Page 78 of Light Up My Life

“It’s okay, we’ll find him.” He couldn’t have gone far. The movie was still blasting on the screen. “Let’s do a lap around the square. You go that way, I’ll go this way.”

“The elf is looking too,” she said as she rushed away.

I did two laps of the square, and what started out as mild panic was now full-blown panic. We couldn’t find Harris.

I drew in a frustrated breath and headed for Mrs. O’Leary, who I could see in the gazebo with all the movie equipment. Maybe she was guarding it after Fiona’s stunt earlier. I didn’t want to have to do this. The whole town would talk about it for weeks, but I knew I had to.

“Jasmine,” Mrs. O’Leary whispered as I approached. “Can this wait until after the movie? It’s almost done.”

“My brother is missing,” I said.

“Harris?” she asked, and then looked around her chair like he would suddenly appear there.

“Yes.”

“That’s not good. Did you check the bathrooms?”

“I checked everywhere. Do you think you can make an announcement?”

“Of course, honey, let me just pause this…” She stood and moved to a table where a laptop was connected to a projector. “Let’s see…”

She was taking forever. My heart was racing, my eyes darting around the square, my brain thinking of worst-case scenarios. To my left, a car started on the street, its lights glowing. Someone was leaving early. What if Harris walked across the street and someone driving didn’t see him?

Mrs. O’Leary was studying the laptop, still looking for the pause button. The microphone she’d been using earlier was sitting next to her on the table. I picked it up and clicked it on. “Harris,” I said, my voice ringing out over the speakers. “Harris Costa, please come to the gazebo. We’re looking for you.”

Mrs. O’Leary let out a grunt of disapproval, but she must’ve finally found the pause button because the movie stopped. She relieved me of the microphone and said, “We have a missing child, everyone. Harris Costa. Please help us in our search, and if anyone sees him, bring him to the gazebo.”

Immediately people were standing and calling Harris’s name, walking around. My racing heart slowed a bit.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Of course, dear,” Mrs. O’Leary said. “We are good at coming together as a community. We’ll find him.”

I nodded and left to help in the search.

“Jasmine!” a loud voice called from the direction of the food trucks on the street. Will was walking toward me, holding Harris’s hand. I rushed forward, dropped to my knees, and pulled my brother into a hug.

“Harris! Where did you go?” I said, pushing him out by his shoulders to look at him.

“Where did you go?” he asked. “You were supposed to stay with me.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Fiona was with you.”

“He was hiding in my hot chocolate trailer,” Will said.

“Thank you.” I stood up and gave Will a hug. “Thank you so much.”

He hugged me back. “Of course. Sorry I didn’t think of it earlier. I should’ve locked it up when I left to watch the movie with you guys.”

I dropped my arms and took a step back. “No, it’s okay. It’s my fault.”

Past Will, I could see Ryan approaching. He noticed Harris, and relief came over his face. “You found him,” he said, joining us. His cheeks seemed flushed with exertion. I wondered if he’d been running in his search.

“Thanks for helping,” I said, unable to move any closer, unable to hug him like I wanted to. He must’ve felt the same because he took a step toward me but then stopped himself, his eyes going from me to Will to Harris. I put some distance between Will and me.

“You’re our neighbor,” Harris said to Ryan. “We can’t talk to you.”

“Shh,” I said to Harris, squeezing his shoulder. “That’s not nice. He was helping us find you.”