Page 21 of Catching the Mistletoe

Arabella burst out laughing. Outside, kids began to cheer and clap, their faces lighting up at the sound. “Holy Christmas balls, Evelyn was right.” Adjusting her Santa hat, she flashed me one of those high-wattage smiles before shoving the RV door open. A burst of cool air swept in, rushing over me. Then she was out of the RV, pushing the door closed. “Hello! We’re so excited to be here! Merry Christmas, everyone!”

The kids rushed toward her and I watched for a moment, captivated by the way she lit up the space around her. Shaking off the trance, I pushed open my own door and stepped out, landing on the asphalt of the community centre’s parking lot.

I moved to stand next to Arabella, who was already knee-deep in a conversation about Santa’s reindeer with a small group of kids.

Two volunteers approached us—a woman with curly blond hair wearing an elf hat, and a tall guy sporting a full beard and reindeer antlers.

“Hi there! I’m Jenny and this is Mark,” said the woman, her elf hat jingling with each word. “We’re so excited to have you both here!”

“Hey, Jenny, Mark. We’re pumped to be here, too,” Arabella replied. Her eyes were absolutely glowing. It seemed to me that she was made for moments like this.

I caught sight of two cameras, their red recording lights on, capturing every moment. Mark saw me looking.

“Those capture some pretty good bloopers, so watch out,” he said, winking.

Arabella chuckled. “Well, let’s hope Santa’s watching, because I’m definitely aiming for the ‘Nice’ list this year.”

I cracked a smile. Yeah, she was definitely in her element.

“Alright, little elves, let’s go inside and see what Santa’s helpers have brought us!” Jenny and Mark started rounding up the kids, herding them into the community center.

We headed to the back of the RV, where piles of colorfully wrapped boxes were stacked neatly. I grabbed an armful, and Arabella did the same.

She was almost vibrating with excitement. “I can’t believe how much fun this is. You ready to make some Christmas magic?”

Her enthusiasm was contagious. “Sure am.”

We made our way into the community center. Sam, with his camera on his shoulder, walked backward in front of us and as though she was following a script, Arabella started talking. “As you can see, folks, this is a pretty special day at Fresno Community Center and we’re beyond excited to be a part of it. We’re hoping to have many more days like this for the Caravan of Christmas, so if you can give anything, anything at all, it doesn’t have to be a huge amount, please consider doing so. Thanks for watching.” Another beaming smile at the camera and she was through the door.

There were over three hundred kids inside and the room was already buzzing with their excited chatter, all sitting on the floor, squirming with anticipation.

The next half-hour was a whirlwind, like something out of a holiday movie where time speeds up and everything blurs. Volunteers shuttled in and out, carrying armfuls of wrapped gifts from the RV in what felt like an endless stream.

Arabella and I were in the thick of it, handing out gifts left and right. She’d call out a name, and a kid would come running up, eyes like saucers, to take a box from her. Their reactions were priceless, some jumping in excitement, others shyly mumbling thank-yous.

At one point, a little girl hugged her gift tightly, then dashed over to hug Arabella’s legs, almost making her teeter over. She just laughed, regaining her balance and patting the girl’s back.

As for me, I was on toy distribution, handing the right-sized boxes to Arabella or directly to the kids. Now and then, our hands would brush against each other as we reached for the same gift, sending that familiar electric jolt up my arm.

It was controlled chaos, but it was also kind of beautiful. Even the cameras seemed to fade into the background. Once all the presents were handed out, I noticed a little girl struggling with the ribbon on her present. Her small fingers fumbled with the knot, her face a mix of determination and frustration. All the volunteers and caretakers were occupied, buzzing around like worker bees, too busy to notice her struggle.

I walked over and knelt down beside her. “Hey there, need a hand with that?” I kept my voice low so as not to scare her.

She looked up, her brown eyes widening a little before she nodded. “Yes, please.”

I took the ribbon and unraveled the knot, making sure to let her pull off the bow herself. As soon as the wrapping paper was off, she squealed with delight. It was a colorful toy truck, complete with working headlights and honking sounds. “You wanna play with it too?”

“Sure.”

And with that, she plonked herself in my lap, her fingers dancing over the buttons and levers. As she immersed herself in her new toy, I glanced up and caught Arabella’s gaze. She was standing a few feet away, handing out the last of the candy canes to a group of kids. But for that moment, it was like we were the only two people in the room. Our eyes locked, and I could’ve sworn the air around us crackled with an electric charge. She gave me a small, almost shy smile, and it felt like someone had punched me in the chest—in a good way, though. I wanted to hold on to that connection, stretch it out, but then a kid tugged at her sleeve, breaking the spell. Arabella turned her attention to the child, but not before I noticed her cheeks were a little rosier than before.

We stayed for about half an hour more before Jenny clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “That’s a wrap, everyone. ‘Scuse the pun. Big thanks to Arabella and Mack for making this all happen!”

Arabella stood up and started saying her goodbyes, giving hugs and high-fives to the kids. I followed suit, lifting the little girl off my lap and setting her back on her feet. “You take good care of that truck, okay?”

She nodded enthusiastically, clutching the toy to her chest. “I will!”

We made our way to the door, waving one last time before stepping outside. As we climbed into the RV, Arabella turned to me. “That was something, huh?”

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