"Oh my," I paced the room in a frenzy. "What do I do? How do I find him?" I looked up at Gran. "Do you think he'll help me? What if he doesn't care? He might ignore me. He probably won't even care or give me a second thought. What if he doesn't know? All my time will go to waste, all for nothi—"
"Mei! Calm down!" Gran scolded. "You'll never get anywhere if you ask 'what if' questions; I can guarantee you that."
"Okay," I took a deep breath, "when do I leave? Where do I find him?" I exhaled.
"You leave whenever you wish. You find him by using your brain. Understand?"
"What do you mean by using my brain?"
"Do you have a brain?"
"Um, yes."
"Then use it. Now go get packing. You will begin your journey today."
I looked into her blue eyes with my own dark ones, and then I spoke from my heart.
"Thank you so much, Gran. You're amazing." I ran towards her and threw my arms around her neck and squeezed her, and she laughed but painfully.
"Watch the back, oh... My back..."
🔥 🌊 🔥
The next day, i woke up overexcited. I threw all my clothes into my bag and other items I'd need, and then I trudged downstairs, turning to Gran.
"How do I look?" I asked with a smile.
"Beautiful, as always," Gran nodded honestly. I smiled wider. And that's when I realized how much I was going to miss her.
"Gran, I don't want to go." I sighed.
Her smile fell. "Why, Mei? Are you crazy?"
"No, I'm not crazy. Okay maybe a little," I said with a grin, "But I'm going to miss you. I can't bear to stay away too long."
"Don't worry about me, Ayame. I want what's best for you and that's what makes me happy." she hugged me, holding me tightly against her. "Take this as an adventure. Your parents would be proud." her eyes teared up, and so did mine after a long time, surprising us both. "The only thing I want you to do is tell me about your adventures when you return. Understand?"
I nodded, pulling away and wiping my eyes on the back of my sleeve. "Yes, Gran."
"And what's your map to find the Avatar?"
"My mind, of course," I rolled my eyes playfully. "How could I ever forget?"
We laughed again, even though I could sense the pain behind that mask of cheeriness.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I asked again, biting my lip, willing myself not to cry.
"Of course." Gran said. "Now go!"
"Wait!" I protested as she pushed me out the door. "Don't you think all this is happening too fast?"
"You mean slow!" she said a matter-of-factly. "Now shoo! And when you come back, I expect tales of your adventures."
I nodded and kissed her cheek. "Don't forget me," I said quietly.
"I should be telling you that." She smiled kindly, her braided her the exact color of freshly fallen snow.
"Promise?" we asked together.
"I promise," we said in unison.
