Joe and Hope walked down the path back to the sleigh. “So why do you think he wants the star, Hope?”

Hope stopped and faced Joe. “It’s not the star he wants; it’s the power it can give him. The star is a beacon, a symbol if you will, for Christmas. It brings the gift of possibilities and hope every year. It’s how I got my name.

“This nowhere man’s real name is Exspes. He wants to stop Christmas.”

At the sound of the name, a murky memory popped into Joe’s head. “Wait, I know that name from somewhere.”

“I don’t know how you could,” Hope said. “He never leaves here for anywhere else.”

“But, ah, I…hopelessness!” Joe said. “It’s hopelessness.”

“What is?” Hope said.

“Exspes means hopelessness in Latin.”

“And how do you know that? You speak Latin? Must be hard to find someone else to talk to.”

Joe laughed. “My grandfather used to read Latin words to me when I was a baby. For some reason I remember them.”

“Your grandfather sounds like an unusual guy,” Hope said.

“He is, and you’re about to meet him and his friends.” Joe pointed to the sleigh in the distance.

*****

When the sleigh came into sight, Hope ran to it, hugging Spero.

“Ah,” Joe said, “you guys know each other?”

“This,” said Hope, holding the Spero’s hand, “is my grandfather. I thought Exspes had him prisoner.”

After the brief joy of the reunion, they got back to business.

“How is it you came to be the guardians of the star, Hope?” Joe said.

“Santa and my great, great, great a hundred times over grandfather were friends. When Santa started the Christmas tradition, he knew he needed someone to put a sign in the sky for all to see. To remind them of the possibilities, to let the reindeer know it was time to fly again, and to remind the world about the things that really matter.

“He also needed someone he could trust with this responsibility. It’s been in our family since then. The position is passed along to each generation to carry on.”

“If this Exspes gets his hands on the star,” Joe’s grandfather said, “what will he do?”

“He’ll use the power of the star to stop Santa. The star keeps the world believing in Santa. Every year, as Christmas approaches, people all over the world see the star as a sign of hope. A sign that there is always some good in the world. A symbol that possibilities are always there for us to believe in them.

“For some, it’s knowing they’ll be with their families. For others, it’s doing something for others in the world. Everyone has their way, it may be different for you and me, but it is the spirit of Christmas that matters.”

“I think I know what we need to do,” Joe said. “Grandfather, do you have my backpack?”

Joe’s grandfather looked around the sleigh. “We must have left it in Christmas Town. Why do you need it?”

“Just trust me on this,” Joe said. “How fast can you get it back here?”

Levi David smiled. “Oh, I love these moments. Hang on boys, it’s gonna be a rocky ride.”

And in a flash, the sleigh was gone.

“Now what,” Hope said.

“Now we wait,” Joe said. “While we do, I’ll fill you in.”

Tomorrow: Believe in the Possibilities