asked Grandma.

"Hm. Bars still open?"

"We don't go to bars anymore!" laughed Grandma.

"I know, I know. Besides. I've gotta go pick up my pills."

"Which ones?"

"The really big ones."

"They're all really big."

"The really big ones that also taste like dirt."

"I take those too."

"Maybe they're yours then, we'll ask when we get there," said Grandpa and opened the passenger's door for grandma.

🎅🎅

Finally free, Ana Sofia threw open the door and rushed into her room but saw no trace of Percy at the window.

At least I'm not late...

Realizing she'd have to wait a while, she got into bed and folded her hands on her stomach.

She waited and waited but heard nothing.

When she picked up her alarm clock she was stunned to see only one minute had passed.

Too impatient to just lie there, she got up and paced around the room. She paced until there was a gentle knock on the glass at last, and rushed over to open the window, but still didn't see her fairy friend.

She thought maybe it could have been the wind, as nobody was there on the horizon of stars and holiday lights.

"Down here!" she heard a quiet voice say.

"Percy?" she called in her loudest whisper.

"I'm down here!" the voice came again, louder this time.

She held onto the windowsill and looked down, seeing Percy had fallen into the bushes beneath her window.

"What are you doing down there? Get up here!"

"Oh very nice! Not even a 'hello, Percy, or a 'are you okay, Percy'?"

Ana Sofia rolled her eyes. "Are you okay, Percy?"

"Oh see now it just sounds rude."

"What happened?"

"A car drove by and scared me."

"Can you get up?"

Percy fluttered out of the bushes and began to rise up to her. When he reached the window he held out his small hand. Ana Sofia took it, once again hearing the roaring wind as she did.