There are also a few kids from school here with their families, and lots of people I don’t recognize. People who drove here to see the lights go on. The crowd takes up the whole street in front of the hall.

Gloria waves me up when she sees me. I grip Fina’s gloved hand and drag her with me, weaving through the crowd of strange and familiar faces.

“Aha,” says Gloria. “Finally! We’ve been waiting.”

As if we had an appointment.

“But why me?” I ask. Usually the person who gets chosen to plug in the lights is someone who’s done something really special for the village that year.

“Because, dear,” Gloria says simply, “it’s what your gram would have wanted.”

She claps her hands and calls for everyone’s attention. Before I have time to think about what she said, I suddenly become aware of hundreds of eyes turning in my direction.

I can’t remember ever being in front of this many people. My dinner seems to flip in my stomach. Even in the dusky light, I’m sure they can make out my patches.

“Is everybody ready?” Gloria calls.

“Just do it, Gloria!” Ruth cries. “Some of us have bad backs!”

A few people laugh. I wonder if anyone is staring at me, whispering to the person next to them. Do you see her face? What’s wrong with it?

And you know what?

Maybe they are and maybe they aren’t. I decide I don’t care. A smile creeps up my face. It’s Thanksgiving. My best friend is standing beside me. Nobody is going to ruin this moment.

“Countdown!” Gloria demands, handing me the end of the string of lights.

“Five!” someone yells.

A snowflake appears in the sky. It lands on Ms. Ramirez’s coat. Her eyes light up when she sees it. Fina and I look at each other and grin. “Four!” we yell.

Mom has one arm wrapped around Dad’s waist and the other looped over Lily’s shoulders. Lily squints up at the sky. Nearby, a kid calls out, “Snow!”

“Three!”

That’s when I see a dark figure in the back of the crowd. I squint, but all I can make out is a shape, standing slightly away from everyone else in the shadows.

“Two!”

A snowflake lands on my nose. I bend down toward the outlet, gripping the end of the light strand firmly in my hand.

“ONE!” everyone shouts.

I plug in the lights.

When I stand up again, I look for the figure I saw. But there’s nobody. Whoever it was has just slipped out of sight.

Everyone starts to clap and cheer. One by one, up and down High Street, the houses turn their lights on. The crowd gasps as rooftops and doorways and yards begin to twinkle and glitter. Color spills from everywhere. The village is bathed in its brightness.