Original subtitles

Merry Christmas to you.

Merry Christmas to you.

Oh, could you hand me that?

This is a little more Christmas than I was expecting.

It's just a couple snowflakes.

Chloe, thought we said no tree.

You said, "No big tree."

And it's modern, you'll barely even notice it.

Oh.

Morning, Simon!

Drop your other cases. You need to work exclusively on this one,

it's going to arbitration. Any questions, ask me directly.

Of course, I'll get right on it. - And Zara,

the Bensons are long-time clients of ours.

Can't afford to lose 'em.

This could be your opportunity to move up the ranks...

or down.

Great.

So this will either make me or break me.

I know just the thing to cheer you up.

Bam.

- That wind! - Yeah.

Hey!

Halloween is over!

He's right. We look ridiculous.

No, we look in character.

People don't just wear costumes at Halloween.

I'll have to get this dry-cleaned before I return it.

And these boots are killing me. How did women walk back then?

Rich ones didn't. They had carriages.

I could use one of those right now. Let's go back and rent one.

Look, I know the holidays are hard for you.

But you promised you'd try to have fun. Don't be such a scrooge.

These clothes aren't practical.

Okay, well, I'm happy to suffer for one night

as a Victorian fashion victim.

Hi, Simon.

They have?

I understand. I'll have them to you

as soon as possible. Yeah.

Okay. Bye.

- Hey! - You're working your life away.

Come on! I don't wanna miss out on any of this.

The yummy food, and getting to tour a beautiful old house.

- Come on. - Victorian-era houses often had brickwork.

These were painted over in a horrible green.

Do you think he could explain... - We want...

the entire history

of brickwork indoors,

preferably by a radiator?

Well, you wouldn't believe it. The other side of these bricks

were perfectly fine. So, we cut them out,

and turned each and every one of them around,

and voilà!

- Come along. - This is just the thing

to get you in the holiday spirit. I promise.

The holidays creep up earlier and earlier.

I never feel prepared or ready.

I always end up last minute shopping. - Forget that.

Get ready to leave modern times...

and to enter the 19th century.

Only if this century would let me...

How bad is it?

I know a great seamstress.

We'll figure it out later.

God!

It's warmer in here. It's nice.

Aw!

Let's breathe...

- You know what you're doing. - Oh! Okay.

Alice, can you please take a picture of Zara and me here?

Of course! You girls would fit

right into the Victorian era.

Thank you.

Sorry, I think it's just my allergy to the smoke.

That's okay. We... we'll try another.

Oh. Okay.

- We're good. Huh. - Okay.

Oh!

Let me fix, let me fix, let me fix it.

Hey, it's good, it's good, it's good. - Oh, are you sure?

It's good. Yeah.

- Here you go. - Oh.

I took quite a few.

I need to make sure the main dish is ready.

- Oh. Delete those! - No! They're not all bad,

there's some good ones here. Look!

Those are terrible!

Look at that, look at... Okay, okay, fine.

I promise, no more photos.

You look beautiful.

This is our priceless collection of Victorian dolls.

- Aren't they gorgeous? - Mm,

those are a bit too lifelike for me.

- They're creeping me out. - Me too.

I've seen way too many scary movies

with creepy dolls that come to life.

A toast to the beginning of our Dickens dinner...

- and the holidays. - Cheers.

Now, during the Victorian era,

salad was reserved for the upper class

because lettuce was expensive and perishable,

especially during the winter months.

- Mm. - Thank goodness for refrigerators.

And chilled champagne.

Could you pass the Yorkshire pudding, please?

Uh, I don't, I don't see any pudding, Alice.

Oh.

Hmm. Mm. I had no idea this is what pudding looks like.

How is it?

- It's kind of dry. - The best and really

only way to eat it is with gravy.

Oh!

Mm!

I'm so full.

Whoa! Oh!

What? What happened?

Are you okay?

Oh.

Okay, just hang in there. The evening's almost over.

Come on, put it in your purse or something.

If I eat another bite, I'm gonna explode out of this dress.

Oh, I have room for dessert.

Especially if he's dishing it out.

Hmm?

These antiques are so temperamental.

Now, last but not least,

I'd like to introduce our host

for the dessert course,

Rafe Morrissey and his son, Nate,

and his friend, Austin. But before they delight us

with their scrumptious desserts,

Rafe is going to explain a little bit about the history of the home.

- Oh! - Good evening, folks.

I apologize I don't really speak in public often,

so thanks for bearing with me.

This house had, uh, belonged to my aunt and uncle.

It's been in my family for years.

When they passed away, their son had left it vacant.

He eventually accepted our offer to donate it to the historical society.

Well, I've been left in charge of renovating it. - Oh, how sweet.

I'm a general contractor...

- Okay. - But my passion is

renovating old homes.

Anyway, we had to restore the entire house

because the top floor was left uninhabitable

due to water damage. Shall we go take a look?

Wait, go slow, go slow.

Now, I'm on my feet all the time,

so my favorite way to relax is to sit down

with a good book. Most of these have been here

since my aunt and uncle lived here.

Uh, again. Um, one more thing about this house,

that we have a ghost.

Don't worry, he's not scary.

It's been known to occur in these old houses.

Yeah, this happens all the time,

often with the lingering smell of a pipe.

I would find a misplaced book, often about Charles Dickens,

and usually in the bathroom.

I guess our ghost enjoyed leisurely baths

while reading when he was alive.

Oh, my, it's time for dessert, everybody.

Nope. We need to tell the ghost to stay put,

- so he doesn't follow us. - I don't believe in ghosts.

Well, I could show him to you if you like.

Come here.

This is my ancestor,

Aubrey Morrissey, the, uh, original owner.

That's him with his wife, Eliza, and his son, Henry.

Oh! They looked happy.

Well, they used to be,

until Eliza died giving birth to her second child.

- Oh. How sad. - Yeah.

I didn't know Aubrey was a man's name.

Uh, well, it was back then.

OMG.

I just, I just saw the ghost.

- I took a photo. - I thought we said no more photos.

I lied.

- Oh. He's not in here. - Because he doesn't exist.

Or maybe he didn't wanna be seen by us, and just you.

- Uh... - I'm Chloe, and this is Zara.

- Don't encourage her. - Okay.

Well, uh, ladies, I'm sure you can find

your way back to the living room.

I'm gonna go take care of dessert.

Mm?

Can't control what you post. Just don't tag me.

My clients will never take me seriously if they see me like this.

Nobody reads your boring legal blogs.

At least you'll get some likes with this one.

I keep saying you need better social media presence.

Here you go.

- Thank you. - Uh...

Zara, I noticed you were limping. You okay?

Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I'm just not cut out

for Victorian times, unfortunately.

It's been one wardrobe malfunction after another.

Um, I could try to fix one of those for you.

Give me your boot.

- Really? - Come on, give me your boot.

Let's see.

- If you insist. - Yeah, let's see.

Wow!

Look at that.

Okay.

In this colorful dish,

we have trifle,

which is fruit and sponge cake

soaked in sherry and custard.

Now, the other one is a traditional Christmas pudding,

which some of you may have had before.

Mm, compliments to the chef.

I don't think I have enough room for dessert.

Everyone has room for dessert.

Mm, I agree! And dessert has two S's in it,

so I'm gonna have both.

Well, I'm not gonna eat for a week.

Okay, um...

uh, here, allow me.

Please.

Oh, um, are you sure?

Let's try it. Sure. Okay.

That was fast.

There you go.

Good old superglue did the trick.

- Thank you! - Dad?

Um, I'm sorry, uh, kitchen emergency.

Yeah.

That was like you're Cinderella and he's Prince Charming.

Except I'm not wearing glass slippers,

and I don't remember superglue being part of the story.

Mm, I'm gonna need more of this triffle.

It's pronounced trifle.

How much sherry was in that trifle?

Oh, that's, uh, my Welsh grandmother's recipe.

No wonder she always went for a wee nap after Christmas dinner.

- Sorry, forgot my muff. - Well, that brings us to the end of a wonderful evening,

and I'd like to thank our generous host.

And I hope everybody had a great night.

Oh!

- I'm so sorry. - Oh, no, no, no,

I... it's okay. I should've secured it better.

Nice catch, Austin.

- Do you play baseball? - Uh, no, hockey.

I'm a goalie, so... Nate's on the team too.

It explains why you have quick reflexes.

- You okay? - Yeah. Fine.

- And the house is beautiful. - Oh, well, it was our pleasure.

You know, Zara likes to read too.

Uh, what kind of books?

Well, as a lawyer, I really only have time to read legal briefs.

- Ah. I understand. - So...

Um, hey, uh...

sorry, I only have one left.

Oh, it's okay. Give it to Chloe.

- I'll get your info from her. - Sure.

- Thank you. - Uh, well, if you ever need any work done on your home,

- I'm your man. - Thanks.

And if you ever need any legal help,

Zara is your girl.

Okay.

- Thanks, Rafe. - Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna go say goodbye to Alice.

Good night.

Yes, okay.

I'm sorry,

I can't take another step in these.

Oh! Um, I wouldn't really make a habit of that.

We're supposed to get a hard freeze.

- Really? - Yeah.

Don't worry, I won't.

- Well, it's nice meeting you. - Yeah.

- Good night. - Good night.

Ooh, that is cold! Oh!

Come on, Chloe.

Ah!

Well, that was fun.

One candy cane, gingerbread latte with extra whip.

Yum! Mm.

Mm, I didn't think I'd get here today with these icy roads.

Someone warned me about what we were in for,

so for once, I was prepared.

Hey, are you, uh, seeing someone?

You know I'm not.

Chloe, can I see that, please?

Great! Now my mom thinks

I have a boyfriend I haven't told her about.

Look, 50 people liked it. Well, loved it.

- Isn't that cool? - Not cool.

I don't want him getting the wrong idea!

Thank goodness he hasn't seen it.

He has. And he liked it.

And we followed each other, and I tagged him.

Why did you have to post this photo?

Would you rather I post the one of you mid-sneeze?

I'll put Rafe's contact info into your phone.

Hand me the Benson file, please.

Okay. So we have to prove

that Franelli Remodeling was at fault

for the wall coming down at the Benson residence.

I need you to go over the contract with a fine-toothed comb.

I got my comb, and I'm ready to fine-tooth it.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Did you not go to lunch? - Mm, I wanted to get through this.

You drive me crazy, but you're the best paralegal assistant and friend.

I know.

Oh, no!

What?

Is that a pipe?

Chloe, you've gone too far this time.

Hello.

Hi. Is this Rafe?

Yes, it is.

Hi, it's, uh, Zara,

from the Victorian dinner.

- Nate, turn that down, please. - Sorry to interrupt.

No, no, it's, uh, it's fine. Um, uh, good to hear from you.

Well, you might wanna wait to hear why I'm calling

- before you say that. - What's going on?

I came home to a soggy carpet.

Well, I... I can come by now if you'd like.

Oh! No, you don't have to come over right now.

Yeah, are you sure?

Yes, yes. No, it's, it's too late.

Um, I can handle it for now, um, if you just

- maybe tell me what to do. - Okay.

Well, first you're gonna wanna turn off the water main.

- Do you know where that is? - In the furnace room.

Okay. Then you're gonna wanna dry the carpet as much as possible,

as soon as possible. Do you have a fan...

or some rags and towels?

I have one fan and a few rags.

Okay. Well, then you're gonna wanna soak up as much water as you can

with the rags and, and just keep drying it with the fan.

Great. Okay. Sounds, sounds good.

Um... I'll just text you my address then.

Sure. I'll see you first thing in the morning.

See you then.

- Good morning. - Morning!

- Come in. - Thanks.

Thanks so much for coming.

Yeah, don't mention it! Glad I could help.

Bless you.

Thank you.

You know where the leak started?

Uh, yeah, just, um, over here.

Oh. Oh, yeah, your garage is beneath this.

Uh, I'm assuming that a pipe had burst

'cause of the cold snap.

- Great. - Yeah.

Do you think you can fix it?

Well, I'll have to go down and take a look.

- Bless you. - Thanks.

Anyways, yes, I can fix it.

Uh, question, do you have allergies?

- Tons. - Yeah?

You name it, I've got it.

Even my allergies have allergies.

Well, you might...

wanna remove this carpeting.

I can seamlessly match the original hardwood.

How much would that cost?

Ah, I can get you a, a wholesale discount

on the materials.

Maybe get a quote to you later tonight.

Great.

Could you start right now?

Sure, yeah. Fine, I'll just go ahead

and replace the pipe, and we'll get that water

- turned back on for you. - Thank you.

Um, well, I have to get ready for work,

but I'll leave you a spare key.

Yeah.

Are you a kleptomaniac?

Oh, no! Um,

Chloe accidentally brought that home with her,

I think. I found it in my computer bag.

- You sure it was her? - I know that book's about Charles Dickens,

but it has Chloe Johnson written all over it...

believe me.

Haven't opened this one yet.

Maybe Aubrey made sure that it ended up in your bag.

Aubrey?

A... as in the ghost? No. - Yes.

I think there's a perfectly mortal explanation for this.

Mm.

However, it ended up with me. I'm sorry.

- Um, please take it back. - No.

No, you know what? Um, you keep it, really.

I read somewhere something about a book being destined

to find the right person at the exact time it needed it most, so...

Okay.

- Thanks. - You know, a book

lives through its characters

and is alive long after its author isn't.

- Aren't you the philosopher? - Nah, I just like to read.

Maybe that book will give you a chance to escape the legal world.

Maybe.

- Shall I show you the garage? - Sure, yeah.

Not funny, Chloe.

Oh, Charles Dickens' Love Stories.

- Mm. Where'd you get that? - You know where,

because you took it from Rafe's library

and hid it in my computer bag.

What? No, I didn't.

Mm, smells like a pipe.

Chloe,

you were playing matchmaker all evening.

You put the book in my bag along with his card.

- It wasn't me, Zara. - Right.

- "Forgot my muff." - I did!

I swear. I didn't do anything this time, okay?

I was actually looking for that card yesterday and it disappeared.

Uh-oh.

We forgot to tell the ghost to stay put.

He followed us! Well, I mean, you, and brought the book with him.

You mean you forgot to tell the ghost to stay put.

I can't believe we're having this conversation.

Enough with the ghost already.

I actually saw him.

What happened? You're never late.

A pipe burst. Rafe came over.

Rafe, huh? Mm-hmm.

I had to find someone to fix it!

I was looking for his card, and then I remembered he gave it to you,

which is when I found it, in that book, in my bag.

I think the ghost is the one playing the matchmaker. - There is no ghost!

Okay, well, if the book suddenly appeared,

then maybe it's a magical book.

"A magical book"? Right.

Do you at least believe it wasn't me?

Fine.

But there has to be a logical explanation

- for how I found it. - Yeah, I think the book

was supposed to find you.

You sound just like Rafe.

What in the world?

I just need to get some rest.

That's what this is.

"David Copperfield and the Perfect Love Triangle.

David's wife, flighty and childish Dora,

was incapable of anything but painting flowers.

Agnes is the true heroine.

As David's best friend and moral compass,

she warns him against the bad angels in his life.

He loves her as a sister until the end.

After Dora dies, David realizes Agnes is his true love."

"No two people were more equally matched

than David and Agnes."

How's it going?

Bored out of my skull.

If Simon asks me to make one more note

to this pre-arbitration doc, I'll scream.

I meant reading the ghost book.

Uh, the ghost book?

Uh, yeah, I, I was reading it last night

and I was a bit overtired, but, yeah, um,

yeah, it's old-fashioned.

Like, David Copperfield, who's infatuated with Dora,

even though she's all wrong for him, but he marries her anyway.

And then, before she dies, she convinces him to marry Agnes,

his true love and best friend.

Wasn't your true love supposed to be your best friend?

- That's why I'm still single. - You're right.

My standards are sky-high too. Swore I'd never settle.

Yes.

Uh, Rafe's just finishing something up at the house,

I'll just answer him.

Speaking of high standards, I think he fits the bill.

We're from two different worlds. - Well, at least you're both

from the world of the living.

All right, these need to be signed

before the end of the day.

Get on it.

Wow!

That makes such a difference!

- The room looks so much bigger. - Yeah, it sure does.

I must be getting old.

The floor seems so much further than it used to.

You were here so early that I went to a bakery

and got us breakfast. I hope that's okay.

Yeah, of course. Thank you.

So, do you have any butter or jam?

Oh, when you have the perfect croissant, like this one,

you don't need to add anything.

Look.

This is pure butter heaven, mon ami.

And this is how they eat it in France.

Okay.

Uh...

Mm, you're right.

Perfect just the way it is.

- You have a, a crumb. - Oh.

Thanks.

So, have you ever been to Paris?

Once, with my high school French class.

Now, all I can remember is...

Let me guess, uh,

private school and then university?

- Mm-hmm. - I never made it past

Springer Pines Community College.

There's nothing wrong with that. - Oh, I know. Mm,

I did get my business degree.

I actually took an architecture class while I was there.

Just loved old buildings.

So that's how you got into restoring old houses.

That's right. Yeah.

But, man, I would love to go to Paris one day, you know?

See the Eiffel Tower, the, the Arch of Triumph,

the, the modern pyramid at Louvre.

And, ah, all those old, cool houses,

you know, on, on Île Saint-Louis. Just...

Well, maybe when Nate's done high school.

Yeah, that would be great.

Have you started reading the book?

I... yeah. Just the beginning. Yeah.

More exciting than the law documents you usually read,

or just as dry?

It's been pretty interesting, actually.

I'm glad that Aubrey chose a bestseller for you.

Mm-hmm.

Ah! You don't believe in ghosts.

Hmm. Well,

hmm, look, um,

I should probably finish up here and...

- I'll, I'll grab all this. - Oh, no, don't worry about that.

- I can take care of it later. - You sure? Um,

it'll only take me a couple minutes to wash up.

Yeah, I have to go into the office anyway.

You're working on Saturdays?

Well, you are.

Touché.

Text me if you need anything, or if anything goes wrong. - Sure.

I'll just be in the garage most of the day paintin' the walls.

I'll lock up when I leave.

Great. Thanks.

Have a great day.

"No two people were more equally matched

than David and Agnes."

Huh.

- Hello. - I said to leave the dishes.

Ah, well, it's, uh, no biggie.

Um, least I could do since you made breakfast.

I didn't make anything but the coffee.

The Grand Parisian Bakery did the rest.

But, anyway, I appreciate it.

Oh, I, I figured the last thing you needed

was to come home to a bunch of dirty dishes to wash.

Actually, I was gonna cheat and put them in the dishwasher.

Oh. Well, how do you know that's not what I did?

Well, thank you.

And the floor looks beautiful.

When should I expect your bill?

I'll email it this week.

Great. Sounds good.

Uh... good night then.

Right. Uh, good night.

I'll, I'll see you around.

Thanks for your business.

Those were his last words, "Thank you for your business"?

Yeah.

I was expecting something a little more... friendly.

Okay, what did he say before that?

- "See you around." - That's more promising!

- Is it? - Mm-hmm.

See me around where? When?

Shopping or, um, the gym.

Ugh! I feel like we're back in high school

and we're dissecting Brian's reply to my imitation of the "Sadie Hawkins Dance."

- What did he say again? - He said, "No!"

Oh, right.

Why am I even wasting my time discussing this?

We should be looking at the details of the Bensons' one-year warranty

that was included in their contract.

Yeah, right, 'cause that's so much more fascinating.

Um, I can't work late on Friday.

You know, you remember, the weekend,

when people forget about work?

I'll try.

This isn't happening.

I'm losing my mind! I'm losing my mind.

"Great Expectations."

Okay, I read this one. Ages ago.

And my mind is just conjuring up memories from that.

That's what's going on.

That has to be it.

"One of the themes is deceptive first impressions.

Pip comes from better parents than Estella.

But when they meet, she thinks she's above him

and makes fun of his clothes. Her name does mean 'star.'

However, it comes to light that her parents were criminals.

There's always more to someone than we think.

There are actually two endings to Great Expectations."

Wait, what?

"In Dickens' original ending,

Pip and Estella meet after many years,

and he sees her for the heartless woman she is,

and they part ways.

However, one of his fellow writers

convinced him his readers wanted a happy ending.

So, Pip returns to where they met

and a changed Estella appears.

We are led to believe that they reunite forever."

Of course it's a happy ending.

This room needs something.

Hello?

How in the world did you get here?

Wouldn't be so dusty if I could store it in the house.

No.

Coming, Mom!

- Here it is. - Oh.

Yes. Sorry I didn't call you back

last week. I've just been swamped at work. - Oh.

Well, you shouldn't be. This is the holiday season!

It's a, it's a time to relax and have fun!

Tell that to my boss.

Good point. Could you pass the flour?

I'm dying of curiosity. Who was that charming man on Chloe's post?

- Well, he's not my boyfriend. - Oh.

He was just one of the hosts at the Dickens dinner

- that Chloe dragged me to. - Yeah.

That looked like a lot of fun.

It was, actually.

Since you broke up with Mike, I just...

I've been worrying that you,

I don't know, might end up a poor old maid like Miss Havisham.

Miss Havisham?

Uh, from Great Expectations.

I know who she is! I was just reading a book about it.

A what... That is so funny!

- Hilarious, Mom. - No! Th...

I went into our old bookstore

and there was a new edition that had come in,

so I bought it and I've been reading it too.

Here comes more snow.

I know the holidays are difficult...

for all of us, honey...

but it will be good to spend them together.

Yeah.

- It will. - Yeah.

Oh, dear.

Beats me.

I wish your dad was here to help,

but, you know, he's not very handy, so...

call an electrician?

Mm.

I'll ice the cookies at home.

Bye darling.

- Good luck. - Thanks.

This is Rafe. Please leave me a number

and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Hi! I bet you weren't expecting to hear from me again so soon.

I have another problem that, uh, I need help with.

Actually, two.

So, um, call me back?

It's Zara, by the way.

Hey, I think I found it!

Power's back in the kitchen!

What do you think caused the fuse to blow in the first place?

Well, usually it's from excess current.

I just turned on a mixer.

Mm.

You know, I haven't felt Aubrey's presence

since the other day at dinner.

You and Chloe and that ghost.

Are you tryin' to move all this by yourself?

I tried to, yes.

You know, Nate and I could maybe come by on Saturday

and help you move it all. Extra pair of hands.

- Would you? - Yeah.

I could bring this up for you too. - That old thing?

That was here when I bought the house. - Yeah, it would look perfect

in your living room. I could refurbish it for you.

- Okay. Knock yourself out. - Okay.

Uh, sorry, I gotta get goin', I'm coaching Nate's hockey team.

Hockey? Cool!

Well, it's not big-time, and...

maybe you wanna come and watch a practice?

We could head over there Saturday after I'm done here.

Oh, no! Um, no, thank you.

I have plans on Saturday night.

Okay.

Sure.

Oh, Zara.

I give up.

This is beyond bizarre.

But there's nothing I can do about it.

"The Pickwick Papers' Perfect Christmas."

Try saying that ten times in a row.

"Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty.

It was the season of hospitality, merriment, and open-heartedness."

♪ ...horse open sleigh Over the fields we go ♪

Ha-ha-ha.

This week flew by.

Hey, Simon.

- Would you like some coffee? - Uh, no, thanks.

I was just telling Zara here about my friend.

She's being fined with eviction because her landlord changed the rules

and now she can only have one cat instead of two.

Easy solution. She needs to get rid of one of the cats.

How could you ask someone to make such a heartless decision?

She needs legal advice.

Well... I don't think you have time for that.

Benson arbitration hearing is few weeks away.

When was the last time you decorated for Christmas?

Well, based on how much dust is on these,

a very, very long time.

This is so cool!

Yeah, we... I...

I was really into trains when I was a kid.

- My mom loved trains too. - Really?

It's nice to have that in common.

Ah, look at all this!

I am so sorry.

Oh, it's okay.

I'm sure I can find someone

who might be able to fix it.

Not exactly my area of expertise,

but I'll give it a try.

And here's the locomotive, so we should be in business.

So cool.

All right, pal, we're gonna get goin' in a few minutes, okay?

Um, hey, do you need any help movin' these?

Oh! Uh, no, thanks. I'm good.

Zara, do you wanna come watch our practice?

- Uh, I don't think so. Uh... - She probably has plans, it's Saturday.

- No, I just... - We're in this huge Christmas tournament.

I think she already said no, pal.

Um, excuse me.

Hello?

Oh, okay, it... it's not working at all?

I, I, I know it's freezing, yeah.

Okay, uh, yes, okay, I'll, I'll, I'll be there right away.

Um, hey, um, I hate to ask this.

Um, my client has a broken furnace and no other heating source.

Would you mind taking Nate to his hockey practice?

I can't miss practice.

All... all you need to do is just drop him off

and pick him up.

- All right. - Yeah.

Thank you. Um,

I'll send you the address.

- You sure you don't mind? - Yeah, no.

Thank you.

Why isn't this thing working?

- Yeah, yeah. - Here.

Yeah!

Yes!

All right.

Hey.

Come on.

Let's go.

Yeah!

Hey! You looked good out there!

Thanks! Hope you can keep coming.

I know, but work's got me pretty busy.

I know, but, uh, here, just in case.

Hey, buddy, come on! Time to get up.

I thought only figure skaters had to get up this early.

Well, they got our time slot today,

so come on, please.

Now!

Hey, is your mom comin' to the game tonight?

I, I hope so. She might be working.

She used to come to all our games!

I know, but, um,

she's taking on extra shifts since, uh,

she and my dad separated. So...

All right.

Yes!

Is Austin getting ready for fashion week, mm?

- Dad. - Yeah?

Do you like Zara?

Of course I like her.

No, but... do you, like, like her?

She's very nice,

but like I said, she's not my girlfriend.

Well, she could be, but you'd have to ask her out...

- on a date first. - Hmm.

You know, I don't even know if I know how to do that anymore.

Haven't asked anyone else since your mom.

I think Mom would like her.

She likes trains and hockey.

I don't know about the hockey, but...

I think that's why you like her, mm?

There he is.

It's about time!

Come on, get in.

- That looks nice! - Yeah.

Glad we got it out of the garage?

- Oh! - Oh.

Beauty is in the details.

- Um, may I? - Yeah.

Thank you...

for everything.

Uh, look, um, I don't know why, but it seems like

there is a broken-furnace epidemic in this town, and...

well, Austin's mom is not free, and I know you're busy.

Okay.

- Just one more time. - Great.

Um, look, I wanna thank you for helpin' us with everything.

Maybe eat pasta at our house?

That sounds nice.

Hey, Zara! I'll text you when we're done.

Go backwards!

- All right. - Yeah!

You okay?

Yeah, I'm just not in a good

headspace today.

It's okay to be nervous.

Maybe you just need to get out of your head a little bit.

Why don't you take some deep breaths with me?

In through the nose.

One, two, three, and out.

Two, three, four, five, six. And again.

One, two, three, out.

Two, three, four, five, six.

One more time.

- Any better? - Yeah.

You can do this.

- Ready to go back out there? - Yeah, thanks.

- Woo! - Yeah!

- Cheers. - Santé.

I imagine Nate and Austin and their friends won't get much sleep tonight.

Yeah, it's all-night video games.

Didn't you just put that on?

Yeah.

Huh.

I really appreciate your culinary skills.

Oh, thank you.

Mind passing me that jar of pasta sauce

that I made from scratch?

That's Nate's mom, Noelle.

Maybe that's why Aubrey showed up after we inherited the house.

We're both widowers.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

- I didn't know. - Thank you. Um...

she was born around Christmas.

Said that Nate was the best gift she ever got.

How about you? You ever been married?

No.

I was in a serious relationship, though.

Or I thought I was.

But when Mike got this great offer to be a DA in another state,

I didn't wanna move.

I wasn't ready to be away from my parents

after everything that happened, and...

work was always more important to me.

And how about now?

Well, now, my career's still important, but...

I'm not sure it's enough.

Oh.

- I'm so sorry. - It's, it's, it's okay.

That's Austin's mom. I should grab it. - Yeah.

- Sorry. - Yeah, of course.

Hello.

Is he okay?

I'll, I'll be right there.

Okay, bye.

Is everything okay?

Yeah, it's Nate. He's just feelin' nauseous.

Probably too much pizza and ice cream.

You know, these sleepovers, they don't exactly eat that healthy.

- Mm. Where's the fun in that? - Right.

Were your favorite foods celery and carrot sticks...

- when you were younger? - Hmm.

Listen, uh, sorry the dinner got cut short.

I'll make it up to you. Promise.

It's okay.

I'll help you with the dishes so you can get going.

Yeah.

"Dombey and Son and Eternal Hope."

Never heard of this one.

"Dombey and Son, or should it be Dombey and Daughter?

For once in a Dickens novel, a woman is the lead role...

with Florence Dombey as the main character.

Out of spite, Florence's father sends Walter

to work at his firm in faraway Barbados.

Florence receives news that Walter's ship is lost at sea

and he is feared drowned.

However, Walter returns, and he and Florence embrace...

reunited to live happily ever after."

In conclusion,

I will reiterate that Franelli Remodeling,

in removing the wall in the house of my clients,

Mr. and Mrs. Benson, are at fault for negligence

and owe my clients damages.

- I hope you're ready. - I'm prepared.

I hope so.

Remember how important this is to them, us...

and you.

Ugh, this case and Christmas.

I'm counting down the days until they're both over.

Look, I know you've learned to play it safe.

But you've been making progress, dating again.

Maybe it's time you got over something else too.

What do you mean?

Snowmobiling.

I would go with you.

No.

I'd keep seeing Flynn's face

and... reliving that day.

Why couldn't he wait until my exam was over?

- Why did he have to go alone? - Look, you can't change the past...

but our loved ones are always with us.

That's what I think about with my grandma.

You know, sometimes it helps when you talk about it.

Here.

That's way too much frosting.

What? The icing is, like, the best part!

I'll check the kitchen for some muffins or something.

Ew, no. Muffins are like when someone's baking cupcakes

and they run out of icing.

Mm, anyway, I saw Alice the other day.

You know, the guide from the Dickens dinner?

She saw you walking up to Rafe's house.

She was surprised. She didn't know you two hit it off so well.

- She was surprised? - I don't know,

I guess he didn't mention seeing you again to her.

I guess he's a private person.

- Okay. - Zara,

she was glad that you guys were getting along

and she thought it was nice that they finally

had a "woman" in their lives again.

Mm.

All right, boys, let's go hard, all right? Let's go. Go.

- Yeah! - Didn't expect to see you.

Thought I'd check in and see how the team's doing.

You know what was great about the 19th century?

People couldn't hound you 24/7

because cell phones didn't exist.

Right. Have you been reading the book?

I have!

And learning a lot about that time period.

Wasn't all bad.

No. No, it wasn't.

You like your job?

I do.

Usually.

It's just this case that's stressing me out.

What's it about?

Right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.

Client confidentiality.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Thanks for comin' to his last practice.

And thanks for the after-practice snack.

You're welcome! You guys looked really good out there.

Good enough to win the tournament?

Well, you gotta believe in yourself.

Listen to your dad.

Well...

- I better go. - Okay.

Did you just throw that?

Stop.

Feel free to retaliate him. He deserves it.

How about you guys against me?

Hey...

Hey, hey, hey. Just stop. Uh...

Hey... uh, Zara.

Zara, you okay? Hey!

Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just, um,

my brother, Flynn, used to do that.

And when I turned around, at first, it was like...

it was him... standing there instead of Nate.

It's okay. It's okay. Y... you, you have a brother?

He died, um...

in a snowmobile accident...

a few days before he was supposed to leave for Sweden.

- Oh, God. - He was drafted to play hockey there.

Oh, God, I'm, I'm... we're so sorry.

No wonder you didn't wanna go to the rink.

Yeah. At first, I didn't.

It was the last thing I wanted to do.

I haven't been to a game since he...

But watching him play...

has actually really helped me.

- You've both really helped me. - Yeah. I'm sorry.

Hi, honey.

Hey, Mom. Um...

I was just wondering, um,

what time you and Dad were coming over on Christmas?

Oh, I... I thought I'd already told you.

You probably already did. Um...

I think I just wanted to hear your voice.

Is everything okay?

Yeah.

It is now.

Anything you wanna tell me?

Yeah. Actually, um...

remember that guy on... Chloe's post?

Uh-huh.

Well, we did end up going out, and...

- he's a really great guy. - Aw!

And I'm finally...

trying to put the past behind me...

all of the past.

I'm glad to hear that, honey.

And I can't wait to see you.

I can't wait to see you.

Just one more case, and I get to relax.

Ah.

Um, I'll, I'll talk to you later.

- I love you. - I love you too.

- Bye, darling. - Bye.

I can't wait for this to be over.

I thought you liked proving people wrong.

I do.

In the case of Benson vs. Franelli,

prosecution, are you ready for your opening statement?

Yes, Madam Arbitrator.

We're here to prove the guilt of Franelli Remodeling

for negligent construction in the Victorian home

of my clients, Tom and Nancy Benson.

Removing a wall caused the upper floor to cave in.

My clients are requesting damages proportionate to the cost of repairs

and in accordance to their warranty.

Franelli Remodeling...

and that's confirmed to be mold.

All my clients damages.

Mr. Franelli was not qualified to make that decision.

Regretfully.

- We got this. - I think so.

Madam Arbitrator, we'd like to call in

our expert witness for the defense.

His testimony will support Mr. Franelli's unwillingness

to remove the wall in the Bensons' home in the first place,

and the clause in the warranty entitling him to do so.

- You may proceed. - Thank you.

Uh-oh.

Please state your name for the record.

Uh, objection.

The defense hasn't disclosed a change in witness.

Overruled.

Please state your name.

I'm, uh, Rafe Morrissey, Your Honor.

I'm not a judge.

But do you swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

I... I do.

Mr. Morrissey, what is your profession?

I'm a independent contractor.

Hmm. Do you know my client, Mr. Franelli?

I do not.

Do you know the prosecution's clients,

Mr. and, uh, Mrs. Benson?

No, I don't know them either.

Doesn't this constitute conflict of interest?

Not unless he's an expert witness for our side.

What is your specialty in your line of work, Mr. Morrissey?

Victorian homes.

And you have, uh,

several years' experience

- preserving them? - I do, yes.

Oh, what can you tell us about Victorian houses?

Well, uh, the first rule is do no harm.

- Like the Hippocratic Oath? - Objection.

The witness is not a medical expert.

Overruled.

The witness may answer the question.

It's, um, it's kind of like that.

See, people who purchase Victorian homes,

the... they often wanna make all kinds of changes,

but really they should just be preserving the historical details.

Mm, they wanna take smaller rooms and make them bigger rooms

by takin' out walls, and it's a huge mistake.

- Dangerous even. - Hmm. And why is that?

Because the walls are load-bearing and they're absolutely necessary.

You remove one, and, well, the floor above is gonna start to sag.

- Or, in this case, cave in. - Thank you.

Why is my mind a complete blank? - No further questions

- for the witness. - You got this.

Does the prosecution have

any questions for the witness?

I do.

Mr. Morrissey, you said you're an expert in Victorian homes.

I did, yeah.

Do you have a degree in engineering or architecture?

I do not.

What do you have a degree in?

Business.

No further questions, Madam Arbitrator.

The witness is excused.

In the hearing of Benson vs. Franelli Remodeling,

I find the defendant...

guilty.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

How could you do that to me?

I... did what I had to.

I had no idea you would testify on their side.

They called me last minute. Their original witness got sick.

It was nothing personal.

It was just my chance to prove myself.

At my expense.

Thanks, Simon.

Yes, I understand.

I'll get back to you before the end of the day.

Did we get a promotion?

We did.

Congratulations! That's awesome!

Is it?

It means I'll be working even more.

- And so will you. - Oh.

When you put it like that...

I barely have a life as it is.

Oh, I know. I manage your calendar.

I threw myself into work after Flynn passed away because I needed an escape.

I wasn't ready to face life without him.

But then, once Rafe came into the picture...

that changed.

Things haven't felt as heavy.

And look what I've done.

He probably hates me.

Look, I'm sure he'll come around.

You're were doing your job, Zara.

Exactly.

If doing my job means pushing him away...

I need to figure something else out.

I need to find balance.

Well, it sounds like you found your answer.

I'm not coming back, Simon.

Hey.

Hey.

Nate sent me a cryptic text that didn't really make much sense.

What happened?

Um, I... I don... I don't know. Um...

they, they're keeping me here overnight just to make sure that I don't have a concussion.

- But I'm fine. - Except for that.

Yeah, yeah. The doctor said

that I don't need surgery. It's just a minor fracture.

Well, that's good.

You should really be more careful.

I was, okay? Uh, that door opening

was like a freak accident.

I don't know if I believe in that... or coincidences anymore.

Where's Nate?

He's at Austin's, stayin' the night.

Good.

Um...

look, I... I just wanted to apologize

for the way that I acted at the arbitration.

No, no, it's, it's okay.

Yeah, um, didn't really think you wanted to see me again.

I know how much your job means to you.

Hmm, well...

about that, um, I quit.

Winning the case wasn't worth it if it meant losing you.

And besides, now I get to spend more time

with my family over the holidays,

which I haven't in years because...

I've always been tryin' to get ahead.

Maybe spend more time with Nate and me?

I'd love that.

Yeah.

One last chapter. Little Dorrit.

I haven't read that one.

Neither have I. I just watched the show.

Look, um,

I'm not really used to sittin' in a room doing nothing.

Maybe we could read it together?

- Okay. - Yeah?

But there's...

something I didn't tell you

- about this book. - Well...

What's that?

Wait.

- Is that... - Us as the main characters? Yes.

You not only have a ghost in your house,

but a magical book.

I just can't wait to read it.

Hmm. Well, maybe I'll lend it to you one day.

What? Well, it was my book.

Yeah, but you said that Aubrey meant for me to keep it. Remember?

Okay. Yeah. I'm a man of my word.

This story is about this poor girl, Amy,

whose father's in debtors' prison,

and she gets a job as a maid for this mean old lady,

and she meets her son, Arthur.

And Arthur tries to pay off her family's debts,

but then, her father finds out that he's an heir to a fortune,

and he ends up in prison.

And are Amy and Arthur in love?

Of course. But as always,

they don't figure it out until the end. - Of course.

"There's a recurrent theme of self-sacrifice

with Arthur wanting to help Amy's father's debts

and by Amy giving up her inheritance...

in order to be with Arthur. He's lost his fortune

and finds himself in debtors' prison."

I have thought about you every day,

every hour, every minute that I've been in here.

Did I say that right?

- Yeah. - Yeah?

- That was perfect. - Good.

You, you should get into acting.

Yeah, sure.

- "Never to part..." - my dearest Arthur.

Never anymore until the last.

I was never rich before. I was never proud before.

I never was happy before.

I'm rich in being taken by you.

What is so funny?

She's declaring her love for him. - I... I know, I know.

I... I'm just, uh,

I like seeing you like this.

- Stop interrupting. - Okay.

"I love you dearly.

I would rather pass my life here with you

and go out working for our bread...

than have the greatest fortune that was ever told."

Well, I better go. Um...

but you take care.

Okay. Thanks.

Not today.

Hey, what are you doing?

Huge favor to ask.

- Hey, you made it! - I wouldn't miss your tournament

for the world! You remember Chloe?

- Yeah, of course. Hi. - Hi.

Hey, boys, listen up. Okay, we're still in this.

Our offense is on point and the defense is rock solid.

So how about we get out there and win this, huh?

- Come on. Let's go. - You forgot

the most important thing.

What's that?

Have fun.

Yeah!

I saw someone selling hot chocolate over there.

- Would you like one? - You can't leave now.

We've already missed the first period. - What?

- How many periods are there? - Three.

Unless there's a tie. Then there's an extra period.

Okay, and if they're still tied after that?

Then it's a shoot-out. A goalie's worst nightmare.

I'll be right back.

And I thought football was complicated.

Whoop.

Keep going.

Yes.

Oh!

Hello? Penalty!

Yeah, I know, he must not have seen it.

Can't have eyes everywhere, I guess.

Oh!

Oh!

Yes.

Finally, a power play for us.

Austin and Nate could be pros someday.

Come on, boys, come on. Yes, yes! Come on. Yes.

They're still better than us.

Hey, you just scored and now we're tied.

Yeah, the game isn't over yet.

Yeah, don't remind me.

Stay out of your head.

Trust yourself. You got this.

You're doing good.

You guys all are.

- They're so close. - Yeah.

I told 'em to pull out all the stops,

but it looks like we might need an extra period.

Or maybe they have what it takes to do it in three.

There's your pep talk, coach.

Thanks. Hey, um, listen,

do you like to have dinner again?

Maybe make up for last time?

Yeah, that'd be nice.

Good.

Oh, okay! Who are we playing again?

- The Bellevue Foxes. - Oh!

Foxes and Wolves.

You gotta admit, their logos are kind of similar.

Just focus on the colors. We're blue.

Okay, got it.

Now, if only the puck was a fluorescent pink,

then I could see it.

- Thanks for coming. - Mm.

I know this isn't how you expected

- to spend your Saturday. - It's no worries.

It's so much fun with you.

- That was offside! - Yeah, that was offside!

- Yeah, I know, but... - That ref needs glasses.

Totally.

Okay, guys, this is it, all right?

You stick with them, protect your goalie,

and make a break for it when you can. All right?

Support each other out there, okay?

- Now, let's go. Let's go! - Let's go, boys...

- Go, go! - Come on.

- Yes! - Why did they switch sides?

They switch every period.

No, no, no.

Oh!

Shoot. Ah, hopefully we can kill...

this penalty.

Yes, yes...

there it is! Yes, yes! Go! Go!

Come on, shoot!

Whoo!

Yeah!

- Woo-hoo! - Woo!

Wait. Hey, Dad!

Oh, yeah, you gotta get out there. - Yeah.

- Thank you. - We gotta make the team photo.

Let's go.

Nah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Ooh! Oh! - Oh! Oh!

Zara, what about all that melted snow

- on your new floor? - Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Nancy.

I made sure that it was pretty waterproof.

- Oh! - Nate started the snowball fight.

No, I didn't. Zara did.

Did not!

We were just talking about your new job.

We are happy you're branching out on your own.

It's exciting, but scary.

There's not as much prestige or money as a sole practitioner,

but I'll get to decide who I wanna fight for

- and make my own hours. - Mm.

Yeah. We're done with the corporate rat race.

And thank you for taking a risk coming on board with me.

As long as you let me decorate the entire office for Christmas,

- we'll be good. - Deal.

Speaking of Christmas,

those presents aren't gonna unwrap themselves.

- Right... - You're right, Mom.

Go ahead.

Wh... what's this?

It's a goalie coordination ball.

- Oh! - It's to practice hand-eye coordination.

- Thanks, it's awesome! - Can I see?

Oh, cool!

- Thanks, Dad! - I felt sorry for you having to drag

that old duffel bag around everywhere.

Uh, here.

Thank you.

Oh.

Aw.

You fixed it! Thank you.

Oh, I can't wait to attach them!

- Can we have some hot chocolate? - Yes, please! It was freezing out there.

- Mom's is the best. - Mm-hmm.

And those were Flynn's favorite cookies.

- Mm-hmm. - Aw.

Mm, this is the perfect amount of icing.

- And you know your icing. - Harold?

What's wrong, honey?

Did you drink all the hot chocolate?

I wouldn't dare, dear.

- It was Aubrey. - What, sweetie?

Oh, uh, it was the air. It, it probably evaporated...

because it's winter, and the dry heat, and...

Let's whip up a new batch.

- Hmm? - Oh, okay.

- Evaporated? - Yeah.

It's nice to stretch. Ah.

Looks like I can put some weight on it now.

Only a couple more weeks until it comes off.

Yeah.

I almost forgot about your gift.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, this is great. I can study them now

until I can see the buildings in person.

Can I properly thank you, mademoiselle?

You may, monsieur.