Original subtitles

Have a jolly, holly Christmas

It's the best time of the year.

And in case you didn't notice, everybody wants you

here. Have a holy joly Christmas.

It's the best time of the year.

And in case you didn't notice, have a happy new

year. Have a merry...

Christmas. Make a list and Christmas tree.

Cause you know he's coming here.

Santa Claus has got the key.

Lunch doesn't look so bad.

Kelly, sweetheart.

Oh, I thought that was you.

Hi, Mom.

Oh, look at you, my beautiful girl.

in come in no it's okay it's okay no you haven't been back for a while no let me

spoil you no mom it's heavy oh yeah what have you got in here you're not moving

home are you no i'm not moving home it's just my stuff plus i thought i'd

surprise you with a few new christmas ornaments oh well that's lovely now come

on inside it's freezing can't wait to show you everything okay you can manage

right yeah okay

Nice of you to bring ornaments, honey.

But we have plenty of our own here. Which reminds me, you're going to have

to do the tree tomorrow.

What? Mom, you don't have the tree up yet?

Christmas is a week away.

Well, that was always yours and Dad's thing. We figured you'd want to do it

this year.

Oh my gosh, Cal.

You look straight out of a shampoo commercial.

City life must be treating you well.

It's just a blowout. A blowout? Oh, is there supposed to be a big storm coming

this evening? No, Mom, it's fine. Never mind.

But hey, look at you. You look like you should be on the cover of Fit Pregnancy.

Oh, third trimester, here we come.

So I drove by your house on the way in, and you didn't tell me that you and

Chris got a new car.

We didn't. We rented our place out.

Oh, well, where did you move to?

Oh, I thought Mom told you.

Chris and I moved in here.

Why? Help with the baby?

Yeah, and... And also to help me with this and that.

Besides, we have lots of extra space this year.

Mom, this is usually your busiest time.

You're usually booked out months in advance.

We were, and then... Well, we weren't.

Although we have one family staying in room four, the Nelsons.

Only one family?

Mom, how are you covering the bills? Hey, listen, I've got some hot chocolate

brewing in the kitchen. I'll catch you up. And I'm going to make sure that

everything is okay with your room.

It's so good to have you home, Kel.

Shall we?

Yeah.

It was one thing after another. She just...

She couldn't keep up after Dad died.

Well, it didn't seem so bad when I was here this summer.

Has she considered selling?

What?

She could get a really good price.

Kel! It's too much for her and she's getting older.

Look, my firm can draft up the contracts and deal with the legalities of the

sale. Dad built this place. It's his legacy.

I know, but we have to be realistic, Grace.

The place is crumbling and there are no guests.

You know what?

Mama's really trying. She took out this ad in the community paper. One second.

Community paper?

It's front page.

Okay, we need to do something more than this.

A website or something.

What we need is some Christmas magic.

Christmas magic?

Gracie, you're starting to scare me.

What we need is to be practical here.

Um... You know, it's gonna work itself out. It always does.

It won't work out unless we work it out, Grace.

You know what we should do?

What? We should build a snowman.

A snowman?

How is that going to solve anything?

It won't, I guess, but we used to love building snowmen when we were younger.

Yes, but I just drove for three hours, Gracie.

You remember that Christmas when we had that huge storm? We were snowed in for

days.

Yeah.

I'd forgotten about that.

Dad used to say, don't let all that glorious snow go to waste.

He was such a special man.

I know.

I really miss him, Cal.

Me too.

Fine.

Let's go build that snowman.

Really? Yeah.

There's that sister I know.

Okay, so where do we start? Well, in order to build the perfect snowman, we

got to begin with the perfect body.

I have to say, after all these years, definitely haven't lost our touch.

Mitchums don't mess around.

Uh-uh.

They sure don't.

Oh. Your sister's only been in town for 20 minutes and you guys are already

building a snowman?

Don't be jealous.

I know you're the only man for me. Well, I better be, babe. This guy's way cooler

than I am. Oh. See what I did there?

Because he's made of snow.

Yeah, we did, Chris.

That was pretty good.

It's my superpower.

Jelly bean.

Look, in honor of your visit, I went ahead and made some Christmas cookies.

Or should I say, Chris?

Okay, okay.

No, Chris, remember, no puns. Bad jokes are one thing, but I draw the line at

puns. We did talk about that. You're right.

Listen, dude, you let me know if these two start picking on you, okay? Us

fellas got to stick together.

Hey!

You two are so cute.

From high school sweethearts to parents.

Who would have thought?

I'm so happy for you.

And also totally jealous.

How's the dating scene?

Awful.

That bad, huh? Yeah. People really aren't interested in wanting to get to

know you. And there's all these unwritten rules.

And if I get ghosted one more time, I swear.

That's really a thing?

Yeah. People just disappear when things start to get too serious.

Oh, that sounds awful.

Yeah. You know, the dating scene for me is a distant second to just staying at

home with a good book and a hot water bottle.

You know...

Wouldn't it be amazing if I could just build the man of my dreams just as

easily as we're building this snowman?

That would be amazing. You could build him into anything you want him to be.

Yeah.

Yeah, that could actually be quite cathartic.

What would you start with?

Well, he definitely can't be afraid of intimacy.

No, that's important.

And he has to be a good listener.

He can't talk at me. He has to talk to me, with me, you know?

And he has to be a good storyteller.

loyal, and devoted.

You getting all that, Frosty? Yeah.

I'm a total babe.

Well, he's got that cased.

But he can't just be a pretty face. He has to be romantic, and he also has to

make me laugh.

That is a deal-breaker.

Very important.

I'm also someone that I can build a home with.

He also needs a nose. Not having a nose is a deal-breaker, too.

I'll be right back.

Last but not least, he has to really see me.

Voila. The perfect man.

Were these Dad's?

I don't think so, yeah.

They were so in love.

Yeah.

I mean, it looks so effortless.

I'm gonna go and get settled in.

No, no, no way. Not before the finishing touch.

A little dusting of magic. Oh, no, no, no. You do the honors. No way. It's your

man.

Hey.

Is that a snow globe?

Yeah, it is.

Do you want to see it?

That looks like your house.

It is.

It was actually a Christmas gift when I was just a little bit older than you.

Cute, right?

Yeah.

Hi, Clara. Come get your coat on, love.

Miss Wilson, I didn't know that you were checking out today.

Yeah.

We weren't supposed to.

It's just that the hot water never got hot in our room, and so we were

shivering through cold showers all week.

I am terribly sorry.

Oh.

You know what? Why don't I just try to get a plumber in for you, and I'm sure

it'll heat back up.

Yeah, they tried that a couple days ago. We're just, uh, we're gonna check into

the hotel in town.

I hope you understand.

Certainly. We'll definitely refund you.

Oh.

We really like this place.

Hopefully it'll be better next year.

Bye now.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

They left, Mom.

There was something wrong with their room.

Oh, dear.

Hey, anybody want breakfast?

I'm going to make an egg-cellent one.

Chris. Babe, that's not a pun. It's a play on words, and they're very

different, as I've learned from my improv class.

I'm going to be in the kitchen if anyone needs me.

What's going on?

Well, our last guests just left.

I thought they were booked through to the holidays.

Well, they were, except they didn't have any hot water in their room. And now we

need a contractor, which is going to be near impossible considering how close to

Christmas it is. We need a miracle.

Hello?

Hi.

Can we help you?

I think I'm actually here to help you.

I'm Forrest.

Contractor. Your name is Forrest Contractor?

No, it's Forrest Newell.

I am a contractor by profession.

I was scheduled to come in today, but maybe not. Maybe

it's a bad time. No, it's perfect timing.

It's the perfect time, I mean.

Hi, I'm Kelly. Hey, Kelly.

Sheila. Hey, Sheila.

And this is my sister, Grace.

Oh, hi.

Well,

by the sound of your voice, I think it's you that contacted me about doing some

renovations. Me?

Yeah. Oh, well, I usually put that in my... Oh, I don't see anything

here. I do apologize. I must have forgotten to write it down.

Well, that's no problem.

Although I don't know how I could have forgotten. It's okay, Mom.

Grace and I can handle it from here. Yeah, Chris has an egg-cellent breakfast

waiting for you in the kitchen.

Egg-cellent?

That's funny.

That's waffly clever.

That's good.

It's very nice to meet you, Mr.

It's just Forrest, ma'am. Oh, okay, then. Just Forrest.

Forrest, where did you say you were from?

I didn't.

Alaska, actually. Just got into town last night.

Last night?

Hey, Kel, why don't you give Forrest a tour, show him the lodge, what needs

repairing, you know?

Yeah, I'd like to get to work as soon as possible, you know, being Christmas and

all. I suppose that's a great idea, yeah.

But if it's an imposition... You guys are probably busy, right? No, you're not

at all. I just have a list, it's...

Quite an extensive list.

I, um... I'm a list girl.

She's a lawyer.

Well, I got time. I'm at your service.

Okay, well, that was great. Nice to meet you. Likewise, and congrats. Oh, thank

you. Grace, wait, are you not joining us? Oh, I'd love to, but the baby's

making me tired. I think I better rest.

Oh, okay.

Um, shall we?

Sure, yeah.

Lead the way.

Right, let's start with the living room.

Right through here.

Now, believe it or not, this place really does need a lot of work.

Well, I'm at your service.

Great. Well, first these windows need to be resealed.

And then we have to look at the hot water and plumbing and...

Yeah, sometimes I just wonder if we're better off selling.

No. No, that'd be a shame.

This is your family's place?

Yeah. My dad practically built this place with his bare hands.

Really? Yeah. He did a fine job.

And all on his own.

This wood is repurposed, too.

No way.

Yeah. That's incredible.

You know, only a very skilled carpenter could be capable of work like this.

Yeah.

He was a great man.

Was?

Um, you passed away this year.

Oh, I'm sorry.

That's okay. Thanks.

Um, Christmas was always his favorite time of year, and... I'm so sorry. I

don't know why I'm telling you all this. We just met, and you are here for a job,

and you don't need to know my life story. No, on the contrary. Look, I

appreciate it.

It's, um... I'd be happy to see what I can do to bring back the lodge to as you

remember it as a kid, you know?

I don't know. I just... I feel like it would be a waste of your time.

No, it'd be time well spent.

Just tell your perspective, right?

Okay.

But it's gonna have to wait till tomorrow. I have to try and get our

Christmas tree in today.

Maybe I could lend a hand.

No, I couldn't ask you to help with that. It's... Sure you could. I'm not

doing anything.

Where do you get your trees from?

Okay, aside from you being a handyman, do you also have a green thumb?

So, what's this tradition?

Well, my father couldn't fathom cutting down a tree just to decorate it for

Christmas. But what's Christmas without a tree, right? So, he came up with a

great idea.

Every year, my father and I would go out into the backyard in search of a young

tree. And then we would dig it up.

put it in a planter, and bring it inside for Christmas.

And once the holidays were over, we would take our new tree friend out and

plant it in the backyard.

Wow. So all the trees in your backyard?

We're once our Christmas trees.

Wow, that is beautiful.

Yeah, and it's quite fitting, too, with the whole Christmas tree tradition. You

know, people used to decorate trees in their backyard.

Really? Yeah, like in the 16th century, they would put, like, apples and pears

and walnuts. Huh.

Yeah, many Alaskan winter nights. Lots of reading.

Hey, what about that? That looks like a good candidate.

Yeah, it's perfect.

All right.

All right.

Wow, you really do have a green thumb, don't you?

Yes, I do. My name is Forrest, after all. Right.

He is so gorgeous.

What should we call him?

I don't know. Um, Piney?

Short for Pinesentine, of course. Of course.

Yeah, he, you know, he's gonna go through in grade school, but then he'll

come to learn to love his distinguished man.

He will.

Yeah.

Well, we just need some decorations and he's all good to go. Oh, well, don't

tell me that you do tree trimming as well. Yes, of course I do.

Oh. However, I don't charge.

I gotta go.

Oh. I'm sorry.

Oh, okay.

Well, hey, thanks for all of your help today.

Anytime.

You know, I'll be back tomorrow. Right, of course.

I'll see myself out.

Okay? Okay.

Pleasure meeting you, Kelly Mitchell.

Likewise. I'll see you.

Hey.

We have a whole box of our own homemade Christmas ornaments in the basement. Why

do we have to use these inferior, mass-produced ones?

Because. Have you not heard a word I said?

Yes, I heard everything.

Okay, then when was the last thing I said? You said that he walked into the

woods and then disappeared.

Right, right.

Isn't that crazy?

I don't know. I guess.

What? I know that face you're making.

I'm not making a face. Yes, you are.

That's the face you make when you have a crush.

You don't know my crush face.

Yes, I do. I'm your sister.

Kel, it's totally your crush face.

Guys, I'm just going to go on record here to say that I like this guy

already. He used the term waffly clever.

Like, I'm going to steal that. We know you are. I'll credit him if he wants it,

but I'm taking that. That's going to be mine.

Look, if...

I were to build a man, would he not be a lullaby for us? Absolutely.

Grace, don't make me spell this out for you.

Oh.

Yeah, I see.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

The snowman.

What about it?

Didn't you see Forrest's hat and scarf?

His face and body had me pretty occupied.

Grace! What? I'm a happily married woman.

You're a happily married pregnant woman.

You can't blame me for noticing he was objectively very attractive.

Look, I know that this is going to sound crazy, but do you not think that there's

some connection between Forrest and... And... And the snowman?

Whoa.

The hat and scarf were identical to the ones we put on the snowman.

That doesn't necessarily mean... And he said that he just got into town last

night. And Mom doesn't remember contacting him.

He's everything that I listed.

He's funny, kind, a good listener.

Very handsome.

Oh, my gosh.

What?

Someone I could build a home with.

I explicitly remember saying that.

And he is a contractor.

Okay, now my head is spinning.

The morning after you let yourself believe that your dream man could be out

there, he shows up. If that's not Christmas magic, I don't know what is.

Oh, yeah.

No.

Listen to us. What?

Christmas magic.

Yes!

Okay, wow.

That bad dating scene has really got to my head.

Here I am with the first nice guy that I meet, and...

I think that he's connected to a snowman and a magical Christmas wish.

Listen, life is full of mystery and magic we can't explain.

Can I just get our own Christmas ornaments from downstairs?

Just, where does mom keep the broom?

I'll get it.

Listen, I know you don't want to get hurt again, but...

I just don't see what the harm is in letting yourself believe.

Think about how happy you were just a minute ago.

Well, I'm not going to be made a fool again, and I'm not going to get carried

away again.

Mom hired a contractor, and I gave him a tour of the house.

And that's it.

Okay, I understand.

It's nice to see you so passionate again.

It's the Kelly that I knew when we were younger.

Well, I'm all grown up now.

You know what I think? Carpe diem. If he really is connected to the snowman, then

he could melt tomorrow.

Seize the day.

Log on the Christmas fire. Four letters.

Wood?

Yule, babe.

A what?

Hey, um...

Sorry, I just let myself in. I hope that's okay.

Oh, hi. Yeah, no, totally fine.

Cool. Um, Kelly's expecting me. Is she here? Yeah. Hey, Cal?

Yeah?

Oh, hi.

Hi. Hey, you know, we gotta get going.

I don't have 12 down yet. It's eight letters.

Shovel the walk.

It's not gonna fit, babe. No, you gotta shovel the walk, and I gotta go wrap

those Christmas presents. Oh, right, yes. I have to shovel the walk, and you

have to wrap the baby's presents.

Hey, it's no problem.

I'll slay you later.

All right, cool.

Wow.

Okay. Right? Well, that's my brother-in-law, Chris.

That's funny. I like him.

Shall we continue the tour? Absolutely, yes.

All right.

That's the lake.

Incredible.

So this railing needs to be re-secured.

I think I can handle that.

Okay.

Whoa, this view is spectacular.

Yeah, my sister and I used to swim in this lake a lot when we were kids.

In the summer, I'm assuming?

Oh, yeah, definitely.

Though my dad used to do a polar bear swim every New Year's Day, so... The

property is just amazing.

Must have been really special growing up here.

It was.

We spent a lot of time outside when we were kids.

You know, there's some really nice trails near here.

Do you like hiking?

Sure, yeah.

Isn't that just a fancy way of saying going for a walk?

Special shoes, of course.

But I mean, it usually happens in the woods, so.

Right.

That's the difference.

Okay.

Maybe if you're free one day, we can go.

Sure. I'd love that.

Okay.

I really like your life.

What do you mean?

Just, it seems like you had a really magical childhood.

Yeah, I did.

Um, you know what? There's something that I want to show you.

Come with me.

Did your dad build this too?

Yeah. It's amazing.

I know.

What's this?

Grace and I had a growth chart from when we were little to when we were

teenagers.

Wow, there's a lot of history here. Yeah.

But the most important one is up there.

Oh, yeah?

Come on.

Do tell.

Well, every Christmas, we would come down here and we would mark how tall

we'd gotten from the previous year. And then we would talk about how tall we

really felt.

Then there was one year when my high school boyfriend broke up with me.

Oh, what a fool.

I know.

Poor Kelly.

He felt so small.

Steve Kowalczyk, he just really wasn't worth it at the end.

But I told my dad what happened, and he picked me up on his shoulders, and he

made me feel 10 feet tall again.

We all have our Steve Kowalczyks.

Even you? I don't believe it for a second.

You're so lucky to have someone to make you feel ten feet tall.

You know?

We all need those people in our lives.

Um, why don't we go on to the next stop?

Come on.

Follow me.

Wow,

this place just really feels like home. Like, you know, especially with this

gorgeous winter like this.

Is it kind of like where you grew up?

Somewhat. I mean, I guess I've just always felt at home around snow.

Why is that, you think?

You know, some people think that winter is just dead and dull, but the snow

actually protects the soil. You know, it helps things grow.

All this life going on, just waiting to be woken up.

Come on.

You know, I think just a couple new hinges, a little WD-40 should be good to

go. Okay, well, I think we should prioritize that because every girl needs

a working closet at all times.

Got it.

Hey, you got some more decorations here for Piney.

Yeah, those were from when I was little. I just didn't want to see them up on the

tree this year.

Oh, got it.

Is that your dad?

Yeah, that's him.

You know, he really loved his family.

But he also really loved this lodge.

Oh, uh... Hey, I apologize.

I didn't mean to upset you.

Oh, no, you didn't. That's okay. It's just, um... It's just hard sometimes.

Actually...

A lot of the time.

Look, I totally get it.

But you should know that every time I walk into this house, I'm in awe of how

full of life it is. And maybe in some different way, he's still here.

And I promise you, look, I'm going to do whatever I can to help preserve that.

Okay? His house.

Thank you.

Um, I gotta get going.

Hey, why don't I come by in the morning and, uh, why don't I start with the

plumbing in the guest rooms?

Oh, you've already helped us so much, I couldn't ask you to do the plumbing,

too. It's nothing.

Um, consider it an early Christmas gift.

What do you, what do you lawyers call that? Um, pro bono, right?

That's right.

Right.

Um, you know, maybe if there's...

time after we could go on that hike.

Sure, yeah, I'd love that.

Well, thanks for the tour.

I know the way out.

Mom, that looks great.

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a gingerbread house.

Well, you know what? Let me help you.

Let's do it together.

What a treat.

I can't remember the last time you offered to help me with Christmas

baking. What's gotten into you?

I don't know. I guess I'm just feeling festive.

Ooh, are we baking? What's the occasion?

The occasion?

Um, let me think about that. I think it's a day in December that happens

every year, and people bring trees into their homes and decorate them and put

gifts underneath them. I know it's Christmas, dummy.

Christmas. Yes, that's what I was thinking of. Someone is in quite the

jokey mood for the morning. I wonder why.

So, the reason that I am baking, girls, is because we've had some reservations

this morning.

Really? Yes.

and I have to get ready for the Lodge's annual Christmas dinner and the

unveiling of the lights on Christmas Eve.

We're doing that this year?

Why would this year be any different from any other year?

So, have you found out anything more about Forrest? Any clues?

Oh, are you talking about that handsome young contractor?

Oh, do you know who he reminds me of?

Cary Grant?

Yes. He seems like an old soul.

Do you know who your father always said I reminded him of?

Grace Kelly.

Mom, is that why when you had two girls, you named them Grace and Kelly?

If you had two boys, would you have named them Carrie and Grant?

All right, stop teasing your poor old mother, you two. You know, I can't for

the life of me remember where I got the phone number for that young man.

Well, I say we chalk it up to a bit of Christmas magic.

Maybe there's something to that.

And tell me, when will that fine gentleman be gracing us with his

presents again?

Oh, yeah, Kelly. When will that fine gentleman be gracing us with his

presents again?

Well, actually, he's coming by tomorrow to fix the plumbing and touch up the

paint. Oh.

And? And?

I was thinking if there's time, I would take him for a hike up.

By the waterfall.

Oh, a romantic walk.

Like, he's not from around here, so I just thought I'd show him the sights,

okay? Okay.

Wow, even I didn't think building a snowman would stir up so much in you.

Maybe... things were just waiting to be stirred.

Hmm.

I can't believe you got all that stuff fixed in the house so quickly.

It was like... Magic.

Yeah. Yeah, we're a good team.

Team? I don't know about that.

You know, all I did was play with baked goods and hot chocolate.

So, like, only the most important part, right?

This is spectacular.

Right? I used to come here when I was a kid. It was like my secret hideaway.

Yeah, what were you hiding away from?

Not much. It was more just like a place to get away to.

I wish I had a place like this when I was young.

I just realized I've been talking about myself this whole time.

I know nothing about you at all.

Oh, yeah? What do you want to know?

What was your childhood like?

It was good.

Good. You know?

It was hard at times.

I didn't really know my mom.

She passed when I was younger.

I'm so sorry.

My dad, I guess he didn't know how to deal with it, so

we just never talked about it after.

That's why when I see your family, I'm in awe.

You were so fortunate to have been that close with your dad.

And, you know, if I'm ever lucky enough to have a family of my own, I'd want

them to be like yours.

Anyway, well, we should get back before we get started, right?

Yeah, that's a good idea.

I think my sister may have some cookies baking in the oven.

Oh, yeah?

That was seriously fun. Yeah, it was.

You know, there's something about you.

Uh-oh. I do not like where this is going. No, no, it's not a bad thing.

It's just I've been wanting to ask you something.

Would you be my date tomorrow night? The lodge does a holiday dinner every year,

and people get dressed up, and there's dancing, and it's actually a lot of fun.

And I would love for you to join us.

I mean, I would love for you to come with me and be together with everyone.

Okay, I would love for you and me to be together tonight with everyone.

Is it a date or are you asking me to join a cult?

It's a date.

Oh man, this was so much easier when I was younger.

Not much of a dancer.

That's okay.

I don't have a suit.

There's no dress code.

Okay. Oh, I'd love to.

Really?

Yeah.

I sense a butt coming on.

Look, you know what? You don't have to come. It's fine.

I would love to, and what time is it?

Seven. All right.

I'll see you then.

Okay. Okay.

Huh.

Wow. Join us?

Way to go, Kelly.

That's, uh... Sounds weird.

Be with us.

Okay?

Guys,

guys, guys.

Right?

Thank you so much for coming. Our pleasure. Thank you for having us.

Nice to see you.

Thank you

so much for coming.

Mademoiselle, I'm about to carve into the bird unless you want to wait for...

Chris, you don't have to be so formal about it, but I do have to say you look

great. Don't I?

Thank you. I did it for the baby. You know, I just... Cool dad. Cool dad

stuff.

Hey, how about a top-up on the house, Rhett?

Sure. Thanks.

You good?

Yeah, Chris, some grapes.

Maybe we can just give you five more minutes.

You fine with me?

That might be a good idea.

Christmas comes to all each year, bringing with it joy and cheer,

happiness for you and me and our extended family.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

Yay! Oh, my goodness.

What a treat.

Thank you so much. Yours, too.

How are you?

So good.

Very, very clever. Good job, Clara. That was really impressive.

Yes. Who wants gingerbread?

Is there any coffee? No, I understand.

Well, you've given me a lot to think about.

Yes, well, I'll try and see it that way.

Mary Cr- Mom,

who was that?

Who are you talking to?

Someone is trying to put an offer in on the lodge.

It's not even for sale.

Did you have something to do with this? Of course not. How could you- This is

our home.

I know that. This is my home, too. No, you don't see it that way. Not the same

way that we do. You can't just swoop in here and think you know what's best for

us. Grace, you can't talk to your sister like that.

Okay, can someone please just explain to me exactly what is going on here? Yes.

I just received a phone call from a realtor, and apparently he has an

anonymous buyer who wants to put an offer in on the lodge.

No, not on the lodge. On the land. They want to demolish the lodge.

What? Well, apparently there are some things that are not proper to code.

Now, the offer is low, but the way they put it, it might be our only option.

Why, Mom, you said that we had reservations coming in, right?

Yes, but it might be too little too late.

This is what you always wanted, isn't it, Kelly?

What? Come on. The first thing she said when she got here was that we should

sell. I don't feel that way anymore, Mom. Well, it might be too late, Kelly.

Okay, that's enough.

Could you just give me a minute with your sister alone, please Here

Take a seat kiddo

Your

decorations look nice

Thanks, maybe they are an improvement over our old sentimental ones

All those trinkets we collected when you kids were young.

I just thought it was time for a change, but now I think we should get the old

one. Kelly, you're right.

I think we should sell.

What? The lodge is too much for me. I'm... I'm overwhelmed.

And business isn't what it used to be.

You've seen that for yourself.

You've always been so savvy, smarter than I, and these things so...

If you think that it's a good offer, then I'm behind you.

But what about Dad?

Well, Dad wouldn't want to see his beautiful work deteriorate like this.

Besides, no matter where we are, he's always with us.

I don't know. I just can't imagine life with the lodge gone now, Mom.

It'll be a big adjustment for all of us.

Look, when I first got here, I was worried, but something changed.

That lodge that I remember when I was a kid, I thought it was gone with Dad,

but... I miss him.

I know you do, sweetie.

So do I.

But you know what he'd say?

What?

Do you remember that year the snow fell and we were stormed in and he said...

You can't let all that beautiful snow go to waste. That's right.

And we built that whole family of snowmen.

Yeah.

Well, maybe we can't let this offer go to waste.

I know. It's a tough thing.

But, you know, I think your dad would turn this on its head and so can we.

Now the realtor said that he was going to send the offer over.

Could you take a look at it?

I could use your legal expertise.

It would mean a lot to me.

Sure, Mom.

Now can I get you a coffee?

I wish it didn't have to be this way, Kel, but I'm afraid it might be our only

option.

Hey. Hey.

Can we talk?

I can't get into it right now.

Busy with the sale? With the sale, yes.

Look, you know that I don't want this, right?

I thought you did.

You came here wanting to sell, get rid of it all.

Dad's decorations, the lodge, all of it. That's not true.

I just want what's best for Mom.

I can't really mean that.

How come you never come home?

Because... Because it's just too painful.

There are reminders of him everywhere.

I don't think I feel Kel.

I'm here every day.

Every day.

I know.

I know that you needed me and I couldn't be here for you.

And I'm sorry.

You have to believe me. I had nothing to do with this soul.

We just... We miss you and we love you.

I'm sorry, too.

Wanna build a snowman?

No thanks, Grace. I think I've had enough of snowmen for the time being.

Gotcha.

Where was Forrest last night anyway?

Stood me up.

What? Yeah, he ghosted me. Can you believe it?

He must have some kind of explanation. That doesn't make any sense.

Hold on a second.

Speaking of ghosting, you look like you just saw one.

What is it?

It's Forrest.

What? Look.

Look, it's written right there.

How could I have been so stupid?

No, Kel, you're not.

Yes, I am.

He used me.

He wanted to get in-depth knowledge of the lodge so that he could make a lower

bid.

He took advantage of Mom.

And that is the worst kind of con artist.

And I got taken in.

This has to be some kind of misunderstanding.

Yeah, my misunderstanding that he was a good guy.

So much for Christmas magic.

Yeah, you know why?

Because it doesn't exist.

Just like an ideal man doesn't exist either.

I let myself believe for one moment, and look what happened.

I've been acting like a kid this whole time.

I think it's time we both grew up.

I'm going to find Forrest.

Because he can't get away with this.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.

I didn't see you there. Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm alright.

Here you go.

Thanks so much.

Are you off to do some Christmas shopping?

No, not exactly.

Why, she says it's fine.

Merry Christmas.

Yeah, if you say so.

Hi there! Can I interest you in some gingerbread? No, thanks.

What about a peppermint brownie? Um, sure.

Merry Christmas!

Yeah, you too.

Merry Christmas.

Look, I'm not in the mood!

Let's just go. Someone's obviously not got a lot of Christmas spirit. I'm so

sorry, sweetie, here.

Take it.

Hi.

Hey,

Kelly.

Bill.

Well, I should really explain what happened the other night. No, you don't

need to explain anything.

No, I... We got your offer.

Your anonymous offer to buy the lodge.

That's not me, Kelly. How could you?

That is not the case. You used all of the family secrets I told you about to

lowball my mom out of her house.

Our house.

Kelly, really? You think I would do that? You're the worst kind of person.

I'm the worst kind of... Are you...

Can you, can I just explain? No, I never want to see you again. What do you mean?

You stay away from my family and I.

To think that I was starting to care about you.

You're just like the rest of them.

This isn't your fault.

Favorite part of the year, by far.

Hey, remember when you made this?

Oh, yeah, I think I was like six years old. It was last year, babe. Make some

match or something? What do you think? Well, let's stick to the classics.

Before you say anything, I know you didn't want the old Christmas

decorations up, but we figured it's been such a rough past couple of days. And so

I just thought, hey, what the elf?

Yeah, the house could use a little more Christmas. Don't say it.

Don't say magic, please.

Okay, what about Christmas spirit?

Christmas spirit is for songs and stories.

It doesn't exist, Grace.

Do you really believe that?

I don't know what I believe anymore.

Sorry. Sorry, guys.

Yeah, I should be alone.

Get Christmas over with and head back to the city.

Presided over by... Forrest Newell Senior?

It says to use an

Allen key.

Allen key?

Hopefully that's the name of the guy they're gonna send to build the rest of

this crib, babe.

What is a Jorgenspeng?

Hi.

I'm just going to take some things over to the thrift store. I wondered if you

wanted to add anything.

No. No.

Oh, um, by the way, um, the realtor and the buyer might be poking around

today. I know it's not going to be pleasant, but try to be nice.

Mom, there's something we need to tell you about the buyer.

Oh, there they are now.

Are you sure that's the buyer?

Positive.

He said he wanted to survey the land.

Hey. Hey.

You've been cooped up here all morning.

You want to go for a walk?

Yeah, I should actually.

Let me just get my shoes.

I can't wait to hear your list of baby names.

I don't even know how we're gonna choose.

You.

Hi.

What are you doing here?

I know you never want to see me again.

Yeah, and yet here we are.

What part of never again was unclear?

Look, I was fully prepared to leave and never come back here, but then Grace

tracked me down.

She did, did she?

It isn't as simple as it seems.

Well, let's see. You betrayed me and my family and put our future at risk. Seems

pretty simple to me.

No, no, no. That is just not the case, okay? Look, my father and I, we've never

been close.

He's part of the reason why I moved up north. I just wanted to get away from

him and everything that he stood for.

And then, I don't know, this year something shifted. I was stirred up, and

I thought... I was hopeful for the first time in a long time that we could

actually have a relationship.

So I can't explain it, but I just got pulled back here.

My only intention was to patch things up with my dad and maybe pick up some work

here and there.

Well, looks like we gave you the opportunity to do both.

That's not the case. I just, I left my number at the hardware store and your

mom called me. Look, I'm sorry. I just, I can't hear any more of this.

What?

What should I do? Go get her.

Kelly, look.

Hey, I just need you to hear this, please.

Your father, he built something singularly beautiful.

I love that lodge.

And it should be restored and brought back to life the way that you remember

it. And I've loved seeing it through your eyes.

But you took everything that I told you and used it against us.

It wasn't my intention.

My father, he'd just rather destroy everything in his path than to look back

and repair it.

I naively thought that my passion for this project would allow him to see the

value of restoration.

And I was so wrong.

Some things, they just, they just never change, you know?

And when I found out that he intended to use that information to buy your

property, It was the night of our dinner, and I couldn't face you, okay? I

was horrified.

So, look, I understand if you never want to see me again, but you deserve to know

the truth, and... I'm sorry.

I really am.

Hi. Are you with the Mitchum Lodge?

Yes. Would you like to rent a room? No, actually, I'm supposed to meet someone

here. Mr.

Forrest Newell.

Forrest? Why?

He set the meeting up a few days ago. He did?

Yes. Newell?

That's the name I was given. Junior?

I'm not sure about that. He seemed young by my standards, but I am getting up

there.

You seem to be having a little trouble with your snowman. Yeah, don't I know

it.

How can I help you?

I should introduce myself.

I am Brett Gable, president of the Historical Society in town.

Mr. Newell told me that I might have some interest in his lawn chair, in

preserving it.

He did?

He asked me to come by and see if you'd like to have it assessed.

He said he was curious as to whether it would qualify as a heritage building.

What? What would that mean?

Well, there are many benefits to something being declared properly

historic. There is a government stipend dedicated towards the maintenance and

preservation of its historic buildings.

And, not that this would ever be the case with this place, but it becomes

much more difficult to alter and nearly impossible to demolish. The way Mr.

Newell described it, this lodge sounded like the kind of place that had real

promise of qualifying.

And even from here, I think he was onto something.

That's... That's just wonderful.

So, who is the rightful owner of the property?

That would be my mom. She's inside.

You can just go knock on the door. Excuse me, I have to go.

Hello?

What are you doing here? How did you get in?

I let myself in.

There wasn't a receptionist or anything, so... Oh, well, of course not. It's

Christmas. Apparently nobody thinks they need to work on Christmas.

Hey, I'll tell you what. If you're looking for a job and you know how to

type, you don't mind working holidays, you're hired.

That's not why I'm here.

Okay, well, then let me guess. You are a caroler gone solo.

No.

Uh, Girl Scout cookies?

No. Okay, well, maybe you're a ghost come to scare me into being a better

person. Mr. Newell, I'm here to talk about your son.

Forrest?

He's gone.

Gone?

Yeah, back to Alaska.

Who are you?

I'm Kelly Mitchum.

Oh, right, right. Kelly Mitchum from the Mitchum Lodge.

That's right.

Well, your father's lodge made quite an impression on my son.

Well, it seems to have made quite an impression on you, too.

So much that you want to buy it.

Well, it's on a beautiful piece of land.

Yes, it is.

At least we can both agree on that.

You want to have a seat?

Can I get you something to drink?

No, thank you.

You're not going to give that place up easily, are you?

No, sir, I'm not.

It means a lot to my family and I.

Do you know why my son went back to Alaska?

Well, I have some... Because he doesn't like the way I do business.

You see, that crumbling little run-down lodge of yours?

It's already cost me too much.

Cost me my son.

Are you telling me that Forrest had no idea of your intentions?

He didn't have a clue.

Which is really kind of ironic when you consider he's the one that put the idea

in my head in the first place.

You see, he'd come home the last couple of days just raving about the beauty of

the land and how incredible that lodge was.

But he also told me how much work needed to be done to the place structurally.

So, got my wheels turning.

I'm about to make an offer on the place.

So you can demolish it?

I prefer the term gentrify.

So he really had no idea.

Boris didn't know.

Are you kidding?

That kid's got a sentimental streak from here to... I'm in Alaska.

I could have never told him.

Should have known he'd overreact when he found out.

Mr. Newell, doesn't it bother you that you've been lying to your son?

Do you have a good relationship with your father, Ms. Mitchell?

I did, yeah.

But he passed away a few months ago.

And we were close, yes.

You know, it's funny. You don't know how much you're going to miss someone until

they're gone.

We're really gone.

Mr. Newell, you should know that you have an incredible son.

The lodge wasn't the only thing that made an impression on him.

You made quite an impression on him as well.

You know, if you hurry, you might be able to catch him at the bus station.

Bus station?

He's catching a bus back to Bellingham.

And from... There he's taking the flight back to Alaska.

Thank you.

Oh, and Mr. Newell, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Excuse me.

Okay, gotta call Grace.

Don't die on me.

Okay.

Where is the payphone?

Great.

Yes. Payphone.

Okay.

All right.

Yes. All right.

What is Grace's number?

414-1967.

Hey!

Lingerie by Lewis. How can I help you? Lingerie by Lewis?

Sorry, I have the wrong number.

Dang.

What's their number?

Okay. Let's try it again.

414-19...

76.

Yes, it's ringing.

Okay.

Come on, Grace, pick up.

Unlisted number? Nope. Sorry, I do not answer those.

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no!

Hey! No!

Oh, it's probably those pesky people wanting to know if we want our ducks

cleaned. I've told them we don't have any ducks.

Geese, yes, but no ducks.

Oh, excuse me.

Do you have a quarter I can use, please? I'm so sorry to bother you. It's

vertical. It's a very important call.

Oh, thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Okay.

Oh.

Okay.

Mitchum Lodge, how may I help you?

Grace, it's me. Hell, where are you? You ran off so fast, we were worried about

you. No, look, hey, don't worry about me. It's just, uh... I know this is

going to sound crazy, but, um... Would you build another snowman with me

tonight?

Yes!

Wait, why?

If it was magic that brought him here, then...

Maybe it'll be magic that brings them back.

What do we have to lose?

You're absolutely right.

Great.

Okay, grab this hat and scarf.

I left them on the reception desk.

Uh, Mom?

Yes, honey?

Did you see a hat and scarf here earlier today?

I don't know. They might have been in the donation box.

Where's the donation box? I took it to the thrift shop this afternoon.

No! No, no, no. Those were Dad's things.

Long shot, but...

Maybe they're still there?

Do you think that thrift shop is still going to be open? I mean, it's almost

Christmas. What do you have to lose?

Yes.

Yes, okay.

My mom, she brought a box of things in today, and they were my dad's things.

It's really important that I get them back.

Please?

Well, normally I'd ask you to come back tomorrow and just lock it up for the

night.

Please.

What is Christmas?

Oh, thank you.

Thank you so much.

goodness these are them i will happily buy these back from you oh sorry i

cashed out for the night oh well go on take it really

yeah thank you so much merry christmas

merry christmas indeed

did you get him

Okay, now, I don't know how this is gonna work or if it's gonna work, but I

think it has something to do with believing.

What's gotten into you? I'm seizing the day.

I'm taking your advice.

We've got a snowman to build.

Yeah.

What now?

I guess we just sit and wait.

And hope.

And hope.

We almost forgot.

The finishing touches.

Sprinkling of Christmas magic.

Morning, Mom.

Mom?

Grace?

Grace?

Where is everyone?

Okay, now these are going to go on the windows all the way around, and these

are going to go straight across the roof. Okay.

Oh, my gosh.

It's Christmas Eve.

How could I forget the light unveiling? Here, honey, you go up the ladder. I'm

too old. I'm pregnant.

Chris? I'm terrified of heights.

How are you holding up, sweetheart?

I'll be all right.

Mom, what's going to happen to the lodge, to us?

No one knows.

All we have is this moment.

And at this moment, I have my girls with me in my home.

It's my favorite time of year, and the lodge is going to be lit up tonight with

the spirit of the season.

This moment is good.

I wish I had your strength.

You do.

You may not know it now, but your passion is your strength.

I always thought it was my weakness.

Well, think again, dear.

You're strong.

And you're brave.

Just like your father.

Now, come on.

If this is our last Christmas here...

We are going to enjoy every minute of it.

Okay.

Hey there.

Would you like a gingerbread cookie?

There you go.

I am so sorry I was grouchy to you yesterday.

It's okay.

Can I have some hot chocolate?

Well, that's up to your mom.

Sure, bud.

Go ahead.

Go right on.

If only we all had the wisdom of a six-year-old, right?

I wanted to apologize.

for checking out the other day.

The hotel in town has got nothing on this place.

Hot water or no, we'll definitely be back next year.

You always treat us like family.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Hey, how's Piney doing?

He's great.

He decided he liked the vintage ornaments better, so we went with those

instead. Well, that's a good choice.

What are you doing here?

Well, I got to the airport, and I thought, what am I doing?

How is running away from my problems any different than what my dad does?

And you, you made me see that.

See what?

that moving into the future doesn't mean leaving the past behind.

And on that note, I might have some good news for you. I spoke to Brett last

night, and I hope you don't mind, but I did invite him here.

I just wanted to thank you for bringing this incredible place to my attention.

I did a thorough examination of the foundation of the lodge, the wood

paneling used in the banisters, and...

And I was just thrilled at the history that I found.

I will have all the paperwork drawn up for you, if you and your family will

consider it, of course.

Consider what?

Having the lodge declared a historical building deemed essential to the land's

history in a protected according way. I... I don't know what... Mom, come over

here. You have to listen to this.

Oh. Oh, hello.

Hi. Hello again.

Hello again. So, what's the news?

Well... Oh, I don't even know where to start.

I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about. We'll leave it to it. All right.

Please. Oh, all right. Now, I really would like to... Kelly, look, I...

Forrest, please.

I owe you an apology.

You tried to tell me something, and I didn't listen.

I'm sorry.

No, no, no, look.

I should have told you about my father's intentions as soon as I found out about

them. And I didn't believe that yours were honest.

And now I see that they are.

Thank you for saving our home.

It's true. I fell in love with the lodge during my time here, but I also found

myself falling in love with you.

Son?

Dad?

How'd you know I was here?

I didn't.

Sheila invited me to come out and we'll see the unveiling of the lights.

Well, that and, uh...

I think I had to see with my own eyes how wrong I was to want to tear this

place down and how right you were in trying to save it.

What you said to me yesterday at my office, that really sealed it for me.

I'm sorry.

And son, I'm sorry that once again I, well, I put my own ambitions ahead of

family.

But I'm going to be better from here on in.

I promise.

I love you, son.

I love you, too, Dad.

Um, well, I suppose I, uh, I'll go mingle, and I'll, uh, give you two a

moment.

Oh.

Where were we?

Somewhere about being in love.

It's too bad that you're going to have to go back up to Alaska eventually.

Yeah, but there's this contract, you know, this preservation of a certain

lodge that might keep me here, might keep me busy.

Yeah, well, you're the perfect man for the job.

I might stay here, too, for a little bit, help Mom around the house, and I

can work from here.

And it feels good to be home.

Hey. We got time before the unveiling, right?

Yeah. There's something I have to do.

Okay.

Sorry.

Sorry, but I had to do that.

Why? Because that is how tall you make me feel.

Hey, are you guys coming?

Maybe you should go back up. Yes.

Gather round!

Let's have a countdown.

That was maybe the greatest lighting ceremony of all time, but it's now time

for hot chocolate.

Okay, I will.

Hey, I never noticed that before, a snowman.

Oh, yeah.

I love building snowmen. We should, you know, build them a companion, maybe a

whole little snow family.

Oh, um, okay.

Okay. We can talk about that.