TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 — It’s Not Merry Yet

Chapter 2 — Christmas Under One Roof

Chapter 3 — The Christmas List

Chapter 4 — Operation: Christmas Tree

Chapter 5 — The Great Gingerbread Disaster

Chapter 6 — Christmas Shopping Chaos

Chapter 7 — The Secret Santa Situation

Chapter 8 — Snow Day!

Chapter 9 — The Christmas Mystery

Chapter 10 — Operation: Catch Santa

Chapter 11 — The Night Before the Night Before Christmas.

Chapter 12 — The Christmas Concert

Chapter 13 — ’Twas the Night Before Chaos

Chapter 14 — The Not-So-Merry Christmas

Chapter 15 — Merry After All

Christmas was supposed to be merry.

At least, that’s what everyone kept saying.

“Merry Christmas!”

“Have a merry Christmas!”

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

But as the Petersons pulled into the driveway, Lina stared out the car window at the enormous house in front of them and had one thought:

We’ll see about that.

“WE’RE HERE!” Zoe screamed from the back seat.

“We know,” John said. “The entire neighborhood knows.”

Zoe ignored him. She was already wrestling with her seat

belt while holding Mr. Sparkles under one arm.

“Mr. Sparkles! Look! Christmas!”

Mr. Sparkles, being a stuffed unicorn, had no comment.

“Can everybody please just wait until the car stops?” Emily said.

The car had already stopped.

Nobody pointed this out.

Jake opened his door and looked at the mountain of luggage packed behind them.

“All right,” he said. “Who packed seventeen bags?”

“Nellie,” John said immediately.

“I did NOT pack seventeen bags!” Nellie yelled.

“You brought three bags just for yourself.”

“One is clothes. One is shoes. And one is important things.”

“What are important things?”

“My things, John.”

“That cleared it up.”

Lina laughed as she climbed out.

The house looked like Christmas had exploded all over it.

Lights covered the roof. Giant candy canes lined the driveway. Wreaths hung in nearly every window, and two enormous glowing reindeer stood in the front yard.

Zoe gasped.

“Oh. My. GOSH.”

She grabbed Lina’s arm.

“Do you think Santa can see this house from the SKY?”

“I think astronauts can see this house from space,” Lina said.

The front door suddenly flew open.

Grandma Lura stood on the porch with Grandpa Joe right behind her.

“THEY’RE HERE!” Grandma Lura shouted.

And just like that, Christmas officially began.

Everyone started talking at once.

There were hugs.

There were bags.

There were presents being carried inside.

Someone dropped a box.

Zoe screamed because she thought it was hers.

It wasn’t.

John somehow ended up carrying six suitcases.

Nellie somehow ended up carrying nothing.

And Jake stood in the driveway holding a giant red bag and staring at everyone.

“Does anyone know what’s in this?”

“Nope,” Emily said.

“Great.”

Grandpa Joe grabbed two bags.

“Come on! Everybody inside before you freeze.”

Inside, Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe’s house was even more Christmasy.

There were decorations everywhere.

Garland wrapped around the staircase. Christmas music played from somewhere in the kitchen. The fireplace was glowing, stockings were hanging from the mantel, and the biggest Christmas tree Lina had ever seen stood in the living room.

Zoe froze.

Her mouth fell open.

“Mr. Sparkles…”

She slowly lifted the unicorn so he could see.

“We have found Christmas.”

John walked past her carrying luggage.

“Please don’t cry.”

“I’M NOT CRYING!”

“You look like you’re about to cry.”

“I’M FEELING CHRISTMAS!”

“That’s worse.”

Lina dropped her backpack beside the stairs and looked around.

Everyone was here.

Everyone was talking.

Everyone was already getting louder.

And they hadn’t even been inside for five minutes.

Emily walked into the living room and smiled.

“This is going to be such a nice Christmas.”

Lina looked at John.

John looked at Lina.

Then they both looked at Zoe, who was now lying underneath the Christmas tree with Mr. Sparkles.

Then at Nellie, who was yelling from upstairs.

“WHO PUT MY SUITCASE IN THE WRONG ROOM?!”

Then at Jake, who had somehow gotten himself tangled in a strand of Christmas lights.

“I’m fine!” he announced.

Grandpa Joe looked at him.

“You sure about that?”

“No.”

Grandma Lura laughed.

Lina looked back at John.

John shook his head.

“No chance.”

And Lina had to agree.

Christmas had officially started.

But merry?

Not yet.

The Petersons had been in the car for almost four hours.

Four.

Very.

Long.

Hours.

And according to John, every single one of them felt like twelve.

“Are we there yet?” Zoe asked.

“No,” Emily said.

Thirty seconds passed.

“Are we there now?”

“No.”

Another thirty seconds.

“How about now?”

John slowly turned around from the front seat.

“Zoe. We are on the same road we were on thirty seconds ago.”

“So?”

“So unless Grandma and Grandpa’s house suddenly drove toward us, NO.”

Zoe crossed her arms.

“You don’t know that.”

Lina laughed from beside her.

Outside the windows, everything was becoming whiter.

At first, there had only been a few snowflakes.

Then a few more.

Now the snow was falling so heavily that the trees along the road looked like they had been dipped in powdered sugar.

Lina pressed her face against the window.

“Okay, this is actually really pretty.”

Nellie looked up from her phone.

“Until we get stuck in it.”

“Why would you say that?” Lina asked.

“I’m being realistic.”

“You’re being Nellie.”

“Same thing.”

Jake leaned forward from the passenger seat and looked

through the windshield.

“This is definitely getting heavier.”

Emily tightened her hands on the steering wheel.

“We’re almost there.”

“How almost?” John asked.

“Twenty minutes.”

Zoe gasped.

“TWENTY MINUTES?!”

“You survived four hours,” John said. “I think you can survive twenty minutes.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’ll be brave.”

Zoe looked out the window dramatically.

“If I don’t make it, tell Grandma I loved her.”

“You’re sitting in a heated car eating gummy bears.”

“Tell Grandpa too.”

Lina started laughing.

Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe lived far enough away that visiting them always felt like an adventure.

And Christmas at their house was a BIG deal.

Grandma Lura decorated everything.

The tree.

The windows.

The staircase.

The kitchen.

Probably the bathrooms.

Grandpa Joe was just as bad, except his specialty was outside decorations.

Every year he added something new to the yard.

Last year it had been a giant inflatable Santa.

The year before that, glowing reindeer.

Nobody knew what he had done this year.

Zoe had been guessing for the entire drive.

“I think Grandpa Joe bought a Christmas dragon.”

“There is no Christmas dragon,” John said.

“There could be.”

“No.”

“A Christmas dinosaur?”

“No.”

“A Christmas unicorn?”

John paused.

Zoe smiled.

“You know you want one.”

“I absolutely do not.”

Suddenly, Lina leaned forward.

“Wait! I see lights!”

Everyone looked.

Through the thick snow, tiny lights appeared in the distance.

Then more.

And more.

And MORE.

Jake started laughing.

“Oh, Joe.”

As they got closer, Grandpa Joe’s Christmas masterpiece came into view.

The entire property was glowing.

Lights covered the trees.

Candy canes lined the driveway.

Huge wreaths hung from the house.

There were glowing reindeer in the yard.

A giant Santa stood near the porch.

And right in the middle of everything was an enormous inflatable snowman.

Zoe screamed.

“GRANDPA JOE HAS A GIANT SNOWMAN!”

“We can see it,” John said.

“HE’S HUGE!”

“We can also see that.”

“LOOK AT HIM!”

“I AM LOOKING AT HIM!”

The car turned into the driveway.

Snow crunched beneath the tires.

Before Emily had even completely stopped the car, the front door opened.

Grandma Lura stepped onto the porch.

Grandpa Joe appeared behind her.

“THEY’RE HERE!” Grandma Lura shouted.

Zoe immediately started fighting with her seat belt.

“LET ME OUT!”

“Wait until the car stops!” Emily said.

“It stopped!”

Zoe threw open the door.

Cold air rushed into the car.

“GRANDMA!”

She jumped into the snow.

Her boots sank almost to her ankles.

“WHOA!”

Then she took off running.

“Zoe, WALK!” Emily called.

Too late.

Zoe slipped.

Her arms flew into the air.

For one terrifying second, everyone watched her disappear.

POOF.

She landed directly in the snow.

There was silence.

Then one little hand popped up.

“I’M OKAY!”

John started laughing.

Lina jumped out of the car.

The cold hit her immediately.

“OH MY GOSH!”

She pulled her coat tighter.

“This is freezing!”

“It’s snow,” Nellie said, climbing out behind her. “That’s generally how it works.”

Zoe scrambled back to her feet and ran toward Grandma Lura.

Grandma wrapped her in a huge hug.

“My Zoe!”

“GRANDMA!”

Grandpa Joe opened his arms.

“What about me?”

Zoe ran straight into him.

“GRANDPA!”

Soon everyone was hugging everyone.

Lina hugged Grandma Lura.

John shook Grandpa Joe’s hand and immediately got pulled into a hug anyway.

Nellie complained that snow was getting in her boots.

Jake started unloading luggage.

Emily told everyone to help.

Nobody helped.

At least not immediately.

For a few minutes, everyone just stood outside talking while the snow fell around them.

Then Grandpa Joe clapped his hands.

“Everybody inside before you freeze!”

That got them moving.

John opened the back of the car.

And stared.

Suitcases.

Bags.

Presents.

More bags.

More presents.

A cooler.

Three pillows.

A box Emily had specifically told everyone not to crush.

And somehow, one single shoe.

John picked it up.

“Whose shoe is this?”

Nellie looked at it.

“Mine.”

“Where’s the other one?”

“In my suitcase.”

John stared at her.

“Why?”

“I got hot.”

“It’s twenty-eight degrees.”

“In the car.”

John tossed the shoe toward her.

Nellie missed it.

It landed in the snow.

“JOHN!”

“What?!”

“My shoe!”

“You were supposed to catch it!”

“I wasn’t ready!”

Lina walked past them carrying two bags.

“Merry Christmas.”

“Shut up, Lina.”

Inside, Grandma Lura’s house was exactly what Lina remembered.

Warm.

Bright.

And completely covered in Christmas.

Garland wrapped around the staircase.

Christmas music played from the kitchen.

Stockings hung above the fireplace.

Red bows were everywhere.

And in the living room stood an enormous Christmas tree glowing with hundreds of tiny lights.

Zoe stopped in the doorway.

“Ohhhhhhh.”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“You like it?”

Zoe slowly nodded.

“It’s beautiful.”

For once, she wasn’t yelling.

She just stared at it.

Then she smiled.

“Mr. Sparkles is going to LOVE this.”

Lina smiled.

“Definitely.”

Zoe took another step.

Then stopped.

Her smile disappeared.

Lina noticed immediately.

“What?”

Zoe didn’t answer.

Her eyes got bigger.

“Zoe?”

Zoe looked down at her empty hands.

Then she looked behind herself.

Then under the little table by the door.

Then back toward the front door.

“Where’s Mr. Sparkles?”

Lina froze.

“Oh.”

Zoe’s face changed.

“Where. Is. Mr. Sparkles?”

John walked into the room carrying three bags.

“What’s happening?”

“Mr. Sparkles,” Lina said.

John stopped.

“Oh no.”

Nellie walked in.

“What?”

“Zoe can’t find Mr. Sparkles.”

Nellie’s eyes widened.

“Oh NO.”

Everyone knew this was bad.

Very bad.

Zoe spun around.

“MOM!”

Emily walked in carrying presents.

“What?”

“WHERE IS MR. SPARKLES?!”

Emily stopped.

“I thought you had him.”

Zoe stared at her.

“No.”

“I saw you with him this morning.”

“I put him on my bed while I got my coat!”

The room went silent.

Lina slowly covered her mouth.

John put down the bags.

Nellie whispered, “She left him.”

Zoe’s eyes became enormous.

“I LEFT MR. SPARKLES AT HOME?!”

Nobody answered.

That was answer enough.

Zoe gasped.

Then screamed.

“MR. SPARKLES IS HOME ALONE!”

Grandpa Joe looked confused.

“Who’s Mr. Sparkles?”

Everyone turned toward him.

Zoe looked horrified.

“You don’t know Mr. Sparkles?!”

Grandma Lura quickly touched Grandpa Joe’s arm.

“The unicorn, Joe.”

“Oh! The unicorn.”

“THE unicorn,” Zoe corrected.

“Yes. The unicorn.”

Zoe began pacing around the living room.

“He’s all alone.”

“Zoe—” Emily began.

“He’s probably scared.”

“He’s a stuffed animal,” John said.

Lina immediately elbowed him.

“OW!”

“Not helping.”

Zoe looked like she might cry.

“He’s never missed Christmas.”

Emily knelt beside her.

“Sweetie, it’s okay. We’ll figure something out.”

“How?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“But he’s FOUR HOURS AWAY.”

Nobody had an answer for that.

Outside, the snow was falling even harder.

Grandpa Joe looked through the window.

“Well, nobody’s driving back tonight.”

Zoe’s mouth dropped open.

“TONIGHT?!”

“Definitely not in this weather.”

Zoe stared at the snow.

Five minutes ago, it had been magical.

Now it was the enemy.

“This is the worst snow ever.”

Lina put an arm around her.

“We’ll figure it out.”

Zoe leaned against her.

“But Christmas without Mr. Sparkles isn’t Christmas.”

John looked at Lina.

Lina looked at Nellie.

Nellie looked at Emily.

They had barely arrived.

They hadn’t unpacked.

They hadn’t eaten dinner.

They hadn’t even been inside Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe’s house for ten minutes.

And already, there was a crisis.

Outside, the snow continued falling.

Inside, the Christmas tree twinkled.

Grandma Lura’s house smelled like cinnamon and cookies.

Everything looked perfect.

Everything felt like Christmas.

Except for one very important thing.

Mr. Sparkles was four hours away.

Zoe stared sadly at the Christmas tree.

“This is not merry.”

Lina sighed.

No.

It definitely wasn’t.

By the next morning, Grandma Lura’s house looked like it had been swallowed by snow.

The yard was completely white.

The cars were covered.

Grandpa Joe’s giant inflatable snowman had fallen over during the night and was now lying face-first in the snow.

John stared out the window.

“Well. He had a good life.”

Grandpa Joe walked up behind him.

“He’s fine.”

“He looks dead.”

“He’s resting.”

“He’s face-down in six inches of snow.”

“RESTING.”

John slowly backed away.

Meanwhile, Zoe was sitting at the kitchen table looking absolutely miserable.

She hadn’t stopped talking about Mr. Sparkles since last night.

“He’s probably wondering where I am.”

Nellie poured herself some orange juice.

“He’s probably exactly where you left him.”

Zoe glared at her.

“That was rude.”

“That was factual.”

“He has feelings.”

“He has stuffing.”

“NELLIE.”

Grandma Lura walked into the kitchen carrying a giant stack of pancakes.

“Good morning!”

“Morning,” Lina said.

Zoe sighed.

“Not really.”

Grandma Lura put a pancake on Zoe’s plate.

“I made you a snowman.”

Zoe stared at it.

It had blueberry eyes and a whipped-cream hat.

“Mr. Sparkles likes blueberries.”

Nellie closed her eyes.

“Oh my gosh.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re being mean because you don’t understand love.”

Nellie nearly spit out her orange juice.

“LOVE?”

“Yes.”

“With a stuffed unicorn?”

“Yes.”

“Zoe, yesterday you left the love of your life sitting on your bed.”

Zoe gasped.

“It was an ACCIDENT.”

“Sounds like a toxic relationship.”

Lina burst out laughing.

“Nellie!”

“What?”

“You cannot tell a seven-year-old that she has a toxic relationship with a unicorn.”

“I just did.”

Zoe stabbed her pancake with a fork.

“I don’t like you today.”

“That’s okay.”

“I might like you tomorrow.”

“That’s beautiful.”

Lina shook her head.

Christmas morning at Grandma Lura’s house was going wonderfully.

And it wasn’t even Christmas morning.

After breakfast, Grandma Lura brought out a huge pad of paper.

“All right, everybody. Christmas lists.”

Nellie immediately sat up.

“Finally.”

John looked suspicious.

“Why do we need Christmas lists? Christmas is almost here.”

“So I can make sure everyone has what they need,” Grandma Lura said.

“I need money,” John said.

Grandma Lura pointed toward the door.

“You can go help your grandfather shovel snow.”

“I suddenly don’t need anything.”

Grandma Lura handed everyone a piece of paper.

Lina grabbed a pen.

Nellie grabbed two.

“Why do you need two pens?” Lina asked.

“In case one dies.”

“It’s a pen.”

“I’m prepared.”

Lina looked at Nellie’s paper.

Nellie already had twelve things written down.

“How did you do that so fast?”

“I’ve been thinking about this since October.”

“Of course you have.”

Nellie covered her list.

“Stop looking.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You were.”

“I saw ‘boots.’”

“Those are private boots.”

Lina stared at her.

“What does that even mean?”

“It means stop reading my list.”

Across the table, Zoe had written one thing.

MR. SPARKLES.

Then underneath it:

MR. SPARKLES.

Then:

MR. SPARKLES.

And once more:

MR. SPARKLES.

Lina leaned over.

“Interesting list.”

“I don’t want anything else.”

“You wrote him four times.”

“So people understand.”

Grandma Lura looked over Zoe’s shoulder.

“We’ll see what we can do.”

Zoe sighed dramatically.

“No one can replace him.”

Nellie looked at Lina.

Lina whispered, “This is going to be a long day.”

Then Lina suddenly had an idea.

She pulled out her phone.

“What are you doing?” Nellie asked.

“Texting Lana.”

Nellie immediately leaned over.

“What are you saying?”

“Why are you reading my texts?”

“Because I’m interested.”

“You were just yelling at me for looking at your Christmas list.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

“Because that was mine.”

Lina rolled her eyes.

She typed:

You should come spend Christmas with us.

A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.

Lana answered almost immediately.

YES.

Then another message.

WAIT SERIOUSLY???

Then another.

I’M PACKING.

Lina laughed.

“Lana’s coming.”

Zoe’s head shot up.

“LANA?!”

“Yep.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

Zoe jumped out of her chair.

“THIS CHRISTMAS IS SAVED!”

Nellie stared at her.

“Five seconds ago you said Christmas couldn’t exist without Mr. Sparkles.”

“Things change.”

“Apparently very quickly.”

Lana arrived that afternoon.

And Lana did not arrive quietly.

A car pulled into the snowy driveway, and Lina ran to the front window.

“She’s here!”

Zoe ran behind her.

Nellie walked over considerably slower.

“I’m not running.”

“No one asked you to.”

“I just wanted everyone to know.”

Lina threw open the front door.

Lana stepped out of the car wearing a purple coat, fuzzy white boots, and a matching purple scarf.

She had a suitcase in one hand.

And a shopping bag in the other.

“LINA!”

“LANA!”

They ran toward each other and hugged.

Nellie stood in the doorway.

“Why do people always scream each other’s names when they can clearly see each other?”

Lina turned around.

“NELLIE!”

“Stop.”

Lana laughed.

Then Zoe appeared.

“LANA!”

“Hi, Zoe!”

Zoe ran over and hugged her.

Lana smiled.

“I brought you something.”

Zoe froze.

“For me?”

“Yep.”

“What?”

Lana held up the shopping bag.

Zoe’s eyes widened.

“Is it candy?”

“No.”

“A puppy?”

“No.”

“A pony?”

“It’s a shopping bag, Zoe.”

“A tiny pony?”

Lana laughed.

“Open it.”

Zoe grabbed the bag.

Everyone watched.

She reached inside.

And froze.

Her mouth fell open.

Slowly, Zoe pulled out a brand-new stuffed unicorn.

It was fluffy.

Bright.

Clean.

Sparkly.

Its rainbow mane was perfect.

Its horn glittered.

Its fur was so white it practically glowed.

Zoe stared at it.

Then she screamed.

“MR. SPARKLES!”

Lina blinked.

“Wait.”

Zoe hugged the new unicorn.

“MR. SPARKLES!”

Nellie looked confused.

“I thought Mr. Sparkles was at home.”

Zoe held the new unicorn out in front of her.

“This is NEW Mr. Sparkles.”

Lana smiled.

“I saw him and thought of you.”

Zoe hugged Lana.

“I LOVE HIM.”

Lina crossed her arms.

“Okay, hold on.”

Nobody listened.

Zoe was examining New Mr. Sparkles.

“He’s so soft.”

She rubbed his fur against her cheek.

“And his horn is sparkly!”

She held him up.

“And LOOK at his mane!”

Nellie started laughing.

“Oh no.”

Lina looked at her.

“What?”

“Old Mr. Sparkles is in trouble.”

Zoe suddenly stopped.

Everyone looked at her.

A strange expression appeared on her face.

She slowly looked at New Mr. Sparkles.

Then she looked toward the snowy window.

Then back at New Mr. Sparkles.

“I have decided something.”

Lina immediately became concerned.

“What?”

“When we get home…”

Zoe paused dramatically.

“I’m going to behead Old Mr. Sparkles.”

Silence.

Complete.

Total.

Silence.

Lana’s mouth dropped open.

Nellie slowly lowered her phone.

Grandma Lura stopped walking through the room.

John looked up from the couch.

Even Grandpa Joe stopped messing with the fireplace.

Lina blinked.

“Excuse me?”

Zoe hugged New Mr. Sparkles.

“Old Mr. Sparkles is two years old.”

“So?”

“He’s ugly.”

Nellie made a choking noise.

Lana covered her mouth.

Zoe continued.

“His fur is weird. His mane is crunchy. His horn bends sideways.”

Lina stared at her.

“Zoe?”

“Yes?”

“Um…”

Lina pointed toward her.

“Weren’t you JUST saying you were going to DIE without your original Mr. Sparkles?”

Zoe stared at her.

“Yeah.”

Lina waited.

Everyone waited.

Zoe tossed her hair back.

“But I’m a big girlllll.”

Nellie immediately started laughing.

Zoe continued.

“I have changed.”

Lina stared at her.

“You changed since breakfast?!”

“Yes.”

“That was six hours ago!”

“I grew.”

“YOU DID NOT GROW!”

“I grew emotionally.”

Nellie fell backward onto the couch laughing.

“I CAN’T.”

Lana was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.

John shook his head.

“This family is insane.”

Zoe held New Mr. Sparkles proudly.

“He’s my future.”

Lina pointed toward the stairs.

“Yesterday you were mourning Old Mr. Sparkles like he had been lost at sea!”

“That was yesterday.”

“IT WAS LAST NIGHT.”

“People change, Lina.”

“You’re SEVEN!”

Grandma Lura covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Grandpa Joe wasn’t even trying.

He was laughing so hard he had to sit down.

Zoe looked around the room.

“I don’t understand why everyone is being dramatic.”

Nellie sat back up.

“YOU JUST ANNOUNCED AN EXECUTION.”

“He’s old!”

“He’s TWO!”

“In unicorn years, that’s probably like eighty.”

Lina looked at Lana.

“Why did you bring that thing here?”

Lana shrugged.

“I thought I was helping.”

“You’ve created a monster.”

Zoe gasped.

“Don’t call New Mr. Sparkles a monster.”

“I WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU.”

“Oh.”

Zoe thought about that.

“That’s okay.”

Lina dropped onto the couch beside Nellie.

Nellie leaned toward her.

“You know what?”

“What?”

“I actually like New Mr. Sparkles.”

“Don’t encourage her.”

“He does look better.”

“NELLIE.”

“What? Old Mr. Sparkles looks like he’s been through a washing machine war.”

From across the room, Zoe pointed at Nellie.

“THANK YOU.”

Lina put her face in her hands.

Lana sat beside her.

“Merry Christmas?”

Lina looked up.

Zoe was dancing around the living room with New Mr. Sparkles.

Nellie was now helping her come up with reasons why Old Mr. Sparkles needed to “retire.”

John had gone back to pretending none of them existed.

Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe were still laughing.

And outside, the snow continued falling.

Lina looked at Lana.

“You’ve been here for twelve minutes.”

“I know.”

“Do you regret coming?”

Lana smiled.

“Absolutely not.”

Lina smiled back.

“Good.”

Then Zoe ran through the room holding New Mr. Sparkles above her head.

“OUT WITH THE OLD! IN WITH THE NEW!”

Lina closed her eyes.

Somewhere four hours away, Old Mr. Sparkles was sitting peacefully on Zoe’s bed.

He had absolutely no idea what was coming.

The next morning, Lina woke up to whispering.

Not normal whispering.

Suspicious whispering.

She opened one eye.

Zoe and Lana were sitting on the floor beside the bed.

New Mr. Sparkles was between them.

“What are you doing?” Lina mumbled.

Zoe jumped.

“NOTHING.”

Lina closed her eye again.

“Then do nothing quieter.”

“We have a problem,” Lana said.

Lina opened both eyes.

“What problem?”

Lana pointed at Zoe.

“She wants to rename New Mr. Sparkles.”

Lina sat up.

“What?”

Zoe crossed her arms.

“He deserves his own identity.”

“Yesterday you screamed ‘MR. SPARKLES’ when you opened the bag.”

“I was emotional.”

“You also announced you were going to behead the original.”

“I was also emotional.”

Lana nodded seriously.

“It was a big day.”

Lina stared at both of them.

“What are the new names?”

Zoe pulled out a piece of paper.

“Sparkles Junior.”

“No.”

“Sir Sparkles.”

“No.”

“Sparkleton.”

“No.”

“Sparkleberry.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Kevin.”

Lina paused.

“Kevin?”

Zoe shrugged.

“I like Kevin.”

Lana started laughing.

“You cannot replace Mr. Sparkles with Kevin,” Lina said.

“Why?”

“Because he’s a rainbow unicorn.”

“Kevin can be a rainbow unicorn.”

There was a knock on the door.

Nellie walked in without waiting for an answer.

“Why are we talking about Kevin?”

“New Mr. Sparkles,” Lana said.

Nellie stared at the unicorn.

“His name is Kevin now?”

“Maybe,” Zoe said.

Nellie nodded.

“I support Kevin.”

Lina threw herself backward onto the pillow.

“I hate Christmas.”

“You don’t hate Christmas,” Lana said.

“I hate this morning.”

It was only 8:14.

Downstairs, Grandma Lura was standing beside the

Christmas tree with her hands on her hips.

That was never a good sign.

The tree was beautiful.

It was also slightly crooked.

Nobody had noticed the night before.

Grandma Lura had.

“Joe.”

Grandpa Joe looked up from his coffee.

“Yes?”

“The tree is leaning.”

Grandpa Joe looked at it.

“No, it isn’t.”

“Joe.”

He looked again.

“A little.”

“It’s leaning.”

Jake walked into the room.

He tilted his head.

“It is definitely leaning.”

Grandpa Joe frowned.

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am. But the tree isn’t.”

John walked in next.

Everyone looked at him.

He stopped.

“Why is everyone staring at the tree?”

“It’s leaning,” Grandma Lura said.

John looked.

“Yep.”

Grandpa Joe threw his hands up.

“Apparently everybody is a tree expert this morning.”

Emily came around the corner carrying a basket of laundry.

“What’s happening?”

“The tree is leaning.”

She looked.

“Oh wow.”

Grandpa Joe sighed.

“I’m going outside.”

Before he could escape, Grandma Lura pointed at the tree.

“We need to fix it.”

Grandpa Joe slowly turned around.

“Today?”

“Today.”

That was when Lina, Lana, Nellie, and Zoe came downstairs.

Zoe was carrying New Mr. Sparkles.

Or Kevin.

Nobody was really sure anymore.

“What’s wrong with the tree?” Lina asked.

“Nothing,” Grandpa Joe said.

“It’s leaning,” everyone else said.

Grandpa Joe looked betrayed.

Grandma Lura clapped her hands.

“We’ll take the decorations off, straighten it, and decorate it again.”

John froze.

“No.”

Everyone looked at him.

“No?” Emily asked.

“We decorated that tree yesterday.”

“Yes.”

“And now we’re going to undecorate it?”

“Yes.”

“And then decorate it again?”

“Yes.”

John stared at everyone.

“That is insane.”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Christmas memories.”

John looked at Lina.

“Remember me as I was.”

Operation: Christmas Tree began at 9:03 a.m.

By 9:11, there had already been an argument.

“Those ornaments go in THIS box,” Nellie said.

Lina held up a red ornament.

“They’re all going back on the tree.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“What is the point?”

“Organization.”

“You’ve never organized anything in your life.”

Nellie gasped.

“Excuse me?”

“Your suitcase exploded yesterday.”

“My suitcase is organized.”

“You have a shoe in the bathroom.”

“I know where it is.”

“That does not make it organized.”

Lana sat cross-legged on the floor removing ornaments.

“I think you both make excellent points.”

“Stay out of this,” Lina and Nellie said together.

Lana smiled.

“Okay.”

Across the room, Zoe had been assigned the safest possible job.

Collect the candy canes.

Nothing breakable.

Nothing electrical.

Nothing requiring a ladder.

Just candy canes.

Grandma Lura had been extremely clear.

Zoe removed one candy cane.

Then ate it.

She removed another.

And ate that one too.

Lina noticed.

“Zoe!”

Zoe froze with half a candy cane sticking out of her mouth.

“What?”

“You’re supposed to collect them.”

“I am.”

“You’re eating them.”

“I’m collecting them in my stomach.”

Nellie turned around.

“That was actually pretty good.”

“Don’t encourage her!”

Grandma Lura appeared.

“Zoe, no more candy canes.”

Zoe sighed.

“Fine.”

She handed New Mr. Sparkles a candy cane.

Grandma Lura stared at her.

“What?”

“Mr. Sparkles isn’t eating one either.”

Zoe looked down at the unicorn.

“Sorry, buddy.”

By ten o’clock, the tree was bare.

Grandpa Joe and Jake crouched underneath it trying to

straighten the stand.

John stood nearby holding the tree.

“Left,” Grandpa Joe said.

John moved it left.

“Too far.”

John moved it right.

“Too far.”

John moved it left.

“Little right.”

John moved it right.

“Tiny bit left.”

John stopped.

“I’m going to let go.”

“DON’T LET GO.”

“Then PICK A DIRECTION.”

Grandpa Joe crawled out from underneath the tree.

“Okay. Let me look.”

Everyone stepped back.

The tree leaned right.

Grandpa Joe frowned.

“Interesting.”

John stared at him.

“Interesting?”

“Very interesting.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means it’s still leaning.”

“I KNOW IT’S STILL LEANING.”

Jake started laughing.

John pointed at him.

“You’re next.”

“Nope.”

Eventually, after another twenty minutes, three pieces of cardboard, one screwdriver, two arguments, and Grandpa Joe saying “I’ve got it” approximately fourteen times...

The tree stood straight.

Everyone stared.

Nobody moved.

Grandma Lura tilted her head.

“Is it leaning a little left now?”

Grandpa Joe walked out of the room.

“JOE!”

“I’M DONE.”

Now they had to decorate it.

Again.

Grandma Lura turned on Christmas music.

Emily brought out hot chocolate.

For about fifteen minutes, everything was actually peaceful.

Lana and Lina decorated one side together.

Nellie worked on the front.

John reluctantly handled the higher branches.

Zoe hung ornaments on the bottom.

Grandma Lura supervised.

Grandpa Joe watched from a chair.

“I like this job better,” he said.

“Joe, you can help,” Grandma Lura said.

“I already saved the tree.”

“You put cardboard under it.”

“Exactly.”

Lina held up a sparkly red ornament.

“Lana, here or higher?”

“Higher.”

“Here?”

“Little higher.”

“Here?”

“Perfect.”

Nellie looked over.

“No.”

Lina turned toward her.

“What?”

“Too close to the gold one.”

“It’s fine.”

“It clashes.”

“They’re Christmas ornaments.”

“That doesn’t mean we abandon standards.”

Lana nodded.

“She has a point.”

Lina looked betrayed.

“You’re supposed to be my best friend.”

“I am. That’s why I’m telling you.”

Lina moved the ornament.

“There.”

Nellie smiled.

“Much better.”

“I hate both of you.”

“No, you don’t,” Lana said.

“No, I don’t.”

Zoe suddenly gasped.

Everyone turned.

She was holding something behind her back.

“What?” Lina asked.

“Nothing.”

“What did you break?”

“Nothing!”

“What are you hiding?”

“Nothing!”

Nellie walked toward her.

“Show us.”

“No.”

“Zoe.”

“No.”

“Zoe.”

“NO.”

Nellie lunged.

Zoe screamed and ran.

“GIVE IT TO ME!”

“NEVER!”

They raced around the couch.

“NO RUNNING!” Emily called.

Lina caught Zoe near the fireplace.

“Got you!”

“TRAITOR!”

Nellie grabbed whatever Zoe had been hiding.

She looked at it.

Then started laughing.

“What?” Lana asked.

Nellie held it up.

It was an ornament.

Except it wasn’t a Christmas ornament.

It was a tiny picture frame.

Inside was a photo of Zoe.

Lina stared.

“Where did you get that?”

“Grandma has a whole box of family ornaments.”

Zoe smiled proudly.

“I’m putting myself at the top.”

“What?”

“Near the star.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you cannot put yourself at the top of the Christmas tree.”

“Why not?”

“The star goes there.”

“I can go under the star.”

Nellie shook her head.

“You’re unbelievable.”

Zoe snatched the ornament back.

“I’m important.”

“So is everyone else.”

“Then they can put themselves up there too.”

“That isn’t how decorating works.”

“It could be.”

Zoe looked at the tree.

Then at her ornament.

Then at New Mr. Sparkles.

“I have an idea.”

Lina immediately pointed at her.

“No.”

“I didn’t say it yet!”

“I know you.”

“What if we put Mr. Sparkles at the top?”

“No.”

“Under the star?”

“No.”

“Hanging from the star?”

“NO.”

“Riding the star?”

“ZOE.”

“Fine.”

By noon, the tree was almost finished.

Again.

And somehow, it looked even better.

Grandma Lura dimmed the lights.

Grandpa Joe plugged in the tree.

It glowed.

Everyone stood back.

“Okay,” Lina said. “That looks really good.”

“It does,” Lana agreed.

Nellie nodded.

“I fixed it.”

Lina turned toward her.

“YOU fixed it?”

“I supervised.”

“Grandma supervised.”

“I supervised Grandma.”

Grandma Lura laughed.

John collapsed onto the couch.

“I never want to see another Christmas ornament.”

Zoe climbed beside him with New Mr. Sparkles.

“You love Christmas.”

“I used to.”

Zoe held the unicorn up to John’s face.

“Kevin loves Christmas.”

John slowly turned toward her.

“His name is Kevin now?”

“Maybe.”

John got up.

“I’m going outside.”

That afternoon, the snow finally slowed down.

Lina and Lana sat near the window drinking hot chocolate.

Nellie was stretched across the other couch scrolling through her phone.

Zoe was on the floor playing with New Mr. Sparkles.

For the first time all day, the house was quiet.

Lana looked around.

“This is actually really nice.”

Lina smiled.

“Yeah.”

Nellie looked up.

“I give it ten minutes.”

“Why?” Lina asked.

“Because something always happens.”

“Nothing has to happen.”

Nellie raised an eyebrow.

“We’re with your family.”

“You’re basically part of my family.”

“Exactly. That’s why I know.”

Lana laughed.

Zoe suddenly stood up.

“I made my Christmas list!”

Lina sighed.

“Here we go.”

Zoe unfolded a piece of paper.

It was almost as tall as she was.

Nellie sat up.

“WHAT?”

“You said you only wanted Mr. Sparkles this morning!”

“That was before I thought about it.”

Lina grabbed the top of the paper.

“Zoe, there are like fifty things on here.”

“Forty-three.”

“FORTY-THREE?”

“I narrowed it down.”

Lana covered her mouth.

Nellie grabbed the list.

“Let me see this.”

She started reading.

“Glitter pens. Purple boots. A karaoke machine. A giant stuffed donut. Slime. A snow-cone machine—”

“That’s important,” Zoe said.

“Roller skates. A disco ball?”

“For my room.”

“A microphone?”

“For my singing career.”

“You don’t have a singing career.”

“Not yet.”

Nellie continued.

“A hamster.”

Emily called from the kitchen.

“NO HAMSTER.”

Zoe yelled back.

“YOU DIDN’T EVEN READ MY REASONS!”

“I DON’T NEED TO.”

Nellie kept reading.

“Another unicorn?”

Zoe nodded.

“Kevin needs a friend.”

Lina looked at New Mr. Sparkles.

“I thought his name wasn’t officially Kevin.”

“It’s complicated.”

Then Nellie stopped.

Her expression changed.

“Oh.”

“What?” Lina asked.

Nellie looked at Zoe.

“You put Old Mr. Sparkles on here.”

Lina grabbed the list.

Sure enough, near the bottom, written in Zoe’s giant handwriting:

BRING ORIGINAL MR. SPARKLES HERE.

Lina slowly looked at Zoe.

Zoe suddenly became very interested in the carpet.

“Awwww,” Lana said.

“Don’t,” Zoe said.

“You miss him.”

“No.”

“You totally miss him,” Lina said.

“No.”

Nellie grinned.

“What happened to ‘out with the old, in with the new’?”

Zoe crossed her arms.

“I can have two.”

“What happened to beheading him?”

“I have reconsidered.”

Lina started laughing.

“Yesterday you were a big girlllll who had changed.”

“I changed again.”

Nellie fell backward laughing.

Lana hugged Zoe.

Zoe tried to escape.

“GET OFF.”

“You love Old Mr. Sparkles!”

“I love BOTH Mr. Sparkles!”

Lina smiled.

“There she is.”

Zoe grabbed New Mr. Sparkles and stomped toward the stairs.

“I don’t like any of you.”

“Love you too!” Lina called.

Zoe stopped halfway up.

“And his name is NOT Kevin!”

John shouted from somewhere upstairs.

“THANK GOD.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

But about twenty minutes later, Lina noticed something.

Zoe and Nellie were missing.

That was unusual.

More importantly, it was quiet.

Way too quiet.

Lina looked at Lana.

“Where are Zoe and Nellie?”

Lana glanced around.

“I don’t know.”

A giggle came from the hallway.

Then another.

Lina stood up.

“Oh no.”

She and Lana followed the sound.

At the end of the hallway, Zoe and Nellie were sitting on

the floor surrounded by paper, markers, tape, string, two flashlights, a bag of marshmallows, and New Mr. Sparkles.

“What are you two doing?” Lina asked.

Zoe immediately threw herself over the papers.

“NOTHING.”

Nellie shoved a marker behind her back.

“Private meeting.”

Lina crossed her arms.

“Since when are you two having private meetings?”

“Since now,” Nellie said.

Zoe sat up proudly.

“We’re a duo.”

Nellie nodded.

“We need a name.”

Lana sat down beside them.

“Oh, I want to hear this.”

Zoe thought hard.

“The Zo-Nellies.”

“No,” Nellie said.

“Nell-Zoes.”

“Worse.”

“The Z&N Christmas Investigators.”

Nellie considered it.

“Too professional.”

Zoe gasped.

“I GOT IT.”

Everyone waited.

“The Snow Sisters.”

Nellie stared at her.

“We’re actual sisters, so…”

“EXACTLY.”

Nellie thought about it.

Then nodded.

“Okay. The Snow Sisters.”

Zoe stuck out her hand.

Nellie shook it.

“The Snow Sisters.”

Lina looked at Lana.

“This is going to end badly.”

“Definitely,” Lana whispered.

Zoe grabbed a red marker.

“Okay, Nellie. Operation Snow Sisters.”

“Operation what?”

Zoe leaned closer.

“We are going to catch Santa.”

Nellie stared at her.

“Catch Santa?”

“YES.”

Nellie blinked.

“How are we gonna do that?”

Zoe pointed toward the papers.

“With a plan.”

Grandma Lura appeared in the hallway.

“Girls, are you—”

“Grandma, wait, I’m talking. Please wait.”

Everyone froze.

Grandma Lura raised her eyebrows.

Zoe looked at her.

“Please?”

Grandma Lura tried not to laugh.

“Okay. Finish.”

“Thank you.”

Zoe turned back toward Nellie like she was conducting an extremely serious business meeting.

“We catch Santa. We get proof. Pictures. Video. Maybe a piece of his beard.”

Lina’s mouth dropped open.

“YOU ARE NOT CUTTING SANTA’S BEARD.”

“Fine. No beard.”

Nellie stared at Zoe.

Then slowly started laughing.

“What?” Zoe asked.

“Girl.”

“What?”

“You’re seven.”

“So?”

“Don’t you know Santa is fake?”

Everything stopped.

Lina’s eyes widened.

Lana’s eyes widened.

Grandma Lura’s eyes REALLY widened.

Zoe stared at Nellie.

“What did you just say?”

Nellie shrugged.

“Santa isn’t real.”

Zoe gasped so loudly it sounded like somebody had sucked all the oxygen out of the hallway.

“YES HE IS.”

Nellie shook her head.

“Zoe.”

“Santa is TOTALLY real.”

“Girl, I’m ten. You’re seven. Do you not understand?”

Zoe stood up.

“Well, I’m almost EIGHT.”

Nellie stared at her.

“That doesn’t help your argument.”

“Yes it does.”

“How?”

“Because I’m older than seven.”

“You’re still seven!”

“ALMOST EIGHT.”

Lina covered her face.

Lana was trying desperately not to laugh.

Zoe pointed directly at Nellie.

“Santa is real, and we’re gonna catch him, and we’re gonna prove to EVERYONE that he’s real.”

Nellie raised an eyebrow.

“Everyone?”

“EVERYONE.”

“What happens when we don’t catch him?”

“We will.”

“But—”

“We. WILL.”

Nellie looked down at the papers.

Then at Zoe.

Then at New Mr. Sparkles.

A tiny smile appeared.

“Okay.”

Lina’s head snapped up.

“Wait. You’re agreeing to this?”

Nellie shrugged.

“I want to see what happens.”

“That is a terrible reason.”

“It’s a great reason.”

Zoe grabbed Nellie’s hands.

“SNOW SISTERS?”

Nellie grinned.

“Snow Sisters.”

Zoe screamed.

“OPERATION CATCH SANTA IS ON!”

Grandma Lura finally stepped forward.

“Can I talk now?”

Zoe looked up.

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

Grandma Lura looked at the papers scattered everywhere.

“What exactly is the plan?”

Zoe smiled.

“Secret.”

Grandma Lura looked at Nellie.

Nellie smiled.

“Very secret.”

Then Grandma Lura looked at Lina.

Lina shook her head.

“Don’t look at me. I just found them.”

Zoe grabbed the papers and started stacking them.

“Come on, Nellie. We have work to do.”

Nellie grabbed the flashlights.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere Lina can’t spy on us.”

“I WASN’T SPYING!”

Zoe and Nellie ran upstairs.

“NO RUNNING!” Emily called from somewhere in the house.

“SORRY!”

Lina stood in the hallway staring after them.

Lana walked beside her.

“So…”

“Yep.”

“The Snow Sisters are trying to catch Santa.”

“Yep.”

“And one of the Snow Sisters doesn’t believe Santa exists.”

“Yep.”

“And the other one thinks she’s going to prove Santa exists.”

“Yep.”

Lana took a sip of hot chocolate.

“This is going to be amazing.”

Lina looked toward the stairs.

From upstairs came Zoe’s voice.

“NELLIE! WE NEED A NET!”

Then Nellie yelled back:

“WHY DO WE NEED A NET?!”

“FOR SANTA!”

Lina closed her eyes.

“We’re all going to die.”

Lana smiled.

“But Christmas will be interesting.”

That much was definitely true.

Because upstairs, the Snow Sisters had officially begun planning Operation Catch Santa.

And Christmas Eve was getting closer.

By Saturday afternoon, Grandma Lura had made a terrible mistake.

She had announced gingerbread houses.

Not one gingerbread house.

Not two.

Four.

Four gingerbread houses sat in boxes across the kitchen table, surrounded by bowls of candy, tubes of frosting, sprinkles, gumdrops, peppermint sticks, marshmallows, chocolate pieces, and enough sugar to keep Zoe awake until February.

Grandma Lura stood proudly at the end of the table.

“Okay! Everybody gets into teams.”

John immediately stood up.

“No.”

Grandma Lura looked at him.

“No?”

“I don't participate in competitive gingerbread.”

“It isn't competitive.”

John looked around the room.

Lina was already inspecting the boxes.

Nellie was sorting candy.

Zoe had stuffed three gumdrops into her mouth.

Lana was reading the instructions.

Jake was trying to steal a peppermint.

Grandpa Joe had somehow gotten frosting on his sleeve before they had even opened anything.

John looked back at Grandma Lura.

“This is absolutely going to become competitive.”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Sit down.”

John sat down.

Emily started assigning teams.

“Lina and Lana can work together.”

Lana immediately high-fived Lina.

“Yes!”

“Nellie and Zoe.”

Nellie looked horrified.

“Why?”

Zoe looked equally offended.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You're sisters,” Emily said.

“That's exactly why,” Nellie replied.

“And John can work with Grandpa Joe.”

Grandpa Joe looked at John.

John looked at Grandpa Joe.

“We're winning,” Grandpa Joe said.

John nodded.

“Obviously.”

Jake looked around.

“What about me?”

Emily handed him the fourth gingerbread house.

“You're with me.”

Jake smiled.

“Power couple.”

Emily stared at him.

“Build the house.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Lina dumped their gingerbread pieces onto the table.

“Okay,” she said. “We need a plan.”

Lana opened the frosting.

“I have a plan.”

“What?”

“Make it cute.”

“That isn't a plan.”

“It's an excellent plan.”

Lana grabbed a peppermint stick.

“We could do a candy-cane walkway.”

Lina's eyes lit up.

“Wait. Yes.”

“And gumdrops around the roof.”

“Yes.”

“And little marshmallow snowmen!”

“YES.”

John looked over from the other side of the table.

“You know you have to make the house stand up first, right?”

Lina looked at him.

“Yes, John.”

“Just checking.”

“We know how to build a gingerbread house.”

“Do you?”

Lina narrowed her eyes.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

John shrugged.

“Nothing.”

Lana looked from Lina to John.

Then back to Lina.

Lina squeezed frosting onto one wall.

“I know what you're doing.”

John frowned.

“What am I doing?”

“You're trying to act like you're better at this.”

“I am better at this.”

“You haven't even built yours!”

Grandpa Joe held up two walls.

“We're making progress.”

Lina pointed at them.

“THAT is progress?”

John looked at Grandpa Joe’s crooked walls.

“Don't look over here.”

Lana slowly took a gumdrop from the bowl.

She was already enjoying this.

Lina pressed two walls together.

“There.”

One wall immediately fell over.

John saw it.

Lina saw John see it.

“Don't.”

John smiled.

“I didn't say anything.”

“You were going to.”

“I wasn't.”

“You made a face.”

“I have a face.”

“You made a specific face.”

“What face?”

“That annoying face.”

John laughed.

“I can't control how my face looks.”

“You absolutely can!”

Lana quietly ate her gumdrop.

This was better than television.

At the other end of the table, Zoe and Nellie were supposed to be building their gingerbread house.

They were not.

Zoe had placed a piece of paper underneath the table.

Across the top, written in giant red letters, were the words:

OPERATION CATCH SANTA

Nellie leaned down.

“Why are we doing this now?”

“Because everyone is distracted.”

“With gingerbread?”

“Exactly.”

Nellie sighed.

“Zoe, I'm telling you right now, we're not catching Santa.”

“Yes we are.”

“No, we're not.”

“Yes. We. ARE.”

“He isn't real.”

Zoe gasped.

“Don't say that where he can hear you!”

Nellie stared at her.

“Where WHO can hear me?”

Zoe pointed upward.

“Santa.”

“He's at the North Pole now?”

“He has ways.”

Nellie blinked.

“Okay.”

Zoe pulled out another piece of paper.

“I made a list.”

Nellie groaned.

“Not another list.”

“Things we need to catch Santa.”

She started reading.

“Cameras.”

“Okay.”

“Flashlights.”

“Okay.”

“Cookies.”

“Obviously.”

“Milk.”

“Fine.”

“Rope.”

Nellie stopped.

“Why rope?”

“In case we have to tie him up.”

Nellie's mouth dropped open.

“We are NOT kidnapping Santa.”

“We're not kidnapping him.”

“What do you call tying somebody up in your grandparents' living room?”

“Proof.”

Nellie stared at her.

“Zoe.”

“What?”

“You need help.”

Zoe smiled.

“That's why you're on my team.”

Nellie tried not to laugh.

Her goal was simple.

Let Zoe set up her ridiculous plan.

Wait until Christmas Eve.

Let absolutely nothing happen.

And finally prove that Santa wasn't real.

Zoe's goal was also simple.

Catch Santa.

Take a picture.

Show Nellie.

Win forever.

Neither sister was planning to give up.

“LANA!”

Everyone jumped.

Lana froze with a tube of frosting in her hand.

“What?!”

Lina pointed at the gingerbread roof.

“Too much!”

“I barely put any on!”

“The roof is sliding!”

Sure enough, one side of their roof was slowly slipping downward.

Lana grabbed it.

“I GOT IT!”

Lina grabbed the other side.

“Hold it!”

“I AM!”

“Straight!”

“I'M TRYING!”

John looked over.

“Oh, that's bad.”

Lina snapped her head around.

“NOBODY ASKED YOU.”

“I'm just saying.”

“DON'T.”

Grandpa Joe whispered, “John.”

“What?”

“Maybe don't poke the bear.”

“I didn't do anything!”

Lina glared.

“You've been commenting on our house for twenty minutes!”

“Because your house is collapsing!”

“It is NOT collapsing.”

The roof slid another inch.

Lana looked at it.

Then at Lina.

Then at John.

“I feel like maybe we should acknowledge that it is slightly collapsing.”

“LANA!”

“I'm sorry!”

John started laughing.

Lina pointed at him.

“You think you're so good at this?”

“No.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I think Grandpa and I are good at this.”

Grandpa Joe's wall fell over.

John stared at it.

Grandpa Joe stared at it.

Lina crossed her arms.

“Oh?”

John pointed at Grandpa Joe.

“That was him.”

Grandpa Joe looked offended.

“You're throwing your own grandfather under the bus?”

“I have a reputation to protect.”

“What reputation?” Lina asked.

John turned toward her.

“The reputation of being better at gingerbread than you.”

Lina gasped.

“OH, IT'S ON.”

Lana slowly backed away from the table.

“No.”

Lina grabbed another frosting tube.

“Yes.”

“No, Lina.”

“Yes.”

“We were making a cute house.”

“We're making a WINNING house now.”

“There is no winner!”

“There is now.”

Grandma Lura looked over from the kitchen counter.

“I said this wasn't a competition!”

Nobody listened.

Twenty minutes later, the kitchen looked like a bakery had exploded.

Lina and Lana's house had become enormous.

They had a marshmallow snow family.

A candy-cane walkway.

A gumdrop roof.

A chocolate chimney.

Two pretzel trees.

And something Lana claimed was a frozen pond.

“It looks like blue frosting,” John said.

Lina spun around.

“STOP LOOKING AT OUR HOUSE.”

“I can see it from here!”

“THEN LOOK AWAY.”

Lana stared between them.

“What is happening?”

“This is how they communicate,” Nellie said.

Lana looked at her.

“Seriously?”

“Unfortunately.”

John held up his gingerbread house.

His actually looked pretty good.

Lina stared at it.

“How?”

John smiled.

“Talent.”

“Grandpa Joe built that.”

“I assisted.”

Grandpa Joe laughed.

“He put on three gumdrops.”

“Strategically.”

Lina looked at Lana.

“We need more.”

“More WHAT?”

“Everything.”

“Lina, there is no more roof.”

“We'll add a second floor.”

Lana stared at her.

“To a gingerbread house?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Lina grabbed two gingerbread cookies.

“Engineering.”

John heard that.

“No.”

Lina looked at him.

“What?”

“You cannot build a second floor with cookies.”

“Watch me.”

“I don't want to watch you.”

“Then don't.”

“I can't stop.”

Lana looked at John.

Then at Lina.

Then at the cookie Lina was balancing on the roof.

“This is going to fall.”

“No, it isn't.”

“It definitely is.”

“Have some faith.”

“I have faith. Just not in frosting.”

Meanwhile, Zoe had finally remembered they were supposed to be building something.

“Nellie.”

“What?”

“We don't have a house.”

Nellie looked at their table.

They had two walls.

One was upside down.

“Oh.”

Grandma Lura walked past.

“Girls, how's your gingerbread house coming?”

Zoe immediately threw the Santa plans underneath the table.

“AMAZING.”

Grandma Lura looked at the two walls.

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

Nellie nodded.

“We're going minimalist.”

Grandma Lura stared at them for a second.

Then walked away.

Zoe whispered, “That was close.”

Nellie looked underneath the table.

“We have to hide these plans better.”

Zoe nodded.

“Where?”

Nellie thought.

Then she looked at the gingerbread house.

“No.”

Zoe followed her eyes.

Her face lit up.

“YES.”

“No.”

“We hide the Santa plans INSIDE the gingerbread house!”

“That's ridiculous.”

“It's genius.”

“It doesn't even have a roof.”

“We'll build one!”

And for the first time all afternoon, Nellie and Zoe actually started building.

Not because they cared about gingerbread.

Because their house was now a secret headquarters.

Lina's second floor lasted forty-three seconds.

Lana saw it happen first.

“Lina.”

“Don't touch it.”

“Lina.”

“It's drying.”

“Lina.”

“WHAT?”

The second floor tilted.

Lina's eyes widened.

“No.”

John looked over.

“Oh boy.”

“NO.”

One cookie slid.

“LINA!” Lana screamed.

“I SEE IT!”

Another cookie shifted.

“CATCH IT!”

“WITH WHAT?!”

“YOUR HANDS!”

Then everything happened at once.

The second floor collapsed.

It landed on the roof.

The roof collapsed.

The walls exploded outward.

The candy-cane walkway snapped.

The marshmallow snow family flew across the table.

One gumdrop landed in Grandpa Joe's coffee.

A pretzel tree hit John in the chest.

And a giant blob of blue frosting launched directly through the air.

Everyone watched it.

Lana ducked.

Lina ducked.

John did not.

SPLAT.

Blue frosting landed directly on John's shirt.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

John looked down.

Lina covered her mouth.

Lana's eyes widened.

Grandpa Joe whispered, “Oh no.”

John slowly looked up.

“Lina.”

“I didn't do it.”

“You built the second floor.”

“The HOUSE did it.”

“The house?”

“It collapsed!”

“Because YOU BUILT A SECOND FLOOR.”

Lina started laughing.

She tried not to.

She really did.

But then Lana started laughing.

And once Lana started, Lina completely lost it.

John stared at them.

“You think this is funny?”

Lina could barely breathe.

“Your—your shirt—”

“I KNOW.”

Lana pointed.

“There's a sprinkle on your shoulder.”

John looked.

There was.

That made Lina laugh even harder.

John grabbed the frosting tube.

Lina stopped.

“Don't.”

John smiled.

“John.”

He squeezed.

A tiny dot of frosting landed on Lina's nose.

Lina froze.

Lana gasped.

“Ohhhhh.”

Lina slowly wiped the frosting from her nose.

“Run.”

John ran.

“JOHN!”

Lina chased him around the kitchen.

“NO RUNNING!” Emily yelled.

“HE STARTED IT!”

“SHE DESTROYED MY SHIRT!”

“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!”

Grandma Lura put both hands over her face.

Grandpa Joe was laughing.

Jake had pulled out his phone.

“This is going in the family group chat.”

“DAD!” John yelled.

Then came another sound.

CRACK.

Everyone stopped.

Zoe and Nellie stared at their gingerbread house.

A tiny crack had appeared in one wall.

Zoe gasped.

“Our headquarters.”

Nellie grabbed the roof.

“Hold it!”

“I AM!”

The wall started leaning.

“No, no, no, no!”

Their secret Santa papers were inside.

Zoe screamed.

“SAVE THE EVIDENCE!”

“What evidence?!” Lina yelled.

“NOTHING!”

The wall collapsed.

The roof followed.

And dozens of pieces of paper spilled across the table.

One slid across the floor.

Right to John's feet.

He picked it up.

Zoe froze.

“Give me that.”

John looked at the paper.

At the top, in giant red letters, it said:

WAYS TO CATCH SANTA

John slowly looked at Zoe.

Then at Nellie.

Then back at the paper.

“What is this?”

“Nothing,” Nellie said.

“It literally says ‘Ways to Catch Santa.’”

Zoe grabbed for it.

John held it higher.

“JOHN!”

“You're trying to catch Santa?”

“GIVE IT BACK!”

John looked at Nellie.

“You're encouraging this?”

Nellie crossed her arms.

“No. I'm proving to her that Santa isn't real.”

Zoe gasped.

“HE IS REAL.”

John looked at Zoe.

Then at Nellie.

Then at the ropes, flashlights, and drawings scattered across the floor.

He handed the paper back.

“You know what?”

“What?” Zoe asked.

“I don't want to know.”

He walked away.

Zoe looked at Nellie.

“He's scared.”

“He's not scared.”

“He knows we're going to catch Santa.”

“He knows you're crazy.”

“Almost eight.”

“That has nothing to do with anything.”

By the time the gingerbread disaster was over, only one house was still standing.

Emily and Jake's.

Everyone stared at it.

It was simple.

Four walls.

One roof.

A few gumdrops.

Nothing fancy.

Nothing broken.

Jake smiled proudly.

“We won.”

Grandma Lura crossed her arms.

“There was no competition.”

Jake looked at the destruction around the kitchen.

Lina and Lana's house was rubble.

John and Grandpa Joe's house had somehow lost its chimney during the frosting fight.

Zoe and Nellie's secret headquarters had completely collapsed.

There was frosting on the table.

Frosting on the chairs.

Frosting on John.

Frosting on Lina.

And somehow frosting on the refrigerator.

Jake pointed at his perfectly standing house.

“We won.”

Grandma Lura sighed.

“Fine.”

Jake raised both arms.

“YES!”

Emily shook her head.

That night, Lina and Lana sat on the floor in their room.

Lana was still laughing.

“I can't believe you put a second floor on it.”

“It almost worked.”

“It lasted forty-three seconds.”

“That’s almost a minute.”

“No, it isn't.”

“It's close.”

Lana smiled.

“You and John fight a lot.”

Lina looked at her.

“We don't fight.”

Lana stared at her.

“Lina.”

“We disagree loudly.”

“You chased him around the kitchen with frosting.”

“He deserved it.”

“Why?”

“He put frosting on my nose.”

“After you launched blue frosting onto his shirt.”

“The gingerbread house launched it.”

Lana laughed.

“You're impossible.”

Lina smiled.

“I know.”

Down the hallway, Zoe and Nellie were having another secret meeting.

Zoe spread their crumpled Santa plans across the bed.

Nellie looked at them.

“Our headquarters lasted less than an hour.”

“That's okay.”

“Why?”

Zoe grabbed a marker.

“Because now we build Headquarters Number Two.”

Nellie groaned.

“Zoe.”

“What?”

“Santa isn't real.”

Zoe smiled.

“We'll see.”

Nellie smiled back.

“Oh, we will.”

The Snow Sisters shook hands.

The competition was officially on.

Nellie was going to prove there was no Santa.

Zoe was going to prove there was.

And downstairs, Grandma Lura stood in the destroyed kitchen staring at frosting on the ceiling.

“Joe?”

Grandpa Joe walked in.

“Yeah?”

Grandma Lura pointed upward.

Grandpa Joe looked at the ceiling.

There was a single red gumdrop stuck to it.

He stared at it.

Then at Grandma Lura.

“Christmas memories?”

Grandma Lura handed him a sponge.

“Start cleaning.”

The night before the Peterson family went Christmas shopping, Zoe was supposed to be asleep.

She was not.

She was lying in bed with New Mr. Sparkles tucked underneath her chin when she heard voices downstairs.

Normally, Zoe would have ignored them.

Actually, that was a lie.

Zoe ignored absolutely nothing.

She sat up.

Someone was talking in the kitchen.

John.

Zoe slipped out of bed.

“Come on,” she whispered to Mr. Sparkles.

She crept into the hallway.

The voices got clearer.

John was downstairs with Grandma Lura, Grandpa Joe, Emily, and Jake.

“I just want to make some money,” John was saying. “Like, I don't know. Maybe just a job for a day or something.”

Zoe froze.

A job?

Grandma Lura laughed.

“Well, why don't you be—”

The rest became too quiet to hear.

Zoe leaned farther over the railing.

“What?” she whispered.

Grandpa Joe said something.

Everyone laughed.

Then John said, “Seriously?”

More whispering.

Zoe leaned even farther.

The floor creaked.

She froze.

“Did you hear something?” Emily asked.

Zoe immediately dropped to the floor.

Silence.

“No,” Jake said.

Zoe crawled backward.

She was almost safely back to her room when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

She sprinted.

She dove into bed.

Pulled the blanket over herself.

Grabbed Mr. Sparkles.

Closed her eyes.

The door opened.

Zoe pretended to snore.

Very loudly.

John walked in.

He stared at her.

“Zoe.”

“HOOOOONK. SHOOOOOO.”

“Zoe.”

“HOOOOONK.”

“I know you're awake.”

Zoe opened one eye.

“No, I'm not.”

John stared at her.

“I just came to get my water.”

His glass was sitting on the dresser.

“Oh.”

John grabbed it.

Then stopped.

“Why are you wearing shoes?”

Zoe looked down.

She had forgotten to take them off.

“I sleep in shoes.”

“No, you don't.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You are so weird.”

“Thank you.”

John walked out.

Zoe waited until his footsteps disappeared.

Then she sat up.

Something was happening.

And Zoe was going to figure out what.

The next morning, Grandma Lura made an announcement over breakfast.

“Everybody get dressed. We're going Christmas shopping!”

There were mixed reactions.

Lana and Lina:

“YES!”

Zoe:

“CAN WE SEE SANTA?!”

Nellie:

“What stores?”

John:

“I’m not going.”

Zoe looked at him.

“What?”

“I have something else to do.”

Zoe narrowed her eyes.

“What?”

“Stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“John stuff.”

“What is John stuff?”

“Stuff that John does.”

“That is suspicious.”

John took another bite of cereal.

“Okay.”

Lina looked at him.

“You're really not coming?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

John shrugged.

“Busy.”

Zoe stared at him.

John stared back.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Zoe slowly ate a spoonful of cereal.

Very suspicious.

An hour later, Grandma Lura, Emily, Lina, Lana, Nellie,

and Zoe arrived at the mall.

The place was packed.

Absolutely packed.

Christmas music blasted through the speakers.

Garland hung from every railing.

Giant ornaments dangled from the ceiling.

People carried bags everywhere.

Children screamed.

Babies cried.

Someone was wearing light-up antlers.

And directly in the center of the mall was an enormous Christmas display.

Zoe stopped walking.

Her eyes widened.

“SANTA.”

There he was.

A huge red chair.

Fake snow.

Christmas trees.

Elves.

And Santa.

Zoe grabbed Nellie’s arm.

“SANTA!”

Nellie looked.

“Oh.”

“HE'S HERE.”

“Apparently.”

“We have to see him.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“YES.”

“I’m ten.”

“So?”

“I’m not sitting on Santa's lap.”

“You don't have to sit on his lap.”

“Good.”

“You can stand beside him.”

“No.”

“You can kneel.”

“WHY WOULD I KNEEL?”

Lina laughed.

“Just get in line with her.”

Nellie groaned.

“I hate all of you.”

Lana looked at the line.

It wrapped around the Christmas display.

Then around a giant fake tree.

Then almost to another store.

“That is a LOT of kids.”

Zoe smiled.

“Worth it.”

Nellie stared at her.

“You're going to wait an hour to see a man in a Santa costume?”

Zoe gasped.

“Santa is not a man in a Santa costume.”

Nellie raised an eyebrow.

“Okay.”

Zoe pointed at her.

“You're going to feel so stupid when I prove he's real.”

“I can't wait.”

Grandma Lura quickly interrupted.

“Shopping first.”

Zoe’s face fell.

“But Santa!”

“He'll still be here.”

“What if he leaves?”

“He won't.”

“How do you know?”

Grandma Lura paused.

“I just do.”

Zoe narrowed her eyes.

“Suspicious.”

Grandma Lura suddenly became very interested in a nearby store window.

The first store lasted eleven minutes.

Lina and Lana disappeared into the clothes section

almost immediately.

“Look at this!” Lana said.

She held up a sparkly purple sweater.

Lina stared at it.

“That is SO you.”

“I know.”

“You have to try it on.”

“I am.”

Lina grabbed another sweater.

“What about this?”

Lana looked horrified.

“No.”

“What?”

“No.”

“What's wrong with it?”

“It looks like something a Christmas elf would wear to court.”

Lina looked at the sweater.

Then back at Lana.

“That doesn't even make sense.”

“It doesn't need to.”

Across the store, Zoe had found hats.

She put on a giant fuzzy red one.

“NELLIE.”

Nellie looked over.

“No.”

“You didn't even see it!”

“I saw enough.”

Zoe put on another hat.

It had giant reindeer antlers.

“This one?”

“No.”

Another.

Christmas tree.

“No.”

Another.

Elf ears.

“No.”

Another.

A giant turkey.

Nellie stopped.

“Why is there a turkey hat at Christmas?”

“I don't know.”

“Buy that one.”

Zoe smiled.

“I knew you'd understand.”

Emily appeared.

“We are not buying a turkey hat.”

Zoe sighed.

“Nobody supports fashion.”

From across the store, Lana shouted:

“I DO!”

“THANK YOU, LANA!”

At the second store, Nellie found perfume.

At the third store, Lina and Lana spent twenty minutes looking at bracelets.

At the fourth store, Zoe disappeared.

Not actually disappeared.

But close enough.

Emily turned around.

“Where's Zoe?”

Everyone froze.

Lina looked left.

Lana looked right.

Nellie sighed.

“Oh my gosh.”

“ZOE?” Emily called.

Nothing.

“Zoe!”

Then they heard:

“OVER HERE!”

They followed the voice.

Zoe was sitting on the floor in the toy store surrounded by stuffed unicorns.

Lina stopped.

“Oh no.”

Zoe held up one unicorn.

“Mr. Sparkles needs a sister.”

“No,” Emily said.

Another unicorn.

“A cousin?”

“No.”

Another.

“An aunt?”

“No.”

Another.

“A therapist?”

Lana burst out laughing.

Emily stared at Zoe.

“Put them back.”

Zoe sighed.

“Mr. Sparkles has no support system.”

“He has YOU.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

Nellie actually laughed.

“Okay, that was funny.”

Zoe smiled proudly.

“Thank you.”

By lunchtime, everyone was carrying bags.

Except Zoe.

Zoe had somehow convinced everyone else to carry hers.

Lina noticed.

“Why am I holding your bag?”

“Because my arms hurt.”

“You're holding Mr. Sparkles.”

“He weighs almost nothing.”

“Then put him in the bag.”

Zoe gasped.

“You want me to put him in a BAG?”

“Yes.”

“With RECEIPTS?”

“Yes.”

“With CLOTHES?”

“Yes.”

“You're sick.”

Lina handed Zoe the shopping bag.

“Carry your stuff.”

Zoe groaned.

“Christmas shopping is exhausting.”

“You've bought two things.”

“Exactly.”

Lana pointed toward the food court.

“Food.”

Everyone immediately agreed.

They found a table in the food court.

Zoe had pizza.

Nellie had fries.

Lina and Lana had sandwiches.

Grandma Lura had coffee.

Emily had something that Zoe described as “too healthy

for Christmas.”

Zoe took one bite of pizza.

Then froze.

She could see the Santa display from where they were sitting.

Santa was talking to a little boy.

Zoe stared.

Something about him looked...

Familiar.

She tilted her head.

Santa laughed.

Zoe's eyes narrowed.

“Hmm.”

Lina noticed.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Zoe kept staring.

Santa leaned forward and said something to one of the elves.

Zoe's eyes widened.

She slowly turned toward Grandma Lura.

“Where's John?”

Grandma Lura almost choked on her coffee.

“What?”

“John.”

“What about him?”

“Where is he?”

“I don't know. Doing... John things.”

Zoe stared at her.

Grandma Lura smiled.

Too much.

Zoe looked at Lina.

Lina immediately looked at Lana.

Lana immediately looked at her sandwich.

Zoe's eyes narrowed even more.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Lina said.

“Why are you acting weird?”

“I’m eating.”

“You're eating suspiciously.”

“How do you eat suspiciously?”

“Like that.”

Lina took another bite.

Zoe pointed at her.

“THAT.”

Nellie looked between everyone.

“What are you talking about?”

Zoe leaned toward her.

“Nellie.”

“What?”

“I think Santa looks like John.”

Nellie stared at her.

Then looked across the food court.

At Santa.

Back at Zoe.

“Santa has a giant white beard.”

“John could have a beard.”

“John does not have a beard.”

“A fake beard.”

Nellie smiled.

“Interesting.”

Zoe looked at Grandma Lura.

“Is that John?”

Grandma Lura shook her head much too quickly.

“Oh, no. Totally not John.”

Zoe stared.

“Totally?”

“Totally.”

Lana suddenly coughed.

Lina kicked her under the table.

“Ow!”

“What?” Zoe asked.

“Nothing!” Lana said.

Zoe looked back at Santa.

Santa laughed again.

Zoe froze.

“That sounds like John.”

Grandma Lura took a very long sip of coffee.

Nellie looked interested now.

“Wait.”

She leaned forward.

Santa waved at a little girl.

“Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!”

Nellie's eyes narrowed.

“That DOES sound like John.”

Zoe slammed both hands on the table.

“I KNEW IT.”

Grandma Lura quickly said, “Lots of people sound alike.”

Zoe looked at her.

“Like Santa and my brother?”

“Sometimes.”

Lina was trying so hard not to laugh that her face hurt.

Lana whispered, “We're doomed.”

After lunch, Zoe refused to shop anymore.

She wanted Santa.

Now.

“Please?”

“No,” Nellie said.

“PLEASE?”

“No.”

“PLEEEEEEEEEASE?”

“No.”

“Nellie.”

“No.”

“Nelllllllllie.”

“STOP SAYING MY NAME.”

“I'll give you five dollars.”

Nellie stopped.

“Ten.”

“Six.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

“Deal.”

Lina stared at them.

“Did you just negotiate a Santa visit?”

“Yes,” Nellie said.

Zoe grabbed her hand.

“LET'S GO.”

The Santa line was even longer now.

Zoe didn't care.

She stood there holding Mr. Sparkles and staring directly at Santa.

Every few minutes, Santa glanced toward them.

Every time he did, Zoe narrowed her eyes.

Santa quickly looked away.

“That is John,” Zoe whispered.

“No, it isn't,” Lina said.

“You didn't even look.”

“I don't need to.”

“Why?”

“Because John isn't Santa.”

“That sounded suspicious.”

Lana leaned toward Lina.

“She is getting way too good at this.”

“I know.”

Nellie was staring at Santa too.

Unlike Zoe, Nellie wasn't suspicious.

She was studying him.

His height.

The way he moved.

His voice.

Then Santa scratched the side of his neck.

Nellie's eyes widened.

John did that all the time.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered.

Zoe turned.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Nellie.”

“Nothing.”

Zoe smiled.

“You think it's John too.”

“No.”

“You DO.”

“I didn't say that.”

“You made a face.”

Lina laughed.

“Apparently everyone makes suspicious faces in this family.”

Forty-seven minutes later, they were finally near the front.

Zoe was practically vibrating.

Nellie looked increasingly suspicious.

Lina and Lana were barely holding themselves together.

Grandma Lura had started texting someone.

Zoe noticed.

“Who are you texting?”

“Nobody.”

“You can't text nobody.”

“My friend.”

“What friend?”

Grandma Lura put her phone away.

“A grandma friend.”

Zoe stared at her.

“What is happening today?”

Finally, an elf waved.

“Next!”

Zoe grabbed Nellie.

“COME ON.”

“I’m not sitting on him.”

“Fine!”

They walked toward Santa.

Santa spread his arms.

“Well, ho, ho, ho! Who do we have here?”

Zoe stopped.

That voice.

Definitely familiar.

She stepped closer.

Santa cleared his throat.

“Ho! Ho! Ho!”

Zoe tilted her head.

“John?”

Santa froze.

Behind Zoe, Lina covered her mouth.

Lana looked at the ceiling.

Grandma Lura suddenly found the fake snow fascinating.

Santa laughed.

“Ho, ho, ho! Who is John?”

Zoe stared.

Nellie stared too.

Then Nellie's eyes widened.

“Oh.”

Santa shifted in his chair.

Nellie stepped closer.

“Nellie,” Lina warned.

Nellie ignored her.

Santa looked nervous.

“Ho, ho—”

Nellie reached forward.

“WAIT!” Lina shouted.

And grabbed Santa's beard.

YANK.

The beard came off.

Everything stopped.

The mall.

The line.

The elves.

The children.

Grandma Lura

Emily.

Lina.

Lana.

Zoe.

Santa.

Everyone.

John sat in the giant red chair.

Without a beard.

Wearing a Santa hat.

His eyes were enormous.

Nellie held the beard in one hand.

She stared at John.

Then at the beard.

Then back at John.

And screamed:

“EVERYBODY! SANTA'S FAKE! THAT'S MY BROTHER!”

The reaction was immediate.

Three children in line gasped.

One little boy started crying.

A mother covered her child's ears.

An elf dropped a clipboard.

John jumped out of the chair.

“NELLIE!”

Lina screamed.

“OH MY GOSH!”

Lana covered her face.

“Oh no.”

Nellie held the beard in the air.

“IT'S JOHN!”

“NELLIE, GIVE ME THAT!”

“YOU'RE SANTA!”

“I'M WORKING!”

Zoe hadn't moved.

She was staring at John.

Then the beard.

Then John.

Her bottom lip started trembling.

Lana noticed first.

“Oh no.”

Lina turned.

“Zoe?”

Zoe's eyes filled with tears.

“No.”

Everyone stopped.

Zoe looked at John.

“No.”

John's expression changed immediately.

“Zoe—”

“You're Santa?”

“No, I'm just—”

“YOU'RE SANTA?!”

Zoe burst into tears.

Not little tears.

Full Zoe tears.

The kind that came with gasping.

And yelling.

And hugging Mr. Sparkles so tightly that his face disappeared.

“SANTA IS JOHN!”

“No!” John said quickly. “No, no, no. I'm just the mall Santa!”

Zoe cried harder.

“WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!”

Nellie suddenly realized what she had done.

“Oh.”

Lana stared at her.

“Oh?!”

“I didn't think she'd—”

“You literally ripped Santa's FACE off!”

“It was his beard!”

“TO ZOE THAT WAS HIS FACE!”

Lina knelt beside Zoe.

“Hey. Hey, look at me.”

Zoe shook her head.

“No!”

Grandma Lura joined them.

“Sweetheart—”

“NELLIE SAID SANTA WAS FAKE AND NOW JOHN IS SANTA!”

Half the line was staring.

John desperately put his beard back on.

It was crooked.

One side hung lower than the other.

A little girl pointed at him.

“Mommy, Santa's broken.”

John closed his eyes.

“This is the worst day of my life.”

The mall manager appeared approximately thirty seconds later.

He did not look merry.

“What happened?”

John pointed at Nellie.

“My sister attacked Santa.”

“I DID NOT ATTACK SANTA.”

“You ripped off my beard!”

“Because you're my brother!”

The manager stared.

Grandma Lura stepped forward.

“We are so sorry.”

Behind her, Zoe was still crying.

Lana was rubbing her back.

Lina was trying to fix Mr. Sparkles' mane.

Nellie was holding the evidence.

Emily looked like she wanted to disappear.

The manager looked at John.

“Can you finish your shift?”

John adjusted his beard.

“Yes.”

Then Zoe cried louder.

“JOHN HAS A SHIFT AS SANTA?!”

John looked at the ceiling.

“Please stop saying my name.”

Eventually, Grandma Lura and Emily got everyone away from the Santa display.

They sat on a bench on the opposite side of the mall.

Zoe was between Lina and Lana.

Her face was red.

New Mr. Sparkles was tucked underneath her arm.

Nellie stood a few feet away looking guilty.

That was rare.

Very rare.

Zoe sniffled.

“So Santa isn't real?”

Lina froze.

This was dangerous territory.

Grandma Lura sat beside her.

“What you saw was a mall Santa.”

“But Nellie said—”

“Nellie says a lot of things,” Lina interrupted.

Nellie looked offended.

Then remembered the situation.

“Fair.”

Zoe looked at Grandma Lura.

“Then where's the real Santa?”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Well, if Santa is real, do you think he'd have time to sit in every mall in the world?”

Zoe thought.

“No.”

“So sometimes people help him.”

Zoe looked across the mall.

John was back in the chair.

His beard was slightly crooked.

A child was telling him what she wanted for Christmas.

Zoe sniffled.

“So John is Santa's employee?”

Lana bit her lip.

Lina looked down.

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Today, apparently.”

Zoe thought about this.

Then her eyes widened.

“THAT'S THE JOB.”

Everyone froze.

“What?” Nellie asked.

“Last night!”

Zoe stood up.

“John said he wanted a job for a day!”

Lina looked at Grandma Lura.

Grandma Lura looked at Emily.

Emily looked away.

Zoe pointed across the mall.

“AND GRANDMA SAID, ‘WHY DON'T YOU BE—’”

Zoe gasped.

“SANTA!”

Nellie started laughing.

Zoe spun toward her.

“This isn't funny!”

“I'm sorry.”

“You ruined EVERYTHING.”

Nellie's smile disappeared.

“I didn't mean to.”

“You ripped his beard off!”

“I thought it would be funny.”

“It WASN'T.”

Nellie looked down.

“I know.”

Zoe crossed her arms.

“You're kicked out of the Snow Sisters.”

Nellie's head snapped up.

“WHAT?”

“You heard me.”

“You can't kick me out!”

“I created it!”

“We created it together!”

“I said the name!”

“I agreed to it!”

“You ruined Santa!”

“I exposed John!”

“YOU EXPOSED CHRISTMAS.”

Lana whispered to Lina.

“That was dramatic.”

Lina whispered back.

“She's related to Nellie.”

“Good point.”

Nellie crossed her arms.

“Fine. Kick me out.”

“Fine.”

“Fine!”

“FINE!”

There was silence.

Nellie lasted four seconds.

“Can I reapply?”

Zoe looked at her.

“No.”

“Tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Christmas Eve?”

“Maybe.”

Nellie nodded.

“I'll take it.”

They attempted to continue shopping.

Attempted.

Zoe was still emotionally recovering from what she now called The Santa Incident.

Nellie was trying to earn her way back into the Snow Sisters.

Lina and Lana were trying not to mention John's Santa job.

And Grandma Lura was trying to get everyone to buy the things they had actually come to the mall for.

At one store, Zoe picked up a Santa ornament.

She stared at it.

Then whispered:

“I know your secrets.”

Lina slowly took it away from her.

At another store, a Christmas song mentioned Santa.

Zoe sighed dramatically.

“I can't listen to this right now.”

Lana patted her shoulder.

“Understandable.”

At another store, a man with a white beard walked past them.

Zoe froze.

“Is THAT Grandpa Joe?”

“No,” Lina said.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Can we pull his beard?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT.”

Two hours later, they were finally leaving the mall.

Everyone had bags.

Everyone was exhausted.

And Zoe had somehow gotten a giant candy cane.

Grandma Lura stopped.

“Where did you get that?”

Zoe shrugged.

“Christmas finds a way.”

Nobody asked further questions.

As they walked toward the doors, John came running up behind them.

He had changed out of the Santa suit.

His hair was flattened from the hat.

He looked exhausted.

Zoe stopped.

John stopped.

They stared at each other.

“Hey,” John said.

Zoe narrowed her eyes.

“Santa.”

John sighed.

“Please don't.”

Zoe walked closer.

“You lied to me.”

“I didn't lie.”

“You wore a beard.”

“That was literally the job.”

“You said you had John stuff.”

“It WAS John stuff.”

“You were Santa!”

John looked around.

“Can we stop yelling that?”

Zoe stared at him for another second.

Then she smiled a tiny bit.

“How much did you make?”

John smiled.

“Enough.”

Zoe thought.

“Can I be an elf tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“You pulled Santa's beard off.”

“That was Nellie.”

John looked at Nellie.

Nellie smiled awkwardly.

“Sorry.”

“You made three children cry.”

“Technically, Zoe made herself cry.”

“Nellie,” Lina said.

“Right. Sorry.”

John shook his head.

Then Zoe hugged him.

John looked surprised.

“You okay?”

Zoe nodded against his coat.

“Yeah.”

Then she pulled away.

“But I'm still catching the REAL Santa.”

John looked at Nellie.

Nellie looked at John.

John looked at Lina.

Lina shook her head.

“Don't.”

John nodded.

“Good luck.”

Zoe smiled.

“Thank you.”

Nellie stepped closer.

“You're not going to catch anything.”

Zoe's smile disappeared.

“Oh, it's ON.”

Nellie smiled.

“Good.”

Zoe pointed at her.

“You're still kicked out.”

“Oh, come ON.”

On the drive back to Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe's house, shopping bags filled the trunk.

Lana and Lina were laughing in the back.

Nellie was trying to negotiate her return to the Snow Sisters.

Zoe was holding Mr. Sparkles and staring out the window.

John was in another car with Grandpa Joe.

Grandma Lura glanced at Zoe.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

Zoe nodded.

Then she smiled.

“Actually, this is good.”

Lina looked over.

“How is any of today good?”

Zoe turned around.

“Because now I know something.”

“What?”

“Mall Santa is fake.”

Nellie smiled.

“Correct.”

“But REAL Santa is still out there.”

Nellie's smile disappeared.

Zoe pointed at her.

“And now I'm going to catch him.”

Lana laughed.

Nellie leaned back in her seat.

“You are impossible.”

Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.

“Almost eight.”

“That still doesn't mean anything!”

Lina laughed.

Outside, snowflakes began falling again.

The mall disappeared behind them.

The shopping was done.

Mostly.

John had survived his one-day career as Santa.

Barely.

Nellie had almost destroyed Christmas.

And Zoe's belief in Santa had somehow survived the entire disaster.

In fact, it might have gotten stronger.

Because now Zoe didn't just want to catch Santa.

She had something to prove.

And Christmas Eve was getting closer.

Nobody talked on the drive home from the mall.

Well.

Almost nobody.

“I still think pulling the beard off was kind of funny,” Nellie said.

Emily turned around so fast that Nellie immediately changed her answer.

“I mean—horrible. Terrible. Deeply inappropriate.”

“Good correction,” Lina said.

Nellie glared at her.

“Don't.”

Lana stared out the window, trying not to laugh.

Zoe sat with her arms crossed.

She had New Mr. Sparkles in her lap.

She was staring straight ahead.

She had not spoken to Nellie.

She had barely spoken to John.

And she had officially announced that she was “done with Christmas lies.”

Nobody really knew what that meant.

But everyone was slightly afraid to ask.

The second they walked into Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe’s house, Emily pointed toward the living room.

“Nellie. Sit.”

Nellie stopped.

“Can I take my shoes off first?”

“Sit.”

“Okay.”

Nellie sat.

Grandma Lura walked into the kitchen.

Grandpa Joe followed her.

Lana quietly put her shopping bags down.

Lina leaned against the doorway.

John stood near the stairs with his hands shoved into his pockets.

He had been quiet ever since leaving the mall.

Which, for John, was suspicious.

Emily crossed her arms.

“Nellie, do you understand what you did today?”

“Yes.”

“What did you do?”

Nellie sighed.

“I pulled off John's Santa beard.”

“And?”

“And yelled that he was my brother.”

“And?”

Nellie looked around.

“And... Santa was fake.”

“And?”

“There were children.”

“Exactly.”

Nellie sank lower into the couch.

“I said I was sorry.”

John finally spoke.

“You screamed it to the entire mall.”

“I didn't scream it to the entire mall.”

John stared at her.

“People on the SECOND FLOOR looked down.”

Lina snorted.

John looked at her.

“Don't.”

“Sorry.”

“You're laughing.”

“I'm not.”

“You literally just laughed.”

“I remembered the elf dropping the clipboard.”

Lana immediately covered her mouth.

John pointed at her.

“SEE?”

That did it.

Lina started laughing.

Lana started laughing.

Even Grandpa Joe laughed from the kitchen.

John’s face turned red.

“This is exactly why I didn't want anyone to know!”

Lina tried to stop.

“I'm sorry!”

“No, you're not!”

“You just looked so—”

“Lina.”

“Okay! Okay.”

John pulled his hood over his head.

“I’m never going to that mall again.”

Lina smiled.

“Santa retired early.”

John slowly looked at her.

“Lina.”

“I'M DONE.”

Emily turned back to Nellie.

“You're in serious trouble.”

Nellie sighed.

“I know.”

“No phone tonight.”

Nellie's eyes widened.

“What?!”

“And tomorrow.”

“TOMORROW?”

“And you're helping Grandma clean up after dinner.”

Nellie looked horrified.

“But—”

“And you owe John an apology.”

“I already said sorry.”

“A real one.”

Nellie looked at John.

John waited.

Nellie sighed.

“John, I'm sorry I ripped your beard off.”

John nodded.

“And?”

“And embarrassed you.”

“And?”

“And told approximately forty-seven children that Santa wasn't real.”

John thought about it.

“Probably more like twenty.”

“Okay. Twenty.”

“And?”

Nellie frowned.

“What else did I do?”

Zoe suddenly stood up.

“YOU RUINED CHRISTMAS.”

Everyone looked at her.

Nellie sighed.

“Here we go.”

Zoe pointed at her.

“You did.”

“I did not ruin Christmas.”

“You ripped Santa's face off.”

“It was a BEARD.”

“IT WAS HIS FACE TO ME.”

Lana whispered to Lina.

“She still hasn't gotten over that.”

“Not even close.”

Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.

“And you're still kicked out of the Snow Sisters.”

Nellie crossed her arms.

“Fine.”

“And you can't come to meetings.”

“Fine.”

“And you can't know our secrets.”

“What secrets? I'm the other Snow Sister!”

“Not anymore.”

Nellie looked at Lina.

“Can she legally do this?”

Lina shrugged.

“I don't know Snow Sister law.”

Zoe turned dramatically.

“Meeting over.”

“There wasn't a meeting!”

“There is now.”

Zoe marched away.

Nellie watched her go.

“She is so dramatic.”

John stared at Nellie.

“You pulled a man's beard off in the middle of a mall.”

“YOU'RE MY BROTHER.”

“Still.”

But Zoe wasn't only mad at Nellie.

She was furious with John.

John had been Santa.

John had worn the suit.

John had used the voice.

John had said “ho, ho, ho.”

And worst of all...

John had fooled her.

At dinner, Zoe refused to look at him.

“Zoe, pass the rolls,” John said.

Zoe passed them to Lina.

Lina stared at her.

“John asked.”

“I know.”

Lina handed them to John.

“Thank you?”

Zoe ate her mashed potatoes.

A minute later, John tried again.

“Can you pass the butter?”

Zoe handed it to Grandpa Joe.

Grandpa Joe looked confused.

“I don't need butter.”

“John does.”

“Then why did you give it to me?”

“You're closer.”

Grandpa Joe looked at John.

John looked at Grandpa Joe.

Grandpa Joe passed the butter.

John sighed.

“Thanks.”

Zoe said nothing.

Lana leaned toward Lina.

“She is MAD.”

Lina whispered back.

“I know.”

Zoe immediately looked at them.

“I can hear you.”

Lina smiled.

“We know.”

After dinner, Grandma Lura brought out a bowl.

“All right! Secret Santa!”

Zoe's head snapped up.

“What?”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Secret Santa.”

Zoe's eyes widened.

“Santa?”

Nellie opened her mouth.

Emily immediately pointed at her.

“Don't.”

Nellie closed it.

Zoe walked closer.

“What is Secret Santa?”

Grandma Lura held up the bowl.

“Everyone picks a name.”

Zoe stared.

“Santa gives us names?”

“No,” Grandma Lura said. “We put everyone's names in here.”

“And then Santa gives the presents?”

Lina bit her lip.

Lana looked away.

John suddenly became extremely interested in the

ceiling.

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Not exactly.”

Zoe frowned.

“Then why is it called Secret Santa?”

Nobody answered immediately.

Zoe looked around the room.

“HELLO?”

Lina finally spoke.

“Basically, you pick someone's name, and you secretly get them a present.”

Zoe stared at her.

“So... we're Santa?”

“Kind of.”

Zoe's mouth dropped open.

“Oh my gosh.”

Nellie muttered, “Here we go.”

Zoe pointed at her.

“You're not allowed to speak about Santa.”

“What?!”

“You lost Santa privileges.”

Lina laughed.

“Nellie has been banned from discussing Santa.”

“This family is ridiculous,” Nellie said.

Grandpa Joe held out the bowl.

“Come on. Everybody pick.”

Lina went first.

She reached inside.

Pulled out a name.

Looked at it.

And immediately folded it.

Lana leaned toward her.

“Who'd you get?”

“Secret.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Lina.”

“No.”

“I'll tell you mine.”

“No.”

“You're annoying.”

“Thank you.”

Lana picked next.

She opened hers.

Her eyebrows went up.

Lina immediately noticed.

“Who?”

“Secret.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

Lina stared at her.

“You literally just asked me!”

Lana smiled.

“Exactly.”

“You're terrible.”

“I learned from you.”

John picked next.

He unfolded his paper.

His face changed.

Lina noticed immediately.

“Who'd you get?”

“Nobody.”

“You definitely got somebody.”

“That's how the game works,” Lana said.

John folded his paper.

“Mind your business.”

Lina grinned.

“Oh, this is going to be good.”

“Stop.”

Nellie picked.

Grandma Lura picked.

Grandpa Joe picked.

Emily picked.

Jake picked.

Finally, Zoe reached into the bowl.

She pulled out a paper.

She unfolded it.

Her eyes widened.

Then she slowly looked across the room.

Everyone stared back.

Zoe smiled.

A strange smile.

Nellie pointed at her.

“I don't like that face.”

“What face?”

“That face.”

“I don't have a face.”

John looked at Lina.

“Apparently that's a family thing now.”

Lina laughed.

Zoe folded the paper and shoved it into her pocket.

“I know exactly what I'm getting.”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Remember, don't tell anyone who you have.”

“I won't.”

Zoe walked away.

Nellie narrowed her eyes.

“She is absolutely going to tell someone.”

Later that night, Lina and Lana were sitting on Lina's bed surrounded by shopping bags.

Lina held up a sweater.

“Do you think Grandma would like this?”

“That's who you got!”

Lina froze.

Lana gasped.

“I KNEW IT.”

“I didn't say that!”

“You literally just asked if Grandma would like it!”

“I could be asking generally.”

“You are the worst Secret Santa ever.”

Lina threw a pillow at her.

Lana caught it.

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Fine.”

Lina narrowed her eyes.

“Who did you get?”

“Secret.”

“Lana.”

“No.”

“LANA.”

“Nope.”

Lina tackled her with a pillow.

Lana screamed.

“GET OFF!”

“TELL ME!”

“NEVER!”

The door opened.

John stood there.

Both girls froze.

Lana was holding a pillow over her head.

Lina was halfway across the bed.

John stared.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Lina said.

“Why does everyone in this house say ‘nothing’ when they're obviously doing something?”

Lana started laughing.

John shook his head.

“I came to talk to Zoe.”

Lina's smile faded a little.

“She’s still mad at you.”

“I know.”

“Like... really mad.”

“I know.”

Lana lowered the pillow.

“She'll get over it.”

John nodded.

“Hopefully.”

He walked away.

Lina watched him leave.

Then Lana looked at Lina.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Lana.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“Good.”

Lana smiled.

“Interesting.”

“STOP.”

John found Zoe sitting near the Christmas tree.

She had Mr. Sparkles in her lap.

The lights from the tree reflected across the room.

John sat down beside her.

Zoe moved slightly away.

“Ouch,” John said.

Zoe said nothing.

“Still mad?”

“Yes.”

“Fair.”

Silence.

John looked at the tree.

“I’m sorry.”

Zoe looked at him.

“For what?”

“For today.”

Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles tighter.

“You tricked me.”

“I wasn't trying to trick you.”

“You were dressed like Santa.”

“Because it was a job.”

“You sounded like Santa.”

“That was also the job.”

“You said ho, ho, ho.”

John nodded.

“Very professionally.”

Zoe did not laugh.

John stopped smiling.

“Okay. Bad time.”

Zoe looked down.

“Is Santa fake?”

John paused.

Zoe looked directly at him.

“Tell me.”

John thought for a second.

Then smiled.

“Santa is totally real.”

Zoe narrowed her eyes.

“Totally?”

“Totally.”

“You swear?”

John hesitated.

“Zoe, what happened at the mall doesn't prove anything except that malls hire people to dress like Santa.”

Zoe stared at him.

“So you were a helper?”

“Basically.”

Zoe looked suspicious.

“But Nellie says Santa is fake.”

“Nellie also thought ripping my beard off in front of twenty children was a good idea.”

Zoe considered this.

“That is true.”

“Exactly.”

Zoe looked back at the tree.

“I don't believe you.”

John blinked.

“What?”

“I said I don't believe you.”

“But I just told you Santa was real.”

“You also told me you were doing ‘John stuff.’”

John sighed.

“Fair.”

Zoe stood up.

“I have my ways.”

John stared at her.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Zoe.”

“Good night!”

She ran upstairs.

John watched her go.

“Why did that sound threatening?”

Lina appeared around the corner.

“Because it was Zoe.”

John jumped.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.”

“You people need hobbies.”

“We have hobbies.”

“Listening to my conversations isn't a hobby.”

“It could be.”

John walked past her.

“You're all insane.”

Lina smiled.

“Merry Christmas, Santa.”

John stopped.

“Never call me that again.”

“Good night, Santa.”

“LINA.”

The next morning, Grandpa Joe was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee when Zoe appeared.

She climbed into the chair beside him.

“Grandpa?”

“Yeah?”

“Question.”

Grandpa Joe looked at her.

That word coming from Zoe was dangerous.

“What kind of question?”

“A normal one.”

“That makes me more nervous.”

Zoe smiled sweetly.

“Do you have security cameras?”

Grandpa Joe lowered his coffee.

“Security cameras?”

“Yeah.”

“Um... I guess your grandmother and I do have those. Just a few.”

Zoe's eyes lit up.

“Where?”

Grandpa Joe pointed vaguely.

“Outside. Front door. Back door. Couple around the house.”

Zoe nodded slowly.

“Interesting.”

Grandpa Joe frowned.

“What do you need them for?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Zoe.”

“Just wanted to know.”

“Why?”

“For safe.”

Grandpa Joe stared at her.

“For... safe?”

“Yes.”

Then Zoe winked.

Actually winked.

Grandpa Joe stared at her.

“Why did you wink?”

“I didn't.”

“You absolutely did.”

Zoe jumped down.

“Thanks, Grandpa!”

She ran away.

Grandpa Joe watched her disappear.

Grandma Lura walked into the kitchen.

“What was that about?”

Grandpa Joe picked up his coffee.

“I have absolutely no idea.”

But Zoe knew.

She ran upstairs.

Closed the bedroom door.

Pulled out her notebook.

And wrote:

OPERATION CATCH SANTA — NEW PLAN

Underneath it:

SECURITY CAMERAS.

She circled it three times.

Then she drew a little Santa beside it.

Then an arrow.

Then another arrow.

Then, for reasons known only to Zoe, a drawing of Mr. Sparkles wearing sunglasses.

She whispered to herself.

“Maybe John was just faking.”

New Mr. Sparkles stared back at her.

“But we’re going to find out.”

She wasn't telling Nellie yet.

Nellie was still on probation.

And technically still kicked out of the Snow Sisters.

But soon?

Zoe would need her.

Because Christmas Eve was coming.

And Zoe now knew Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe had cameras.

If Santa came through the front door?

Camera.

Back door?

Camera.

Walked around the house?

Camera.

Zoe smiled.

“Got you.”

Downstairs, Lina was walking past the kitchen when she saw Grandpa Joe looking at his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking the security cameras.”

Lina stopped.

“Why?”

“Zoe asked me about them.”

Lina froze.

“Zoe asked you about the cameras?”

“Yeah.”

“What exactly did she say?”

Grandpa Joe shrugged.

“She wanted to know if we had them.”

Lina slowly closed her eyes.

“Oh no.”

Grandpa Joe looked at her.

“What?”

Lina turned toward the staircase.

She knew Zoe.

She knew about Operation Catch Santa.

She knew Zoe had just survived the Santa Incident.

And now Zoe wanted security cameras.

Lana walked into the room.

“What's wrong?”

Lina pointed upstairs.

“Zoe knows about the cameras.”

Lana's eyes widened.

“Oh.”

Grandpa Joe looked between them.

“What am I missing?”

Lina and Lana answered together.

“A lot.”

Then, from upstairs, Zoe yelled:

“NELLIE!”

Nellie yelled back from another room.

“WHAT?!”

“I HAVE A BUSINESS PROPOSITION!”

“AM I BACK IN THE SNOW SISTERS?!”

“WE'LL DISCUSS IT!”

Lina stared at Lana.

Lana stared at Lina.

Grandpa Joe took another sip of coffee.

“What exactly are the Snow Sisters?”

Lina sighed.

“You really don't want to know.”

Upstairs, a door slammed.

Then Zoe yelled:

“BRING A NOTEBOOK!”

Nellie shouted back:

“WHY?!”

“CHRISTMAS EVE!”

Lina looked toward the ceiling.

The Secret Santa names had been picked.

Nellie was in trouble.

John was humiliated.

Zoe was furious.

And somehow, in the middle of all of it, Zoe had just discovered the one thing that might take Operation Catch Santa to an entirely new level.

Security cameras.

Christmas Eve was getting closer.

And Zoe Peterson was officially investigating Santa.

The Petersons woke up to darkness.

Not nighttime darkness.

Something-was-wrong darkness.

Lina opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

She could hear the wind outside.

Not normal wind.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSH.

The windows rattled.

Lina sat up.

“Okay…”

Across the room, Lana was completely buried under a blanket.

“Lana.”

Nothing.

“Lana.”

Nothing.

“LANA.”

A muffled voice came from underneath the blanket.

“If this is about breakfast, bring it to me.”

“It’s dark outside.”

“It’s morning.”

“I know.”

“Then that's concerning.”

Lana’s head appeared.

They both looked toward the window.

The curtains were closed.

Lina got out of bed and pulled them open.

She froze.

“OH MY GOSH.”

Lana jumped up.

“What?!”

“LOOK.”

Lana ran to the window.

Neither of them spoke.

They couldn't.

Because there was no view.

There was just...

Snow.

The snow had piled almost halfway up the downstairs windows.

The trees were completely covered.

The driveway had disappeared.

Grandpa Joe's giant inflatable snowman was nowhere to be seen.

And beyond the house, where they could usually see the distant outline of Mount Rainier on a clear day, there was nothing but a giant wall of swirling white.

Lana stared.

“Where did the world go?”

“I think it got deleted.”

Then they heard screaming from down the hallway.

“WE’RE GONNA DIEEEEEEE!”

Lina closed her eyes.

“Zoe's awake.”

Zoe came flying into the bedroom carrying New Mr. Sparkles.

“WE ARE TRAPPED.”

“Good morning to you too,” Lina said.

“LOOK OUTSIDE!”

“We did.”

“THERE'S NO OUTSIDE.”

“We noticed.”

Zoe climbed onto the bed.

“Grandpa Joe said we're snowed in.”

Lana’s eyes widened.

“Actually?”

“YES.”

“And the road?”

“GONE.”

“The driveway?”

“GONE.”

“The cars?”

“BURIED.”

Lina stared at her.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Seven minutes.”

“You've gathered a lot of information.”

“I investigate.”

Zoe jumped off the bed.

“And there's more.”

Lina immediately became concerned.

“What?”

Zoe leaned closer.

“There was an avalanche.”

Lana's mouth dropped open.

“What?!”

“Somewhere near the mountain. Grandpa Joe said part of the mountain road is closed.”

Lina got up.

“Wait, seriously?”

“YES.”

Zoe looked delighted.

Lina stared at her.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Because we're trapped.”

“That's generally considered bad.”

“No.”

Zoe spread her arms.

“SNOW DAY!”

She ran into the hallway.

“WE'RE SNOWED INNNNN!”

Lina looked at Lana.

Lana smiled.

“This could be fun.”

From downstairs came Grandpa Joe's voice.

“ZOE! STOP YELLING THAT WE'RE TRAPPED!”

Then Zoe:

“BUT WE ARE!”

Grandpa Joe:

“WE'RE SNOWED IN. WE'RE NOT TRAPPED.”

“WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?”

A pause.

“I DON'T KNOW. IT JUST SOUNDS BETTER.”

Lana started laughing.

“Yeah. This is going to be fun.”

Downstairs, everyone was gathered around the windows.

Grandpa Joe had the weather report pulled up on his phone.

Grandma Lura was making coffee.

Emily was checking the pantry.

Jake was staring outside.

Nellie was wrapped in a blanket.

John looked half asleep.

Zoe was extremely awake.

“How much snow?” Lina asked.

Grandpa Joe shook his head.

“A lot.”

“That is very scientific,” John said.

“Thank you.”

“No, seriously.”

Grandpa Joe looked at his phone.

“They're telling people around here to stay home. Roads are bad, and there's been a slide farther toward the mountain.”

Zoe gasped.

“THE AVALANCHE.”

Grandpa Joe pointed at her.

“Do not call it that.”

“But you said—”

“I said there was an avalanche warning and a slide shut down part of a road.”

“Same thing.”

“It is absolutely not the same thing.”

Zoe turned toward everyone.

“There's an avalanche.”

Grandpa Joe sighed.

“There is not an avalanche coming toward the house.”

“Yet.”

“ZOE.”

Nellie looked out the window.

“So we can't go anywhere?”

“Nope,” Grandpa Joe said.

“For how long?”

“Could be all day.”

Zoe screamed.

“YES!”

Everyone looked at her.

She immediately corrected herself.

“Oh nooooo.”

John stared.

“You are terrible at pretending.”

“I know.”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Well, if we're stuck here, we're going to enjoy it.”

John looked suspicious.

“What does that mean?”

Grandma Lura clapped her hands.

“Christmas activities!”

John groaned.

“Can we get the avalanche back?”

Breakfast became pancakes, eggs, bacon, hot chocolate, and absolute chaos.

Zoe announced she needed “snow-day marshmallows” in her hot chocolate.

Nobody knew what made them different from regular marshmallows.

Apparently the answer was quantity.

“Zoe,” Emily said, “that's enough.”

Zoe dropped another handful into her cup.

“Now it is.”

Her hot chocolate had disappeared beneath a mountain

of marshmallows.

Nellie stared.

“That's not a drink anymore.”

“It’s breakfast soup.”

“That is disgusting.”

“You're disgusting.”

“You're seven.”

“ALMOST EIGHT.”

Everyone groaned.

John dropped his head onto the table.

“Can we retire ‘almost eight’?”

“No.”

Zoe drank her marshmallow soup.

Then suddenly remembered something.

She looked at Grandpa Joe.

“Are the cameras working?”

Grandpa Joe looked up.

“What cameras?”

“The security cameras.”

Lina froze.

Lana froze.

Nellie looked between them.

Grandpa Joe shrugged.

“Yeah. Why?”

“No reason.”

Zoe smiled.

Then winked.

Again.

Grandpa Joe pointed at her.

“There it is! She did it again!”

“Did what?”

“The weird wink!”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

Lina slowly looked at Zoe.

Zoe smiled innocently.

Lina knew that face.

That was not an innocent face.

That was an Operation Catch Santa face.

After breakfast, Nellie was forced to help Grandma Lura

clean the kitchen.

Her punishment from the mall incident was very much still happening.

“This is unfair,” Nellie said while wiping the counter.

Grandma Lura looked at her.

“You ripped your brother's Santa beard off in front of children.”

Nellie wiped faster.

“Fair.”

John walked through the kitchen.

Nellie looked at him.

“Sorry again.”

John stopped.

“Thank you.”

He started walking.

Nellie smiled.

“Santa.”

John stopped.

Slowly.

“Nellie.”

“What?”

“Don't.”

“I said sorry.”

“Then you called me Santa.”

“I was being friendly.”

“You were not.”

Zoe appeared.

She stared at John.

John noticed.

“What?”

Zoe narrowed her eyes.

“Nothing.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I don't trust you.”

John sighed.

“We talked about this.”

“You lied.”

“I did not lie.”

“You said Santa was real.”

“He is.”

“You also WERE Santa.”

“I was a mall Santa.”

Zoe crossed her arms.

“Convenient.”

John looked at Lina.

“Can you please come get your sister?”

Lina was sitting with Lana on the couch.

“No.”

“Why?”

“This is entertaining.”

Lana nodded.

“Extremely.”

John pointed at both of them.

“You're no help.”

Lina smiled.

“Ho, ho, ho.”

John walked away.

“I'm moving out.”

By eleven o'clock, the storm was worse.

Snow slammed against the windows.

The wind howled around the house.

The power flickered once.

Everyone froze.

The lights came back.

Zoe gasped.

“THE POWER.”

Grandpa Joe immediately stood.

“Everybody relax.”

The lights flickered again.

Zoe grabbed Mr. Sparkles.

“THIS IS HOW CHRISTMAS HORROR MOVIES START.”

Nellie stared at her.

“What Christmas horror movies are you watching?”

“I don't know.”

“Then why would you say that?”

“I felt it.”

Grandpa Joe checked the fireplace and brought in more wood.

Grandma Lura found candles and flashlights just in case.

The house was warm.

They had plenty of food.

Nobody needed to go anywhere.

They were safe.

But Zoe acted as if they had been stranded in Antarctica.

She stood in front of the living room.

“Okay. Emergency meeting.”

Nobody moved.

“HELLO?”

Lina looked up.

“What?”

“We need survival jobs.”

John laughed.

“We're in a heated house.”

“For now.”

“We have electricity.”

“For now.”

“We have food.”

“For now.”

“We have Grandpa.”

Grandpa Joe looked up.

“Why am I on the survival list?”

“You look like you know things.”

Grandpa Joe nodded.

“I'll take it.”

Zoe started assigning jobs.

“Grandpa Joe: fire.”

“Fine.”

“Grandma Lura: food.”

“Obviously,” Grandma said.

“Mom and Dad: adult things.”

Jake frowned.

“What are adult things?”

“I don't know. Taxes?”

Lana burst out laughing.

“Lina and Lana: entertainment.”

Lina nodded.

“Good.”

“Nellie: cleaning.”

Nellie stared.

“Why?”

“Because you're in trouble.”

Grandma Lura covered a laugh.

“And John…”

Zoe paused.

Everyone waited.

John narrowed his eyes.

“What?”

Zoe smiled.

“Santa.”

John walked out.

Lina fell over laughing.

Around noon, Grandma Lura made another announcement.

“Since we're all stuck here…”

John called from the couch.

“Snowed in.”

“Fine. Since we're all snowed in, I think today is the perfect day for Secret Santa.”

Zoe's head snapped around.

“Santa?”

Nellie whispered, “Here we go.”

Grandma Lura brought out wrapped presents.

Zoe stared.

“Wait.”

Everyone began gathering around the tree.

Zoe didn't move.

“WAIT.”

Lina looked at her.

“What?”

“Where did those come from?”

“Secret Santa.”

Zoe's eyes widened.

“HE CAME?!”

“No,” Lina said.

“But those are presents.”

“Yes.”

“From Santa.”

“No.”

“Secret Santa.”

“Yes.”

“Which is Santa.”

“No.”

Zoe stared at her.

“You people make Christmas extremely confusing.”

Lana laughed.

“Secret Santa is just the name of the game.”

“But why call it Santa if Santa isn't doing it?”

Lina paused.

“Actually…”

She looked at Lana.

“She's kind of got a point.”

“THANK YOU.”

Nellie walked into the room.

“Because everyone secretly buys someone else a present.”

Zoe looked at her.

“So YOU'RE Santa?”

“No.”

“Then why—”

“Zoe, please.”

Zoe crossed her arms.

“I don't like this game.”

“You haven't even opened anything.”

“I don't like the branding.”

John laughed from the couch.

Zoe glared at him.

“You stay out of this.”

John stopped laughing.

“Okay.”

Grandma Lura explained the rules again.

Everyone had secretly picked someone.

Everyone had bought or prepared one gift.

Now they had to exchange them and guess who had given what.

Zoe still looked suspicious.

“Does the real Santa know we're doing this?”

“Yes,” John said.

Zoe turned.

“How?”

John froze.

“I…”

Lina immediately started laughing.

“Careful, Santa.”

“STOP CALLING ME THAT.”

Grandpa Joe went first.

He opened a new pair of ridiculous Christmas slippers shaped like reindeer.

He held them up.

“Who did this?”

Lana started laughing.

Grandpa Joe looked around.

“Lana.”

“What?!”

“You're laughing.”

“I laugh at everything.”

“True.”

Grandpa Joe looked at Lina.

“You?”

“Nope.”

Grandma Lura smiled.

Grandpa Joe pointed.

“Lura!”

She laughed.

“Yep.”

He immediately put the slippers on.

“I love them.”

Next was Grandma Lura.

Then Emily.

Then Jake.

Then Lana.

Lana opened her present.

Inside was a beautiful bracelet.

Her mouth fell open.

“Oh my gosh.”

Lina immediately leaned over.

“Wait, that's SO cute.”

Lana held it up.

“I love this.”

She looked around.

“Who had me?”

Nobody spoke.

Lana narrowed her eyes.

“Lina?”

“No.”

“Nellie?”

“No.”

“Grandma?”

Grandma Lura shook her head.

Lana looked at John.

John suddenly looked extremely interested in the Christmas tree.

Lina noticed.

Her eyes widened.

“Ohhhhhhh.”

John looked at her.

“Don't.”

Lina grinned.

“JOHN.”

“What?”

“You had Lana!”

John's face went red.

“It was random!”

Lana smiled.

“Thank you. I really like it.”

John shrugged.

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”

Lina stared at him.

“‘Yeah, sure, whatever’?”

John glared at her.

“Stop.”

Lina smiled.

She said absolutely nothing else.

But the smile remained.

Lana looked between them.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Lina said.

John immediately pointed at her.

“See? That's what everyone says when it's definitely something!”

Then it was Lina's turn.

She opened her present.

Inside was a fluffy blanket, candy, and a little notebook.

Lina gasped.

“Okay, whoever got me actually knows me.”

Lana smiled.

Lina looked at her.

“You.”

“No.”

“That smile.”

“What smile?”

“THAT smile.”

Lana laughed.

“Fine. It was me.”

Lina hugged her.

“I love it!”

“I knew you would.”

John leaned back.

“That was disgustingly wholesome.”

Lina threw a piece of wrapping paper at him.

Nellie's turn came next.

She opened her gift.

Socks.

Just socks.

Nellie stared.

“Who gave me socks?”

Zoe was smiling.

Nellie slowly looked at her.

“You.”

Zoe tried to look innocent.

“No.”

“You gave me socks.”

“No.”

“Zoe.”

“Maybe.”

Nellie held them up.

They had Santa faces all over them.

Everyone started laughing.

Nellie stared at Zoe.

“You gave me Santa socks.”

Zoe smiled sweetly.

“To remember what you did.”

John nearly fell off the couch laughing.

Nellie looked at Emily.

“She's allowed to do this?”

Emily shrugged.

“Technically, it's a gift.”

Zoe nodded.

“A meaningful one.”

Nellie threw a sock at her.

Zoe screamed.

“ASSAULT!”

“You pulled John's beard off!”

“That wasn't me!”

“Oh. Right.”

Finally, Zoe opened her present.

Inside was a small red box.

She opened it.

A tiny silver bell sat inside.

Zoe stared at it.

Everyone became quiet.

She picked it up.

It jingled softly.

Zoe's eyes widened.

“Is this…”

Grandma Lura smiled.

“Someone thought you'd like it.”

Zoe looked around.

“Who gave me this?”

Nobody answered.

Zoe shook the bell.

Jingle.

Jingle.

Her eyes got even bigger.

“Is this from Santa?”

Nellie opened her mouth.

Lina immediately slapped a hand over it.

“Mmmph!”

“Don't,” Lina whispered.

Zoe stared at the bell.

John smiled slightly.

Zoe looked at him.

“You?”

John shook his head.

“Not me.”

“Grandma?”

“Nope.”

“Grandpa?”

“No.”

“Lina?”

“No.”

“Lana?”

Lana shook her head.

Zoe looked at Nellie.

Lina removed her hand.

Nellie immediately said, “Wasn't me.”

Zoe stared at the bell.

A tiny smile appeared.

“Interesting.”

Nellie groaned.

“Oh no.”

Zoe slipped the bell into her pocket.

“Very interesting.”

After Secret Santa, the snow kept falling.

By mid-afternoon, everyone had officially gone a little crazy.

Lina and Lana decided they wanted to go outside.

Grandpa Joe immediately said no.

Then Lina asked again.

Then Lana asked.

Then Zoe begged.

Then Nellie joined.

Eventually, Grandpa Joe gave up.

“FINE. Backyard only.”

Zoe screamed.

“SNOW DAY!”

Everyone bundled up.

Coats.

Gloves.

Hats.

Boots.

Scarves.

Zoe somehow wore two hats.

“Why?” Lina asked.

“Extra protection.”

“From what?”

“Snow.”

“That isn't how hats work.”

The moment they stepped outside, Zoe disappeared.

Literally.

She jumped off the porch directly into a snowdrift.

POOF.

Gone.

Lana screamed.

“ZOE?!”

A mitten appeared.

“I'M OKAY!”

Lina started laughing.

Nellie grabbed Zoe's arm and pulled her out.

Zoe emerged covered completely in snow.

She looked like a tiny frozen monster.

“That was AWESOME.”

“You almost disappeared forever,” Nellie said.

“Worth it.”

Then Zoe threw a snowball directly at her.

It hit Nellie in the chest.

Nellie froze.

Zoe froze.

Lina whispered:

“Oh no.”

Nellie slowly bent down.

Picked up snow.

And smiled.

“Run.”

Zoe screamed.

“SNOW WAR!”

Everything exploded.

Snowballs flew everywhere.

Lina hit Nellie.

Nellie hit Lina.

Lana accidentally hit Grandpa Joe.

Everyone froze.

Grandpa Joe looked down at the snow on his coat.

Lana's eyes widened.

“I am SO sorry.”

Grandpa Joe slowly bent down.

Picked up a massive handful of snow.

Lana screamed.

“NO!”

Grandpa Joe launched it.

Lana ducked.

It hit John.

John froze.

Grandpa Joe pointed at Lana.

“She moved.”

John picked up snow.

“Oh, you're done.”

Within thirty seconds, every single person was involved.

Even Grandma Lura came outside.

She lasted twelve seconds before a snowball hit her.

Everyone stopped.

Grandma Lura slowly wiped snow off her shoulder.

Grandpa Joe whispered:

“Run.”

Grandma Lura grabbed snow.

Chaos resumed.

Eventually, Lina and Lana built a snowman.

Or tried to.

“It needs to be taller,” Lina said.

“It’s already taller than Zoe.”

Zoe looked offended.

“Why am I the measurement?”

“Because you're here.”

“I’m almost eight.”

“That has NOTHING to do with height!”

Zoe crossed her arms.

“I’m growing.”

Nellie walked over.

Their snowman was leaning.

She stared.

“Why does everything this family builds lean?”

Lina looked at her.

“Don't.”

“The Christmas tree.”

“Stop.”

“The gingerbread house.”

“Nellie.”

“Now the snowman.”

Lana started laughing.

Lina pushed the snowman.

Its head fell off.

Everyone stared.

Nellie smiled.

“Four seconds.”

Lina threw a snowball at her.

As the afternoon got darker, Grandpa Joe called everyone inside.

The storm was picking up again.

Everyone changed into dry clothes.

Grandma Lura made hot chocolate.

The fireplace crackled.

For a little while, everything was peaceful.

Lina and Lana sat under Lina's new blanket.

John was on the other couch.

Nellie was doing absolutely nothing because her phone was still confiscated.

Zoe sat on the floor.

She was staring at the little silver bell.

Jingle.

Jingle.

Nellie looked over.

“Can you stop?”

“No.”

“Please?”

Jingle.

“Zoe.”

Jingle.

“ZOE.”

Zoe smiled.

Then she stood.

“Grandpa?”

Grandpa Joe looked up.

“Yes?”

“Can we see the security cameras?”

Lina nearly dropped her hot chocolate.

Nellie sat up.

“What security cameras?”

Zoe froze.

Oops.

Grandpa Joe answered before Zoe could stop him.

“The cameras around the house.”

Nellie slowly turned toward Zoe.

“What cameras?”

Zoe stared at her.

“Nothing.”

Nellie's eyes widened.

“Oh my gosh.”

“Nothing!”

“You have a plan.”

“No.”

“You DO.”

Lina whispered to Lana.

“Here we go.”

Nellie stood up.

“Is this about Santa?”

Zoe grabbed her arm.

“SHHHHH.”

Nellie's mouth fell open.

“It IS!”

“Come upstairs.”

“Am I back in the Snow Sisters?”

“We'll discuss your membership.”

Nellie followed immediately.

Five minutes later, Zoe's bedroom door was closed.

The notebook was open.

New Mr. Sparkles sat in the middle of the bed.

Zoe stood in front of Nellie.

“Okay.”

Nellie crossed her arms.

“Okay.”

“You're currently suspended.”

“From a club with two people.”

“Yes.”

“That's ridiculous.”

“Do you want back in?”

Nellie sighed.

“Yes.”

Zoe nodded.

“Then listen.”

She opened the notebook.

Nellie leaned forward.

Written across two pages was:

OPERATION CATCH SANTA

Below it:

CAMERAS

COOKIES

MILK

FLASHLIGHTS

PROOF

NO BEARD PULLING

Nellie pointed.

“Why does it say no beard pulling?”

Zoe glared at her.

“Because of you.”

“Fair.”

Zoe tapped the camera section.

“Grandpa has security cameras.”

Nellie's eyes widened.

“Oh.”

“Exactly.”

“So?”

“So on Christmas Eve, we watch them.”

Nellie stared.

“We watch the cameras?”

“Yes.”

“And when nobody comes?”

“Santa will come.”

“And when nobody comes?”

“He WILL.”

“And when—”

“Nellie.”

“Fine.”

Zoe leaned closer.

“If Santa is real, we'll see him.”

Nellie smiled.

“And if Santa isn't real?”

Zoe's smile disappeared.

“He is.”

“But if he isn't?”

Zoe looked down at her silver bell.

Then back at Nellie.

“We'll find out.”

Nellie held out her hand.

“Snow Sisters?”

Zoe stared at it.

“You're on probation.”

Nellie lowered her hand.

“Seriously?”

“You exposed Christmas.”

“I said I was sorry!”

Zoe thought.

Then finally shook Nellie's hand.

“Fine.”

Nellie smiled.

“I'm back?”

“Probation.”

“I'll take it.”

The Snow Sisters were reunited.

Mostly.

That evening, the storm finally began to calm.

Grandpa Joe stood at the window.

“Looks like the worst is passing.”

Grandma Lura joined him.

“Think the roads will open tomorrow?”

“Hopefully.”

Behind them, the house was a disaster.

Wet gloves hung everywhere.

Boots covered the floor.

Wrapping paper from Secret Santa still hadn't been completely cleaned up.

Nellie was still wearing one Santa sock.

Lina and Lana were laughing over pictures from the snowball fight.

John was trying to delete a picture Lina had taken of him with snow all over his face.

“DELETE IT.”

“No.”

“LINA.”

“Never.”

“Give me your phone.”

“Absolutely not.”

John reached for it.

Lina jumped over the couch.

“GET AWAY!”

“DELETE IT!”

Lana was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

Grandma Lura looked at Grandpa Joe.

“They're having fun.”

A crash came from upstairs.

Then Zoe yelled:

“WE'RE FINE!”

Grandpa Joe looked toward the ceiling.

“Do I want to know?”

“No,” Grandma Lura said.

He nodded.

“Good.”

Outside, snow covered everything.

The road was buried.

The trees sagged under the weight.

Mount Rainier was completely hidden behind the storm clouds.

For one entire day, the outside world had practically disappeared.

But inside Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe's house, Christmas had gotten louder.

Secret Santa was over.

Nellie was back in the Snow Sisters.