Lucia pressed her forehead to the airplane window and whispered, “Snow—I'm really going to see snow.” She held onto a small, brave hope that Mami would come soon.
In the arrivals hall she spotted two familiar faces and ran into Tía Valentina's arms while Tío Juan laughed about how much she’d grown. Their hugs smelled like scarves and winter and felt like home.
In the car Lucia asked why they’d left Colombia, and Tío Juan explained softly that la guerrilla had made their mountain unsafe. Tía Valentina said they had hoped to go back, but it wasn't the right time.
Lucia’s eyes filled with tears, but Tío Juan promised, “Mami is coming—she's packing everything.” That night Lucia wrote, Dear Mami, I miss you already. I’ll be brave. I promise.
A few days later Lucia stood at the curb in her winter coat and watched a huge yellow bus approach, heart thumping. Tía Valentina smiled and said, “Just smile at the driver.”
On the bus a blonde girl with glasses said, “Hi,” and Lucia whispered, “Hola?” when she couldn't understand the words. The blonde girl gently offered a tissue when Lucia's tears began to fall.
The bus arrived at a big school building with a sign that read École élémentaire Sainte-Thérèse, and a teacher greeted Lucia with a warm, 'Bonjour, Lucia!'.
Inside the classroom the teacher asked Lucia to stand so everyone could meet her, and Lucia hesitated before spotting the girl from the bus wearing a yellow sweater. She wondered if it was the same friend.
Lucia learned the girl’s name was Amanda and Amanda said, 'Different color, same person' about her sweater. Lucia laughed and said Amanda looked like sunshine.
The teacher handed out crayons and said, 'Let's draw a bonhomme de neige!' Lucia held a carrot and giggled when they used sticks for arms, making the snowman look like he was dancing.
When the bell rang Amanda shouted, 'Recess!' and raced outside; Lucia followed and gasped at a slide that seemed taller than her house. Amanda dared her, 'Race you to the top!'
They were breathless and happy when a concerned lunch lady waved them in; Amanda and Lucia walked inside together. Lucia felt comforted by Amanda's easy calm.
In the lunchroom kids ate from colorful lunchboxes, and a lunch lady pointed at a picture of a yellow school bus when talking to Lucia. Lucia realized, with a sinking feeling, that she had forgotten something important.
Lucia followed the lunch lady to the office, her heart pounding; she knew she had forgotten about Bus 778. She tried very hard not to cry.
The principal picked up the phone and said, 'Let's call someone,' as Lucia sat quietly and waited. Her breath felt loud in the still room.
A boy poked his head in and said, 'Hola, I speak Spanish—I'm José,' and Lucia felt a relief that made her shoulders relax a little. She thanked him quietly.
She remembered Tía Valentina’s words about looking for Mr. Lucas and bus 778 at lunchtime and whispered, 'I messed up.' José smiled and said, 'You're not lost. We're calling your aunt.'
When Tía Valentina arrived Lucia ran into her arms shouting she thought she'd missed her forever; her aunt kissed her forehead and said, 'Never, mi amor. Never.'
On the drive home they practiced the routine — 'Bus 778, morning, lunch, and after school; Mr. Lucas will wait' — and Lucia promised she'd remember. Her voice was small but steady.
That night they ate arroz con pollo and Tío Juan asked how school was; Lucia said she’d made a friend who gave her a tissue. The family laughed, and Lucia said, 'She's the best kind of friend.'
Days turned into weeks, and Lucia learned the bus schedule, the classroom songs, and how to tie a scarf tight against the wind. Each small routine made the city feel a little more like it belonged to her.
Lucia began helping a smaller child one day who looked lost at recess, and for the first time she remembered her aunt’s words and said, 'Let’s find the office together.' She discovered that being brave could mean helping someone else feel safe.
The school announced a winter festival with a bonhomme de neige contest, and Lucia and Amanda teamed up to build the silliest, dancing snowman anyone had seen. Lucia felt proud and laughed more than she had in months.
But when Lucia looked up from the snowman she felt a pang—Mami wasn't there yet and the festival music seemed to make missing her louder. Lucia wrapped her scarf tighter and whispered a small wish.
Just then Mr. Lucas, the bus driver Lucia had been told to trust, appeared at the gate with a small, shy woman beside him—Mami. Lucia froze, then ran so fast her scarf streamed behind her.
The small twist was that Mami had been in town for days—working through paperwork and staying close but hidden so Lucia would settle first. Mami had asked Mr. Lucas to bring her when the moment felt right.
Mami smelled of coffee and the mountain and kissed Lucia’s forehead, saying she had worked and waited until Lucia felt brave and safe. Lucia understood then that love can travel slowly but always arrives.
That winter Lucia learned that being brave didn't mean hiding her feelings—it meant asking for help when she needed it and sharing joy when it came. She kept her promise to Mami, not because she had to, but because she wanted to.
On the last page Lucia looked at the snow falling beyond the window and wrote another short letter: Dear Mami, I am brave because you taught me to love. She folded the letter and ran outside to build another dancing bonhomme de neige.
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