Original subtitles

Oh, Merry Christmas!

Hey! I swear, I'm just losing money coming to work. Oh, you mean guilt,

know exactly how much money's in that jar.

Well, goodbye. I'm so sorry that I'm late. I had to drop Hannah off a friend.

Oh, is she getting excited for Christmas?

Yeah, I'm certain she's getting a puppy.

Ouch. I hate being the Grinch. I thought this was the year your heart grew three

sizes.

I'm ready to decorate, but a puppy, no.

Don't worry, she won't blame you forever.

Oh, by the way, the mayor hired someone. Trisha with the gazebo. By Christmas

Eve. Why this wasn't planned six months ago, I have no idea. Fred Burns, plan

ahead. Remember last summer when he went out for lunch on a Tuesday? Then he

spontaneously drove to the airport. Once in 80s, the spice of life.

Besides, we've only just discovered it's the 75th anniversary of the tree

lighting ceremony, right? Good morning, Fred. Good morning. How are promotions

going? Great. I've already spoken to the Tribune and Channel 11. Both are going

to do stories, but Judy Keene, the general manager over at 11, she says she

isn't sure she can get a camera crew here on Christmas Eve, considering the

notice. Oh, it'll be a terrific show. Who wouldn't want to be here? Well,

Fred... Come on, meet Scott.

Fred!

I know this is a challenge, but it's been over 30 years since Guilford had

tree lighting ceremony.

And let's restore the gazebo to exactly what it was when it was first built,

when that first big tree was lighting up the whole square.

Okay, well, the thing is, Fred, I think it's irresponsible for anyone to promise

that it can be restored on such short notice.

I mean, maybe we should just be focusing on the tree.

Nonsense. Where there's a will, there's a way.

It's going to be perfect.

Scott, I'd like you to come and meet Lindsay Monroe from our city planning

department. Lindsay, Scott Terrell.

Hey. Hey, how you doing?

Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.

A lot of work between now and Christmas Eve, huh?

Yeah. You think we're planning it?

Big celebration.

Very big. There's going to be a lot of publicity, and I just... I would hate

you to make a promise that you couldn't deliver on.

I always deliver on a promise.

Okay, great.

You see, we're kind of putting all of our eggs in one basket here, so if it

isn't finished, all of those eggs are going to end up on my face.

Not to mention the mayor's reputation, so... You see, we're promoting this as a

very big celebration. Celebration. Yeah, you said that.

I think your basket's safe.

Provided we can get past one slight hiccup.

I don't like hiccups.

Well, currently there's no reference to the actual finished structure of the

gazebo, so... So... Well, the intent was for it to be exactly as it was, right?

So I've looked for some photos, some sort of reference, but it keeps coming

empty. I can't actually start at the gazebo until I know what it looked like.

While I appreciate your attention to detail, I don't think anyone's going to

know the difference.

I will.

What the people of Guilford will notice is if it's half finished.

It won't be. It can't be.

Provided we find a reference to the original.

We? Yeah.

I mean, we are in this together, right?

See? You both have the will to get this done.

I'm counting on it.

Guilford's counting on it. This is the season of miracles.

Which is what it might take.

Hey, it's nice to meet you.

Yeah.

You too.

Lindsay, please tell me when your mother arrives. She's coming up from Florida

again this year for Christmas, right?

Everyone will know when my mother arrives.

Excellent.

Come on!

Come on! All the good stuff is probably gone already!

The answer is still no.

Do you want to hold it?

Yes, please.

Hello, sweet pea.

Ha.

Please, oh please, oh please.

We are not getting anything that requires food.

Or sponge.

But I'll take care of him. I'll do everything myself. You won't even know

he's in the house. I promise. I cross my heart. You may cross your heart,

sweetie, but it'll be my cross to bear.

He's my favorite, too.

His name's Magic.

Magic.

Bye, Magic.

Bye.

Oh, Magic.

Are you looking for anything in particular?

Oh, well, my daughter and I, we've decided to get some new decorations.

Just something simple.

How about some tree ornaments?

Oh, well, I'm not sure that we'll get a tree just yet.

Mom, Mom!

Miss O 'Neil says that the puppies are free and that all the shots have been

paid for.

She just wants to find them a good home.

Maybe Mrs. O 'Neil should pick on someone her own size.

Tell you what, here's ten bucks.

Knock yourself out. Why don't you get a docking?

Fine.

My mom always gets sad this time of year.

It was usually my dad who did the decorations.

You know what?

I have one I think would be perfect for both of you.

It's a little old, a little used, but it has lots of charm.

How much?

Well, if you buy something else, I probably could give it to you for

Sweet. I've got ten bucks.

Well, that's a start. Let's go and see what we have here.

Lindsay Monroe.

How are you, dear?

Finally going to crack open that purse this year?

Well, um, Hannah is in need of something a little more her age. I love this.

Real antique.

All they need is a little sign and a good polish.

How much?

Buy them all, and I'll give you a price.

Look, my nephew just moved back to Guilford.

Magician at fixing things. No extra charge.

And he's single.

Well, um... They're lining up for them. I'll peddle for free delivery.

Deal. Great.

Hi, Mom.

Hey, how'd you do?

Good. I hope you didn't pay ten bucks for this.

Oh, no. That was free. I paid ten bucks for this.

It looks perfect.

Thanks, Ruth.

Bye, Anna. Bye.

Are you excited?

Yes.

Hold this. Okay.

She really wanted this old thing, huh?

Hey, look what I found.

Gore? You want it?

Nah, you found it. It's yours.

Hmm. I think the clasp is broken.

See?

Looks perfect.

Sorry, I thought they were decorations.

No, um...

It's okay, sweetie. I'll just go put them back.

How was your drive?

Terrific. Hey, sugar.

Christmas tree.

Well, you did say you were all in this year.

More than usual, yes, but... And who doesn't want a Christmas tree?

And it starts.

Oh, Fred Barnes told me to say hello.

Honestly, that man.

He saw me drive through town.

I'm afraid I will never hear the end of it. He's a nice man.

He's an old hoot.

You went to school together. You're the same age.

I'm an independent woman, free as the birds.

He's been chasing me for years, so please do not encourage him.

Ooh.

Okay, big push on you.

I really think it goes better over there.

Nonsense. It's perfect.

Got a surprise for you, bud.

What do you think?

Um... What are you saying, Anna?

I love it.

I got you both.

I know. It's awful.

I bet this is more your style.

I love it. Thanks, Grandma.

You're welcome, darling.

This isn't something extra.

Tell me, love, what do you really want for Christmas?

I'm not allowed to say.

Gross. A puppy.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to help you out there, honey.

Mom.

What?

I'm going to go try this on.

And I am going to make dinner.

Oh, I've already got dinner planned.

It's okay, honey.

So do I.

It's Fred.

I'm sure it's Ruth's nephew with the furniture I bought at the sale.

You.

Hi.

Apparently you bought some things for my aunt.

You're Ruth's nephew?

That's me.

Where do you want it?

I'll show you, handsome.

To go over in that corner.

Why don't we let Hannah decide?

I like it there. I'll meet you outside. It's great.

Yeah, sorry about that. I can't find the key anywhere.

I'll keep looking. Otherwise, I'll just replace the lock.

Oh, it's fine. Thank you.

Scott,

we were just about to start dinner.

Would you like to join us?

You know, actually, I can't. I appreciate it.

I'm behind on our work, and there's lots to do. Yeah.

I'll walk you up.

Good idea. All right. Thank you.

Thank you again.

You did a terrific job. It looks brand new.

It wasn't any trouble.

It's all there. Just a little surface.

And I'm happy that I'm going to a good home. You know, these belong to my

grandparent. Oh, well.

I only hope that the gazebo in the rest of the town square looks half as good.

If I get it finished on time, right?

When it gets finished on time.

How what?

I saw it.

You blushed when he opened the door. What are you talking about?

He's restoring the town square.

Far too ridiculous if you ask me.

It's never going to get done on time, and I'm the one that's going to have to

answer for it.

I know that look.

He really liked you.

That was obvious. A woman knows.

Okay, well, I know this might shock you, but you're wrong.

Besides, I'm not ready for that.

So please don't do your thing.

What thing?

The thing where you try and control my life.

I just don't like seeing you alone, that's all.

It's Miss Independent, Miss Free of the Bird.

It's different for me.

You're young. You've got your whole life in front of you.

Oh, well.

It still hurts, Mom.

I know it does, darling.

I thought I was ready for all this.

Every decoration is just another reminder.

I'm just doing all this for Hannah.

As you should.

You should also do it for yourself.

For what it's worth, I think if Hannah a puppy is a great idea.

Mm -hmm.

Dinner was absolutely lovely, Mom. Thank you. You liked it, huh? I loved it,

yeah.

Gosh, what?

I didn't mean to look. I am so sorry that I looked. But I was just decorating

the tree, and then it was on the floor, and I didn't think that there would be

anything in it until Christmas.

What are you talking about?

This. It even has the name Magic on it. How did you know?

At the rummage sale.

Magic was supposed to...

Did you?

I didn't do it.

It was empty. I found that silver pendant, but that was it. There was

else.

Sweetie, I know you want a puppy, but this isn't the way to go about it. I

didn't put it in there either. I swear.

I was just decorating the Christmas tree when I turned around and there it was

on the floor. On the floor. It just fell down by itself.

I don't know.

Hannah, this isn't funny.

I didn't put it in there.

Then someone else is playing a very bad joke.

I'm innocent!

Debbie O 'Neil.

Who?

Debbie. She was giving away puppies at the rummage sale. She must have slipped

it in a stocking as we were leaving.

Clever. I'll give her that.

Debbie would never do that.

How else do you explain it?

You said it yourself.

It was empty.

Well... Obviously, it just must have gotten stuck in the fabric and I didn't

it.

Does that mean I'm not getting a puppy?

No, sweetie.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, Bob.

Oh, no.

Oh, Donna.

It's Fred.

Yeah.

Can I come in?

I can hear you shushing.

I think the temperature's dropped another two degrees.

Maybe three.

Oh, my.

Hi,

Fred. Hello, Lindsay.

For you, my dear.

I saw you drive through town and I wanted to say hello and wish you a Merry

Christmas. They're very pretty.

Thank you.

Well, uh... Good night, Fred.

You're a typical hypocrite.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Grandma, do people your age really go on dates?

Flowers.

Again. Yes. The more aware these came from.

I hope you don't feel I'm being obnoxious.

I let you drift away all those years ago, and I can't let that happen again

without a good fight.

I won't be dissuaded.

Nor will I.

Mom!

Don't encourage him. The man is a menace.

The man knows what he wants.

I think it's sweet.

So do I.

You've got to be kidding.

Honestly, Fred.

I bought out the entire shop.

You haven't seen half of them. I may be here all night.

People will never vote for you ever again if they see you acting like this.

I could care less about politics as long as you'll say yes to a date.

Okay. Anything.

All right.

We will all go out with you. Lindsay, Hannah, and me.

Accepted.

Good night.

How's it going?

Well, it's not proving as easy to refurbish as that old furniture.

Well, I managed to find these for you at the Historical Society. They're not

exactly what you're looking for, but it's all that I can track down. I'm

I'm sure you can make it up. There's plenty of references to old gazebos

Well, you just want to get it done, huh?

Yeah, I do.

Rebuilt, refurbished, restored.

And it's going to look great, as long as it's finished.

Well, it will, but it won't be authentic, which is kind of the point.

So where are we at with the lights?

Oh, they're going to be vintage, too. I'm going to string them all across the

whole square, all leading to the Christmas tree. Great.

When do they get here? Any day.

You haven't ordered them yet, have you? Nope.

I was kind of hoping to get a reference on those as well.

Okay, I don't need to remind you that my reputation... My reputation is on the

line, yes.

Yours, too.

Do you want to go to dinner?

I'm sorry, what?

Dinner. You, me, restaurant.

Are you asking me on a date?

You can call it what you like. I just thought we'd discuss this in a more

setting.

I can't do that. Why not?

Because I can't do that.

If you want to...

My daughter and I were going to dinner tonight with the mayor and my mother. My

mom would not go out with him unless we went to, and I'm sure no one would mind

if you came along.

Nobody would mind? Wow, that is quite the invite.

Would you like to come along?

No.

Okay, sir.

All right.

I'll have Fred call you.

Sounds like a plan.

You do that.

Agreed.

No, no, no.

No, you can't say a thing. It has to be a surprise for both of them.

Gotta go.

Is the mayor gonna do it?

I told him I'd accept a real date if he does.

Shh.

What are you two talking about?

Nothing. Just letting Fred know that we're on our way.

You know, I still don't understand how we got roped into chaperoning your date.

So it wouldn't be a date.

Oh, yeah.

Hey, Fred. Hello.

Lovely to see you. Hi.

Hi. Have a lovely dinner.

Give me a quickie. Okay. Mom!

Wait, Mayor. Mom!

I cannot believe that woman.

I can't believe he was ever elected.

All right.

So should I just take you home?

Oh, gosh, no, of course not.

Well, can we?

Sure, yes.

Yeah. Yeah?

We did it. We did.

Thanks so much for including me. I love a good prank.

That was great.

Tomorrow, right?

That was the deal.

All right, you two. Good night.

Good night, Fred. Good night, Mayor.

To my crazy mother.

And the impeachment of the mayor.

I'll drink to that.

Wasn't that fun tonight?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, I'm going to plug in all the lights. I want it to be all lit up when Mom

gets home.

I think they're likely to get lit up all right.

Going to bed already?

Good night.

Good night, Bob.

So after all the places you traveled in the world, you decided to come back

here? Yeah, well, home is where the heart is.

That's what they say, anyway.

Or where you hang your hat.

Well, it's not nearly as romantic.

Well, I moved away when I was a kid, and I always came back for the summers.

I love it here, you know? I spend a lot of time with my grandpa.

You know, the truth is...

I was the one that suggested we restore the open depot and the square, not the

mayor. So I have you to thank. Mm -hmm.

Yeah, I want this to be a gathering place, you know, where people come

and we have parties and we celebrate and events.

You know, that's the kind of thing that binds a community.

That's great, but why does it need to be restored exactly as it was?

I mean, I'm sure the person who built this in 1940 would not mind.

You know, that person was my grandfather.

It was his dream to restore it.

My grandfather built it after the war.

We were supposed to do it together.

But he passed away unexpectedly while I was traveling, and I thought we'd have

more time.

I don't mean to compare my grandfather's passing to what you went through. I'm

sorry.

So you know about this. It's terrible what you went through.

This must be a really hard time for you and Hannah.

It's getting better.

So, what else do you know about me?

Where do we start?

I mean, this is Guilford, so... Let me see.

I know your favorite color is blue, your favorite food is Italian, and you own

every Bruce Springsteen album.

My favorite color is green.

Oh, right. Sorry.

So this isn't just a job.

This is personal.

I could restore it any other way, and you're right, nobody would know the

difference, but my grandfather's work would be forgotten, and I made a promise

to him.

And you're a guy who keeps his promises.

Yeah.

I had a nice time tonight.

It's still early.

I think I'm going to go home.

I'll give you a ride.

No, I'll walk.

It's not far.

It's a nice walk. I like the walk.

Thanks.

For dinner.

Absolutely.

So?

I'm not speaking to you.

Don't be a sourpuss.

Sarah Jean called from the restaurant and said that you two were having a

delightful time.

Oh, Guilford.

What are you doing?

Just thought I'd fill out the tree.

Don't worry.

There's plenty here for you and Hannah. Why are you putting those ones up?

You always had these on your tree.

They're sweet.

You know, those were special to me and Doug. I wasn't ready to have them out.

You said that you were ready to decorate again this year, so I just thought I...

No, Mom, I said I was going to ease into it.

You... You bring in a Christmas tree. You trick me into going on a date. You

through my things without any idea of what those ornaments mean.

I know it's with the best intentions.

I put one toe in the water, and you pushed me all the way in.

You're right.

You're right.

I'll take them down.

No, no, no, no, no.

Leave them up.

It's fine.

I couldn't find the four calling birds.

Yeah, they were lost.

When we found the set, they were just so vintage

and...

Unusual. He loved them.

He said that the four calling birds reminded him of our family dream.

We always thought that we'd have two kids, or at least one kid and a dog, and

there'd be four of us.

Four calling birds.

Silly.

It isn't silly.

It goes against my very nature not to interfere.

Oh, really?

So, I'm going to apologize now for the next time I do.

All right, Mom.

Good night, sugar.

you're so dressed up.

I promised Fred we'd go out on a real date if he went along on that little

scheme of ours.

Anyway, he's picking me up this morning.

Said he wanted to do something unusual.

Not sure exactly what that means, but I'm willing to go along.

Oh, hey, you're not off the hook either, young lady.

What's the matter?

Nothing's the matter. Why would you think something's the matter?

Uh, because you're not gloating from your little prank last night?

What was that?

It's not my fault.

Mom. It isn't.

Leave him out there.

I didn't have anything to do with this, I swear.

He's so cute.

They're always cute.

Can I keep him, Mom?

Please? He doesn't have a collar, so he must not belong to anybody.

I've already named him Magic.

All right, he stays for now, sweetie, but you're putting up posters. I'm sure

somebody's looking for him. Okay.

Oh, boy.

Hi.

What are you wearing? We're going fishing, of course.

I brought an extra rod, just assuming that you didn't have one.

Fred, you're a nice man, even a handsome man. And I know you're not a stupid

man. Do you see how I'm dressed?

You look beautiful.

Does this scream fishing to you?

Ice fishing, technically.

It's very safe, and it's a lot of fun. And I'm willing to bet that you've never

done it. Safe bet.

I should have given you fair warning. I grant you that, but I was concerned that

you might say no.

You're two for two.

Well, I've got extra winter gear you can change into, so... Come on. I promise

it'll knock your socks off.

Karma is a beautiful thing.

What kind of dog was Dad going to get me?

How did you know Dad was getting you a dog?

Did Grandma tell you that?

No, he did.

He told me not to tell you I knew.

Was it going to be the same kind of dog?

Well, I'm not sure. Why?

Because I just thought maybe he's the one who made sure I found him.

Sweetie, I know your dad is looking out for you all the time. I believe that

with all my heart.

But there are some things that are really just a coincidence. What if it's

What if I was really supposed to find him and nobody claims him? If nobody

claims him, I'll be open to keeping him.

Pinky swear?

Pinky swear.

We're still putting up posters.

I know.

I've already got our next adventure in mind.

Don't push your luck.

I believe in pushing my luck every day. It keeps me young.

Well, I will consider that.

When I can feel my feet again.

All right.

Donna, I know I come on too strong.

I know that's not attractive.

Women like a mystery. They like to chase.

Well, there's no mystery here. There's just a guy who wants to treat you like

the lady you are.

Well, who says that's not attractive?

I read it in Cosmo.

Cosmo? Yeah.

Good night, Fred.

Good night.

Okay, you're joking.

I'm telling you the truth.

No, you found it in the garage, or you did, Hannah. I didn't. No, I found it in

the stocking.

I couldn't believe it myself. I mean, the date even matched with your set,

So what you're saying, it just appeared inside the stocking? Just like magic. I

didn't see it actually appear.

Look, I came inside.

I saw the stocking on the floor. When I picked it up, the ornament was inside.

So it was Fred.

Fred didn't even come inside the house. He must have somehow flipped it into the

stocking. Indeed.

How could he possibly know that that was the missing ornament? Or that you even

had this collection at all? In this town, everybody knows everything.

So then he what? He broke into the house when we were all out. You're both

wrong. It wasn't anybody at all. It was the stocking.

No, Mom. Think about it.

I wanted a puppy more than anything. And what did I find?

Magic's name tag.

Mom, your silver heart.

Yes? It's broken, remember?

No, I fixed it.

See? That doesn't count.

It's not fixed, is it?

So then, how does finding your mom's missing ornament help me, kiddo?

We'll just have to wait and see.

Okay. Things do not appear out of nowhere.

Exactly. Which means it really is magic.

Hannah. I mean, the name tag says it all. Magic. Hello.

Hannah. Mom. You just have to believe.

Hannah. There is no magic.

Okay, I need to get to work.

The Guess the Coins competition is at three.

Please be there.

Wouldn't miss it.

It is magic, Grandma.

I know it.

I'm beginning to think so, too, Buck.

Hello, Lindsay.

How's your brother?

Oh, I think she can finally feel her toes again. Oh, good.

Don't forget, Wilson promised to deal on the tree.

Have Scott go with you.

Hi. Yeah.

I'm sorry for running off the other night like that.

I just, I haven't been out on... I know.

I had fun.

Yeah, it was fun. I guess we got your mom to thank for that.

Ah, yeah, well, her heart's in the right place.

Is yours?

I'm working on it.

How about this

one?

Well,

that's not going to fit in your car.

Oh, gosh, how are we going to get it to town?

Um, I'll just carry it.

Naturally. Okay.

I think.

Sorry.

That didn't go as planned.

We'll take it.

Wow.

You've been working out.

Are you okay?

Yeah, I've got a little sappy.

Is that yours?

Oh, gosh, yeah, the clasp, it keeps breaking. I can't seem to fix it.

I can try and fix it for you.

Do you want?

Yeah, I'd like that.

All right, folks, just five more minutes remaining to make your guess in our

Guess the Amount of Coins competition.

The winner will be Grand Marshal next to yours truly for our 75th annual tree

lighting ceremony on Christmas Eve.

We don't even know how much is in here, do we? No.

No.

Hey, come on. You've got to get your guesses in now.

What do you think?

Grandma, how big is that coin jar?

I don't know.

I would say 20 gallons.

Looks mostly like pennies and nickels. Come up with something quick, Buck.

I mean, time's ticking.

Say $1 ,050.

All right, let's get in there. Yep.

Don't forget your name. Yep. Good job.

Hannah. Good.

Excellent. Last chance, folks. Get those entry forms in now.

Don't miss out on your chance to be Grand Marshal next to me on Christmas

Light the tree.

Donna, it's me.

Oh,

thank you, Scott.

What do you got there?

Grandma found it in her magic stocking.

Magic stocking?

1225, 1947.

How about that?

What? Well, that was the year my grandfather built the original gazebo.

Oh, Hannah. Good.

Another one. Thank you.

All right, that's it, folks. Okay, while we're sorting through your entries,

let's find out how much is in here.

Let it rip.

That's a sight for sore eyes, folks. So far, it looks like our lowest guess is

$515.

Past $800 now.

As of now, our highest guess is $1 ,225 .47.

From Donna Chastain.

Good luck, Donna.

And right down to the penny. I like that. $1 ,000.

Wow.

And it continues to climb.

$1 ,100.

It's slowing down now.

$1 ,150.

That's a great contribution to Guilford's Helping Hands Foundation.

everybody.

The coins have finished.

And the machine is computing.

And it's looking like Donna's guess is going to be pretty darn close.

The final count is $1 ,225 and...

47 tenths.

Uh... What an exact match.

That's amazing.

Come on up and accept your prize, Donna.

We have a soothsayer amongst us, folks.

The great thing is that all of that, $1 ,225 .47, goes directly to Guilford's

Helping Hand Foundation.

Awkward. Well, congratulations.

You rigged it, didn't you? I did no such thing.

Can't say I wouldn't have tried, though.

Wonderful, folks. Well, thank you all for coming, and we'll see you in the

lighting. Get me out of here.

before I'm burned at the stake.

Now I really need to see what's in that stocking. It's magic.

Oh, we'll see.

See?

Just a normal stocking.

Nobody's saying it spins in circles and shoots off lightning bolts.

Exactly. And it had nothing to do with... With what?

See, you can't explain it either.

There's nothing to explain. It's just one of those things.

What things?

Mom, would you please not feed into this?

The numbers were exact.

People win the lottery all the time. Far worse odds than that.

Listen to yourself.

Listen to yourself?

What are you saying exactly? That it's actually a magical stocking? Yes! See?

I don't know what it is, but I do know it's not something that we can just...

Brush off as one of those things.

Okay.

Remember when I was a kid and Dad used to do all those magic tricks and take us

to all those magic shows? And I always thought it was real.

But it wasn't. There was always a trick.

The real trick was believing, Lindsay.

Where are you going?

You know what?

I think Hannah's right.

I think it's a sign.

What, are you going to see Fred?

Remember everything I said about being an independent woman, free as a bird?

Yes. Well, I still am. But it doesn't mean that I can't go out and have some

fun. You might just take note.

Who's trying to stop her?

Grown -ups are always trying to stop themselves from everything.

Most of it's fun stuff.

Yeah, it's called being responsible.

We said you have to be responsible all the time.

Hmm.

Got me there, kiddo.

Lindsey!

What a nice surprise.

How are you, dear?

I'm fine, thank you.

Service doesn't start for a couple hours.

Are you here to get a front, Lucy?

Uh, no.

Actually, I was hoping you might help me with something.

Of course.

Okay, this might sound a little strange, but I was wondering if you... Okay, do

you remember a lady? She was selling stockings and other decorations at the

rummage sale.

She was a little older, silver hair, very nice. Not from around here?

Yeah.

Yeah, I do.

I never quite got her name, though.

Do you have a phone number and email address?

I'm afraid not.

Why?

It's a long story.

Always is.

You thought you might have known her?

Why?

She said something when you left the rummage sale, just in passing.

I think she was pleased you came to her booth.

What did she say?

It's more of how she said it.

It came across as familiar.

It's like she knew what happened, and that she had done something to help.

I felt glad she was able to.

You don't know anything about her? Not even her name?

No.

I'm sorry.

It's a real mystery.

Well,

thank you, Reverend.

You're welcome.

Hey, the door's always open.

Don't be ridiculous.

Hannah?

Yeah?

Where's the box I had over here?

I think Grandma put it in the garage.

Yeah, she said she was giving stuff away.

Did you have a nice time? Oh, Lindsay, you scared me.

Oh, Lindsay, I don't know where to begin.

We hit the town. I kicked the dust off my shoes, one thing after another.

You're not going to believe this.

We went sledding.

I haven't been sledding in over 30 years.

It was exhilarating.

What's wrong?

Was there anything else you were going to give away?

Other than his clothes?

This is going to be bad, isn't it?

It's one thing for you to decorate and reorganize.

To give away his clothes.

I'm sorry. I thought they were boxed up for the donation. Not that one.

Lindsay, I have said I'm sorry more often than I can count, and I'm not

apologize anymore, but I am going to give you my advice.

It's been three years.

You need to move on. Not to forget, not to pretend that it didn't happen, but to

allow yourself to feel happy again.

It's taken this long for Hannah to have a real Christmas.

The holidays have been hard for Hannah, too.

She wasn't ready either.

She's ready now?

I talk big about being an independent woman free as a bird, but guess what?

I just had the time of my life with a man I've been avoiding for years.

No, no.

Let me finish.

I'm not saying that you're supposed to get married or that

you're not supposed to feel a little twinge of guilt when you look at another

man. But, honey, you're going to have pain for the rest of your life.

But it doesn't mean that you can't have a life.

No, you're not.

Mom, this has been a big step for me, but you... But you keep trying to find

reasons to take two steps back. I know because I've done this my whole life.

You're the happiest person I know.

I thought I was.

You really like him.

Yeah.

Yeah, I do.

I'm very happy for you, Mom.

Lindsay, I do have some pearls of wisdom to pass on, so would you stop being so

darn stubborn?

I am not. I want to be open to someone. I really do.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. That's what this is all about. You don't like Scott.

No, no, that's... I never even considered that.

I mean, I just assumed. I mean, he's charming and handsome. I just thought it

was mutual.

I never even considered the possibility that you might not even like him. I like

him, okay?

I do.

And it's just making all of this... What?

Real?

Come here, sugar.

A great philosopher once said, you know you're in love when you can't fall

asleep because finally reality is better than your dreams.

I'm going to be up all night.

I just want my little girl's eyes to be open to whatever possibilities there are

out there for her.

Life is too good to pass.

Who is that great philosopher?

Dr. Seuss.

All right, sweetie, why don't you put up another puppy poster?

Do I have to?

Nobody's called.

It's the right thing to do.

Aren't you supposed to be putting that together, not the other way around?

This isn't right.

Well, I think your grandfather would be happy that it's even being restored at

all. The point is to honor him by doing it the way he did it.

Yes, but we're running out of time.

Yeah, I know.

Maybe you should take your mind off it for a little bit. I mean, you've been

working nonstop.

Come to the dance with us.

Yeah. What dance?

The Christmas dance. We're all going. Yeah, she's right.

It's a Guilford tradition around here.

That'll dance. Oh, it doesn't matter. It's just fun.

Yeah? Yeah.

All right.

No, no.

Just, you know, waiting for Santa.

Oh, okay.

Come on. Really?

Excuse me, I'm going to go embarrass myself.

Drake is to dance like no one's watching. This is Guilford. Everybody's

watching. Yeah?

Sure. So serious.

Hi.

Hi.

That scared me. Me too.

They're like little ninjas.

You're right.

It's not that hard once you get used to it.

I heard you tell Grandma you like him.

Yeah, I kind of do.

Is that okay?

I like him, too.

Good. I think he's going to need all the help he can get to get the gazebo

finished in time.

I want to help.

Me, too.

All right, good night, honey.

Get some sleep, all right?

Good night, Mom. I love you.

See?

Magic, come on.

Anna!

Breakfast!

Okay!

Hey, so Grandma's in the shower, but I gotta run.

Oh, and Scott, he wanted me to tell you that he hasn't forgotten about the lock

on your desk, but he's gonna fix it after he's done with the festival.

love you love you too mom

Thanks, guys.

The tree looks great, Lindsay.

Thank you.

Now, what about our friend Scott?

The gazebo doesn't look anything like Dunham's. I still don't see any lights.

He is a little behind schedule, but he promises it's going to be finished.

We're all going to pitch in.

Do what you can, please, because we now have double the number of people going

to be there, including the press.

Right. Got it.

Come on, we've got to go tell Grandma.

How's it coming?

Well, we got the structure done, but we can't actually finish it.

Well, can I talk to you for a second?

Yeah. Hey, guys, give us five, huh?

Thanks.

What's up?

Look, I know what all this means to you, but I think you've got to let it go.

Yeah, what about the promise to my grandfather?

I understand what you're feeling. I really do. But unfortunately, they

They don't think that you can finish this on time. And I... I think you have

move on.

Well, it's not so easy, is it?

No. It's not.

I think I let them down.

But you haven't. We can still finish this. I know we can.

Yeah, well, we'll see.

Look at this.

What? What is it?

Last night, I found a key in the stocking. You found it in the stocking.

have to believe me, okay?

So last night, I found the key in the stocking, okay? And it unlocked the

in my desk. And there was a hidden compartment.

And that's exactly what I was looking for.

I know.

Honey, that desk is his grandfather's desk.

It's a gazebo.

Yeah.

Where'd you get these from?

Hannah found them.

You've got to be kidding me. Where?

In your grandfather's desk. Look.

This is exactly what we need.

I know.

All right, guys. Just bring that wood over here and put that box on this side.

All right. Okay.

I've got to pee.

So I've been scouring the internet, and I think I found the only place that

sells a match for these lights. Exact Replicas, a little antique shop in Ohio.

That's great. When did they get here?

Waiting to hear back.

We need this.

It'll be the finishing touch.

Good luck.

Thanks. Everything good? Yeah, great.

Okay.

Two days, you sure?

That's great.

Yeah, no, just email me the tracking number.

All right, thanks.

Said they're getting lights here in two days.

You're absolutely certain? Yeah, they guaranteed it. Exact replicas of the

originally used. The town square is going to look just like it did when your

grandfather built it.

Well, that was my promise to him.

Congratulations.

Honestly, I couldn't have pulled this off without all of your help. Really

appreciate it. And you, little one, finding those photographs, it's like we

found our miracle.

Tis the season.

I'm okay.

Okay.

I don't like seeing you like this, honey.

You know you can tell me anything, right?

I know.

All right.

Well, we're going to help out again tomorrow and get an early start, so try

get some sleep, okay?

Okay. All right.

I love you.

Good night.

Let anybody take you away.

Never.

Morning. Yeah, you ready?

Yes, yes. My mom and Fred, they're going to have you up there.

That's good to me. All that's on deck.

I don't want to have anything left to do on Christmas Eve, but enjoy the

festival. Yeah.

Hey, Hannah, come on, sweetie. It's time to go.

Good morning, Hannah.

Hi. You know, mothers have simple hopes for their children. One of them is that

they'll wake up in a better mood in the morning than they were when they went to

bed.

Would you please tell me what in the world is going on?

Oh, honey.

When did you find this?

At the coffee shop. I didn't want to tell anybody.

I don't believe you.

Maybe it's a different puppy.

Look, it's a photo, honey.

And it says he went missing on the same night that you found him.

I'm sorry, Hannah.

It really stinks.

If we have to call them, it's not fair that they can just take him away now.

What if I hadn't seen it?

We wouldn't even know.

It isn't fair, honey. But you did see it.

And you did the right thing by telling me.

And you gave him a great home.

But it's not his home.

We have to call them, don't we?

Yeah.

I mean people.

Come on, sweetie.

I'll wait right here.

Thanks.

Hi. We called?

Oh, there it is.

We're so worried. Thank you.

You must be Hannah. Thank you for rescuing our little guy.

Jake and...

What do you say to this young lady?

Thank you.

There was a reward, you know.

No, it's okay.

I don't want the reward.

I'd like you to have it.

I'll tell you what. I'll donate it to the happy hound shelter under your name.

Oh, that would be very nice.

We were worried sick about him.

You did a great thing, Hannah.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you.

But I'm proud of you.

Hannah, what are you doing, sweetie? It's almost midnight.

I couldn't sleep.

If it is magical, do you think it could give more than just what fits inside it?

Like what?

A person.

I don't think that's how it works, sweetie.

I know.

You still don't believe it's magic, do you?

If anything, I think it's proof that there are some things in this world that

can't be explained easily.

Maybe we're not meant to.

Why would it let me find a puppy just so I could give him away?

You found that puppy on your own, honey.

But there has to be another reason.

There's got to.

It isn't finished.

Well, maybe that name tag you found will still prove to be of some use.

I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying maybe.

All right, come on. We gotta go to bed, or tomorrow will be an even tougher day

than it was today.

Can I sleep with you tonight?

I was just gonna ask you the same thing.

So cute.

You know, I think I'll just get a gift certificate and let my daughter decide.

Good idea. Thanks.

Anna?

Mom!

Look! A puppy!

I see that.

Hi. Hi.

A new dog?

Yeah. Look, I had no intentions of doing this, okay? I ran into Mrs. O 'Neill,

this little guy caught my eye, and look at his name.

It's magic, Mom. The one from the rummage sale. The one I wanted.

It's amazing, honey, isn't it?

I mean, if that isn't a sign, I don't know what is.

It certainly is.

It was very sweet of you, Scott.

I'm sorry. No, it's fine.

Can I keep him on, please?

I'll walk him, I'll clean up after him, I'll do everything for him.

Yes, yes, of course. I'm not going to send another one away, am I? Thank you.

I should have called. I just got so excited. I thought you'd be here, and

Hannah opened the door, her face lit up.

I bet it did.

All right, I'm going to get to work. Some last -minute things on the gazebo.

Those lights still haven't shown up.

I'll call you later.

Sure.

Hannah, honey, what do you say to Scott?

I love you.

Yeah, you're welcome.

I'll call you later.

Lindsay, it's fine.

I haven't seen Hannah this happy in a long, long time.

Lindsay, don't punish Scott.

I was getting her a dog. Well, he did with all that.

Poor guy had to watch her cry all the way home when you took the other one

And then when he found the first one that she wanted... He's not her father.

He's not trying to be.

What has made you so upset?

It seems that everything to do with getting a dog sends you over the edge.

The car accident.

Doug was on his way to get Hannah a puppy.

Oh, my goodness.

She can never know that.

Of course not.

Lindsay, I...

going to be the four of us.

Four calling birth.

Lindsay, I need VIP for two more Channel 11 people.

They're now Channel 4 at one's place, but they're going to do a tag in

tomorrow's broadcast.

Can you call them, please?

On it. Okay.

I still don't see any lights up in that part.

It's going to be mighty awkward when your mother and I pull the lever and the

whole town square is still in the dark.

I wouldn't remember anyway.

Keep your fingers crossed that we'll actually get those lights.

Anyway, Merry Christmas.

Excuse me.

One of those for Scott Terrell.

Yeah?

Hello?

Hey, Merry Christmas, everybody.

Hello, darling.

You ready?

Yes, I am.

Well, then we can all ride together if you like.

Why don't the three of you go on ahead without me?

What are you talking about?

I'm just not feeling up for it, Mom.

You're not going?

This is just as much your event as anybody's. I know. I'm sorry. I just...

It's... Anna, why don't you ride along with Grandma and Fred?

Lindsay?

You have to be there. We're not leaving without you. Please, you'll make me feel

worse if you stay.

Just go.

Have fun.

Maybe I'll meet up with you in a little bit.

You sure?

Mm -hmm.

I'll go get Magic.

Okay.

Hey, Mayor.

Looks like we might actually make it. Terrific, Scott.

Never a doubt. I wish I could say the same.

Oh, she's still at home. Sorry, kiddo.

Hey,

Magic.

How's he doing?

He's awesome.

Do me a favor. I need somebody to help me string the lights. What do you say?

Sure.

Grandma? You want me to take him?

Thank you.

There we go.

All right, it's great. Here, take these.

What am I supposed to do?

I want to believe, okay?

So help me out.

I wasn't going to miss out on all the fun, was I?

No. No.

Hey. Hey there.

How can I help?

Hand me that pint. I've got a few minutes left.

Here you go. Thank you.

Wow, it looks great.

Great. Well, we did it.

Lindsay, I'm so glad you're here.

Me too.

Hey, there's only a few minutes left. You two better get up to the podium.

Yeah, we better.

Do you want to take him back?

Well done, both of you. Oh, thank you. It looks so great. Oh, good job, Scott.

Oh, thank you.

Your grandfather would be so proud. It looks incredible.

I appreciate that.

You're the only one who knows what this really means to me.

And as you can see, the lights came in. Exact replicas.

Oh, no.

Scott. What?

Look.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

Just one bulb?

No, no, it's not. With these old lights, when one of them doesn't work, none of

them work. You mean... That's the entire square.

Don't we have another bulb? No, we don't.

Welcome to our 75th Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

I want to thank all the good folks of Guilford who made tonight possible.

Shock. It's not going to work. When they flip that switch, it's just going to be

dark. It won't.

Well, it is unless you pray for another miracle.

I already have.

Do you believe in magic?

What? Do you believe in magic?

I do.

I know you do.

And you didn't put any of those things in that stocking, did you, sweetie?

No. I believe you.

Wait here.

Where? Mom!

What is she doing? I don't know.

I also want to thank all the volunteers who came out to help with the

construction and the cleanup in the park.

Without further ado, I want to give the honor of lighting up our lives to the

beautiful Donna Chastain.

Anything? I don't fear.

I'm here.

Mom!

There she is.

What are we going to do?

I'm going to light up a square.

I understand. I do. Go on.

Hurry. Kill, kill, kill. Come on.

I couldn't have done it without you, Lindsay Monroe.

I almost forgot.

I got you a little present.

Oh, thank you for fixing that.

Absolutely.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

So beautiful.

Do you

see

him?

Hey, Lindsay.

You're a little early. We're just setting up. Congratulations.

Thank you.

Ruth just can't stop talking about it.

She thinks it's all because of her.

We may have had some other help. Hey, Reverend, is that same woman here this

year? The one that I asked you about?

She's setting up right now in the corner.

Right over there.

I wanted to return that.

We thought perhaps it could be passed on.

To somebody else, they can use it this year.

That's how it works, isn't it?

I'm sure someone else will find it just as lovely and meaningful.

Dear