Lost Piece in the Grand Hotel
The warm Italian sun tickled Gemma's toes as she sat on the smooth floor. She had a very big job to do today. Her wooden puzzle pieces lay in a messy pile. Gemma picked up a bright pink piece and tapped it against her chin.
Lola sat right beside her, holding a round blue piece. Lola pointed to the middle of the board and giggled. Gemma shook her head with a serious frown. No, that piece belonged in the sky, not on the ground.
Devon watched them from the soft sofa, her long wavy hair catching the morning light. 'You are working so hard, Gemma,' Devon said with a warm smile. Gemma nodded. A big pink airplane was slowly appearing on the floor.
Giraffe stood tall on his long fabric legs, watching the progress with his quiet, stitched eyes. Gemma reached up and patted Giraffe's soft nose. 'Look, Giraffe,' she whispered. 'The airplane is almost ready to fly into the clouds.'
Gemma pressed the last cloud piece into its spot. Push! It fit perfectly. But then she gasped, and her hands flew to her cheeks. The pink tail of the airplane was gone. There was only a cold, empty wooden space.
Lola looked under her own knees. Devon looked under the soft white pillows on the sofa. Giraffe just stood very still, towering over the room. The pink tail piece was nowhere to be seen. It had completely vanished.
'We must go on a grand search,' Devon declared, puffing out her chest like a brave explorer. Gemma cheered and marched toward the door. Lola followed, marching with high knees. Giraffe rode along in Gemma's strong arms.
They stepped into the Grand Lobby. The floor was so shiny that Gemma could see her own reflection bouncing beneath her feet. She crawled on her hands and knees, looking for a flash of bright pink on the marble.
Lola peered inside a giant golden pot. A huge green palm leaf tickled her nose, making her sneeze loudly. Devon laughed and checked behind a big velvet curtain, but only found a tiny sleeping toy mouse.
Gemma held Giraffe high up so he could look on top of the tall reception desk. 'Do you see it, Giraffe?' she asked. Giraffe shook his head very slowly, or maybe it was just Gemma tilting him. Still, no puzzle piece.
They marched out into the sunny Hotel Garden. The air smelled like sweet lemons and fresh dirt. Gemma ran along the stone path, her eyes scanning the ground. She saw a pink flower, but it was too soft to be wood.
Lola splashed her fingers in the bubbling stone fountain. 'Maybe the airplane piece wanted to take a bath!' she suggested. Devon gently pulled Lola back, laughing. The water was clear, and only shiny grey pebbles lay at the bottom.
Gemma sat on the grass and let out a big, tired sigh. Her lower lip trembled just a little bit. Searching was hard work, and her pink airplane was still broken. Giraffe leaned against her shoulder to comfort her.
'Don't give up, Captain Gemma!' Devon said, pointing toward a heavy wooden door. 'The library is full of secrets. I bet our missing piece is hiding in there, reading a very interesting book about airplanes.'
They tiptoed into the quiet Hotel Library. The room was warm and smelled like old paper. Giant bookshelves stretched all the way to the ceiling. Gemma looked up and felt very small, but she kept her eyes wide open.
Lola crawled under a big red velvet armchair. She found a lost shiny button and a tiny pencil, but no pink wood. She held them up like treasures. Gemma smiled, but she wanted her puzzle piece most of all.
Devon checked the lower shelves, moving books aside very gently. Gemma sat on the thick patterned rug and hugged Giraffe tightly. 'Where could it be, Giraffe?' she asked. Giraffe just stared at the books with his quiet smile.
Suddenly, Gemma noticed something strange. Giraffe looked a little bit wider than usual. She squeezed his soft middle. Then she looked down at his long, fabric legs. There was a funny, hard bump right under his left foot.
Gemma gently lifted Giraffe's foot. Her eyes grew round and bright. There it was! A smooth, painted piece of pink wood was stuck to the bottom of Giraffe's foot by a tiny piece of sticky tape.
'I found it!' Gemma squealed, jumping up and down on the rug. Lola clapped her hands, and Devon did a silly little dance. Giraffe had been carrying the missing tail of the airplane during their entire grand adventure.
They ran all the way back to their room, their shoes tapping a happy song on the tiles. The unfinished puzzle was waiting on the floor. Gemma knelt down, holding the precious pink piece in both of her hands.
With a gentle push, Gemma slid the pink tail into the empty space. Click! The airplane was finally whole. It looked beautiful in the warm, golden sunset light. Gemma hugged Lola and Devon, her face shining with pride.
Gemma looked at Giraffe, who was standing tall by the window. She noticed a tiny yellow star sticker stuck to his ear. Gemma giggled softly and patted his leg. 'Tomorrow, Giraffe,' she whispered, 'you can help us build a block castle.'
