The air felt fizzy, like when Dad opens a bottle of orange soda. Scarlett giggled, her tiny hand tucked in her Dad's much bigger one. High above Philadelphia, the clouds shimmered, pink and lilac in the late afternoon sun. Dad pointed. "Look, Scarlett! A magical staircase!" And there it was, made of fluffy white clouds, leading up, up, up to the sky.
"Up?" Scarlett asked, her big brown eyes wide.
"Up we go!" Dad swung her up onto his shoulders. "To the land of Clouds!"
Each step on the cloud staircase tickled their feet. When they reached the top, it was like stepping into a giant, fluffy marshmallow. The air smelled like cotton candy and sunshine. Little fluffy creatures with rainbow wings zoomed around, giggling.
"Welcome to Clouds!" one sang, landing on Dad's hat. "We are the Zoomers! Are you here to learn about Gratitude?"
Scarlett loved that word, Gratitude. It sounded warm and fuzzy, like her favorite blanket. Dad always said it was important to feel Gratitude, to be thankful for all the good things in the world.
"We are!" Dad boomed, his voice echoing across the fluffy landscape. "Scarlett is learning all about it."
A Zoomer with wings like stained glass zoomed close. "Gratitude is a feeling in your heart," she whispered. "Like when you see a beautiful butterfly, or eat a yummy cookie!"
Scarlett nodded. She felt Gratitude when she danced, when she saw her cat Whiskers, and especially when Dad read her bedtime stories.
They spent the afternoon playing games with the Zoomers. They tossed shimmering bubbles that burst into rainbows, and danced on clouds that played music when they bounced. Scarlett even learned a special Zoomer song about Gratitude!
But then, a giant shadow fell over them. A grumpy-looking cloud with a frowning face loomed overhead.
"Who disturbed my nap?" the cloud grumbled, its voice like thunder.
The Zoomers huddled together, scared. Dad put a comforting arm around Scarlett.
Scarlett, even though she was just a little girl, knew what to do. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Thank you for sharing Clouds with us, grumpy cloud! We are grateful for the fun games and the beautiful sky!"
The grumpy cloud blinked. He had never been thanked for being grumpy before. He looked at Scarlett, at her bright smile, and his frown slowly turned upside down.
"Well," he rumbled, his voice softer now. "Maybe being grumpy isn't so fun after all." He even let out a little chuckle that sounded like distant thunder.
The Zoomers cheered. The grumpy cloud, his name was actually Nimbus, wasn't so grumpy anymore! He joined in their games, laughing as they bounced on his fluffy belly.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in a blaze of colors, Dad and Scarlett knew it was time to go.
"Thank you for teaching us about Gratitude," Dad said, giving Nimbus a pat on his fluffy side.
"And thank you," Scarlett added, "for being a little less grumpy!"
Nimbus chuckled again, a sound like soft summer rain.
Holding Dad's hand tight, Scarlett stepped back onto the magical staircase. As they floated back down to Philadelphia, she carried the warmth of Gratitude in her heart, a feeling as bright and beautiful as the clouds themselves.
