Page 14 of Catching the Mistletoe

We got to the departure gate, and Jesus fuck, everyone was there. They’d set it up with a camera crew and everything, making me run an emotional gauntlet before I could get through the gate. Oh god. I hadn’t prepared myself for this. The first time I’d been away from them in…forever. Even through all my hospital stays, someone had always been with me. I stopped short, overwhelmed by searing doubt. There was no way I could do this. No fucking way. “Jesus,” I whispered.

Mack stopped next to me. “You wanna turn around, we turn around.”

His voice was low and reassuring, and it was all I needed. “No. I’m okay. Let’s do this.”

Uncle Rhys and Aunt Rosie stepped forward first. “You’ll be amazing. Knock ‘em dead.”

“Okay.”

Then came Zane. “Bye, Bella. Look after my kidney.”

I giggled. “Will do.” Then my smile faded, and I swallowed heavily. If it wasn’t for him giving me the kidney in the first place, I wouldn’t be here.

Genevieve was next, her eyes misty as she wrapped me in a fierce hug. “You’re going to have the best time, Bella!”

I hugged her just as fiercely back. Because also, if it hadn’t been for her, and how fucking hard she worked in that competition, I wouldn’t be standing here today.

Then Noah, sturdy and dependable. If he hadn’t straight up donated his share of the prize money, I’d most likely be dead. He pulled me into a bear hug that lifted me off my feet. “Take care of yourself, and take care of Mack,” he whispered, releasing me.

“I will.”

Then it was Mom and Dad, my rock and my safe harbor. “We’re so proud of you,” Mom choked out, hugging me tightly. Her body trembled just a bit, and I realized she was barely holding it together. If she went, I’d go. I knew it for a fact.

“Thanks, Mom. For everything.”

Dad’s hand came up to rest on her shoulder, his eyes searching mine, filled with a mix of pride and concern that made my heart ache.

“Bye, Dad.”

“Bye, Bella.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. Fuck, this was almost harder than Mom. I breathed him in one last time before forcing myself to step back, my eyes stinging, my throat thick with words I couldn’t say.

I had one more job to do before we went through the gate. Turning to the cameras, I mustered up my brightest smile. “Hi everyone. This is day one of the Caravan of Christmas. We’re hoping to make it thirty days. If you want to donate or support us along the way, the link will be up on the Caravan of Christmas website. So, thank you so much, and even though it’s a bit early, merry Christmas. And to anyone out there who is watching, if you think you can’t make a difference, think again. You can change the world, one child at a time. Bye for now. See you in thirty days, if we last that long.”

I picked up my carry-on, and every step toward the security line felt like I was pulling away from a magnetic field. My heart felt like it was being stretched thin, caught between the family I was leaving behind and the adventure that lay ahead.

I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but Mack seemed very tense, standing next to me. I guess he was wrestling with his own hopes and doubts. I snuck a quick look at him, but his face was unreadable. Completely closed off. Then he shot me a sharp, assessing look. “You good?”

Was I? I wasn’t one hundred percent, but overall, I was positive. Couldn’t ask for more than that. “Yes. I can’t believe we’re finally doing this.”

“Yeah.”

As we approached the boarding gate, it hit me that this was the point of no return. Whatever came next, whatever happened on this trip, it would be a chapter in a story that Mack and I were writing together. And wasn’t that the weirdest fucking thought?

“Ready?” he asked, looking down at me.

I dragged in some air and squared my shoulders, my heart doing somersaults in my chest. “As I’ll ever be.”

When we got to the front of the line, we handed our passes to a middle-aged woman with a friendly face and warm, inviting eyes. She took them and started typing something into her computer. Then she paused, looked up at us, and squinted as if she was trying to place our faces.

“Wait a minute.” Her eyes widened. “You two are theCaravan of Christmaspeople, right? I saw your interview on TV! What you’re doing is absolutely amazing.”

“Uh, yeah, that’s us. Thank you so much for saying that. We’re really excited about it.”

Her fingers started dancing over the keyboard. “Well, how about a little early Christmas gift from us, then? How does a complimentary upgrade to first class sound?”

My jaw dropped. “Are you serious? That’s incredible!”

She was beaming as she handed us our new boarding passes. “It’s the least we can do for what you’re doing for those kids. Have a great flight, you two.”

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