Original subtitles

You know, family, I always love to do it, but I'm so, so grateful that you all

are here again.

So I just want to say.

Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you all for being here. You outdid yourself again this year. That turkey is

better than last year, and I don't even know how that's possible. I tell you,

the secret is in the brining. Oh, Jill's not looking for a recipe.

She's just happy we get to come here every year so she doesn't have to cook.

I love it. The more the merrier. Here, I'm already planning my Christmas menu.

It's true. It's true. She starts planning the holidays during, what,

Labor Day? Oh, come on. You think I get a little carried away and maybe just

attack? A tat?

Are you kidding me? Come on, come December, you are like Santa on

steroids. I love it, though. I get all the cooking and the baking and the...

Decorating and the shopping. Caroling the eggnogging. Not to mention single

-handedly mounting the school's Christmas spectacular every year. Mm

-hmm, every year. Thank you.

Mm-hmm, thank you.

Uh-oh, her eyes are turning red and green.

Make your fun, make your fun. We know how you do, honey, and we love you for

it. Nobody does Christmas like you do.

Nobody. Mm-mm.

And that's how you earned the nickname of Christmas Carol down at the school.

Okay.

Okay.

This is the last of them.

You know what?

I actually think we set a new speed record this go-around unpacking.

Well, this isn't our first time at the rodeo.

What's this, the third time in two years?

Yeah.

And I know it's not always easy, kiddo.

But at least with this hotel project that I'm supervising, we're going to be

here for at least a year.

In that case, let's hang a few pictures on the wall. Good idea. Yep. What do you

got there?

You know, Mom, she loved a flocked Christmas tree.

You know what?

That's what we need to do this year.

Put up a tree.

We need something to warrant this temporary rental decor.

You are absolutely right.

We're going to get a tree this year.

And you know what else is going to happen this year?

We are going to spend some quality time together. Just me and you this holiday

season. That is a promise.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Well, you believe it, kiddo.

Dinner's here, finally.

All right, I got it.

Hi, I got a Thanksgiving special for Terry Evans. Yeah, that's me.

Here you go. Awesome, thank you. Happy Thanksgiving. Take care. Yep.

Okay, here we go. Here we go.

What's Thanksgiving at the heavens home without a large veggie pizza with turkey

sausage? Hey, count your blessings, kiddo. I had to call all over town to

find a pizza place that was still open.

All right, who's ready to carve the first slice?

Me.

I'm going in. Okay.

Yum.

Who needs turkey, right?

Mm-hmm. All right, I even put the cranberry in a separate dish so it won't

spill.

Wow, good. Well...

With any luck, we will be eating right through to the end of February.

Isn't that a good thing?

Honey, do you think that maybe you're still cooking for your ex-husband and

your in-laws?

What are you talking about? I've been divorced four years.

I know.

Look, here's an idea. How about just cutting the recipes in half and, I don't

know, maybe think about getting back out there?

We've already had this conversation.

No thanks. Oh, come on. Why not?

Look, you have so much to offer.

There is more to life than being a real estate agent and supermom.

Have you ever heard the phrase, once bitten, twice shy?

Yeah, and how about love is lovelier the second time around?

Oh.

I like my life the way that it is. Okay.

Okay. You know what? Your BFF will M-Y-O-B.

For now.

Thanks. Yeah.

Well, Carol, you did it again.

Well, well, well, that's my job.

Thank you so much for a fantastic meal.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. You too, Brian.

Thanks, Principal Higgins.

Dude, you don't have to call him that outside school.

Right. Okay, so are we doing the open house at the McKenzie Place on Elm?

Wait, what are you talking about? It's going to be Lucky Lose. I'm going to

have a chance to finish my Christmas cards.

Finish? All right.

Okay, love you.

Thanks for dinner. Come on home. Thank you.

Oh. You do realize it's still Thanksgiving, right?

I'll make it work a few more hours.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I blame it on the elves.

Well, that's my story. I'm sticking to it.

I've never seen it that busy. Wow.

I'll get it!

It's packed.

Amateurs.

I avoided Black Friday shopping by doing mine online.

Yes!

She's good.

Real good. Yeah.

I mean, who'd want to be out there in that?

This is ridiculous.

Come on!

Let's go. Dad, it's not their fault. There's nowhere to go.

Well, I mean, look at this.

Should we just turn around and try this another day? What do you think?

No, I need to close our school on Monday.

It's bad enough starting a new school mid-year.

Well, by the time we get into this parking lot, it may actually be next

year. Then, um, why don't you just drop me off here and pick me up in a few

hours? What?

Come on, I thought we were going to spend some time together.

We did.

Sitting in traffic.

Well, that's great. That's great quality time there. Come on, Dad. I need a new

look.

You need a new look, huh?

Of course you do.

You're going to kill me, you know that?

All right, just go easy.

I'm still paying off your last look.

Okay,

we'll see you later.

Love you.

Yeah, I love you too.

Bye. Bye.

You know what the worst part about long weekends is?

The Monday following.

Have you seen my keys?

We're going to be late, which means I'll be the new kid who walks into class with

every head turning around and staring at her. At least it'll give everyone a

chance to admire your new outfit.

Relax, all right? I'm gonna get you there before the bell rings because I

have the keys.

All right, hair and makeup on the way. Okay.

Chop, chop.

Let's go.

Can you guess? Can you guess what we're doing here? Come on, let's go.

What are we doing here? I'm gonna be late for school.

No, no, you're gonna be fine.

I left the house a couple of minutes early. Are you taking them in?

Take them in.

Pick it out. We got to go fast. No, I got to be going to school right now.

Honey. You're going to be so tickled when you see what just came in. Well,

then you've got the Blue Nobles.

Shipped in fresh this morning.

I'm not going to put these puppies out until the older ones sell, but you can

have the pick of the litter.

See that?

That's how you get the best Christmas tree.

All right.

Just swing your end over here.

All right.

And one, two, three.

Please

hurry.

I keep being late. No, I know. I know. Me too.

We're fine.

Honey, it is your last year of middle school, so I was hoping that you would

grace the stage with a little saxophone solo for the Christmas Spectacular.

Well, let me go with my pat answer of years past.

No, no, and I don't think so. Perfect. I'll take it as a yes.

You know I don't like being the center of attention.

I know, but you're so good.

You remember the band?

Yeah, where I'm surrounded by other instruments.

Strength in numbers.

Well, I hope you'll reconsider.

I just hope you...

Lower your expectations.

I never.

Hold on, I'll make the light. Watch out!

There we go, made the light.

See,

Mom? That's how you destroy a Christmas tree.

Don't forget your socks.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

You too.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Good morning.

Welcome to Brookswood, Amelia.

Home of the Bobcats.

Now, I know mid-year transfers can be a little difficult, but we're going to do

everything we can to make this transition as painless as possible.

Thank you. No tests to pop quizzes?

Aha.

Can't blame her for trying, right? I'm afraid that's out of my jurisdiction.

Okay, homeroom is 215.

And it starts in about three minutes, so you better get a move on. All right,

I'll walk you over.

And hold my hand. Dad, I'm 14. I think I'm good.

Really? Okay, I'll see you after school, then. Bye.

Have a good one.

What's, uh, the meeting about? Today is the start of the holiday kickoff here at

Brookswood. There is a lot to do.

But lucky for me, there is a super mom here on campus, and she takes care of a

lot of the heavy lifting.

I see.

Merry Christmas.

You're new here.

Yes, Amelia Evans.

Well, Merry Christmas. Thank you. Merry Christmas.

You? You headed to the PTA meeting?

What are you talking about? It's my last Christmas spectacular.

It's going to be the best one ever.

Why do you put so much pressure on yourself?

You're like a category five hurricane.

Ooh, with candy canes. These aren't just for students, right?

No, I mean, why? Why doesn't it have breakfast?

Eat five.

A big round of applause for Carol Montgomery for helping revive the

Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

It's been fun. Thank you guys for all of your help.

I don't know where you find such boundless energy and enthusiasm, but I'm

glad you do. As are the rest of us. Always flattering me. Please go. And now

to discuss the upcoming Christmas spectacular, the very same Carol

Montgomery. It just gets boring, doesn't it? You guys, I'm so grateful you're

here again this year. It's going to be the best one ever.

Sorry, Dora, I didn't... Is this the PTA? It is, it is. Come on in. Okay, I'm

sorry.

Hello. I'm sorry. Welcome. Do you want to grab a seat? Yes. Okay.

You do have a child here.

Guilty as charged.

Okay. Have a seat.

Thank you. Sorry I'm late. No problem. No problem. We were talking about the

Christmas Spectacular. We do it here every year. This one is going to be

better than ever. Okay.

I think we're just going to go with the traditional that we always do, the

holiday classic sung by our fantastic winter choir.

Does anybody object?

Mm-hmm.

I'm sorry, I've missed your name. Oh, Evans.

Evans. Yes.

Well, I was just listening to you there, and it sounds to me like maybe you're

kind of doing the same show year after year, and I just wondered, would it be

fun to try something different? Well, we've been getting better year after

year, of course. I mean, and it's something that we all look forward to.

It's been doing very well for us, so we don't really see any need to, you know.

Shake that tree.

Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong. I love the Christmas classics as much as the

next person. I just wondered, since it is called the Christmas Spectacular, you

know, to an outsider, it sounds that maybe it's becoming a little ho-ho-hum?

Ho-ho-hum?

You haven't even seen it.

What'd you have in mind, Mr. Evans?

Oh, I don't know.

Let me think. I mean, just off the top of my head, how about, hey...

How about a holiday talent show?

That would be something new for our kids to throw themselves into, right? Mm-hmm,

mm-hmm. And break the hearts of our beloved Winter Choir. No, no, no, no.

Nobody would be excluded.

No, let's turn the spectacular into a Christmas-themed variety show.

Everybody's welcome. You do know that Christmas is about honoring the

tradition of years past.

Says who?

Says tradition.

And what about new traditions?

I'm sorry, I...

I so don't mean to challenge you. I'm just spitballing here. I don't know.

It's silly. No, no, no. We love a good spitball. Okay.

Glad you said that.

Because, uh, I think some of Mr. Evans' ideas have merit.

Sure. Jugglers? What do we get next?

Go-go dancers?

Rappers? Mimes? Look, if it'll help, I would be happy to volunteer. I'd like to

volunteer. Carol, where's your welcoming spirit?

No, no, I... I mean, we love volunteers. I don't know if you know what's involved

in it. I mean, there are a lot of rehearsals first, and then, you know,

well, you have the auditions, of course, leading up to those, and, um... You know

what?

I promised my daughter I'd get more involved in school this year, so... What

the hey?

I'm in if you'll have me. All right.

Settled. This year's Christmas Spectacular has found itself a new co

-chair. Yeah?

Oh, no, excuse me, Mr.

Evans. Oh, no, please.

Call me Terry. Terry. Yeah. I'm Carol Montgomery.

I have a son in the eighth grade. Brian. Hi, Carol. I've got a daughter, Amelia,

same grade. Yes, yes, yes. I met that beautiful girl in the hallway.

I hope you don't think I was too stiff back there. I just, I'm not used to

fathers being so eager to get involved.

Carol, I get it. Believe me, okay? I mean, I've been a backseat dad most of

my life, and that's kind of why I'm getting involved and trying to help out

here.

I guess we have our work cut out for us to make something super special. I guess

we'll be seeing a lot of each other in that case.

Apparently.

Oh.

Something the matter? I just wish I knew the joker who drove this car.

They cut me off this morning on the way to school.

What? Yeah.

That is...

That is terrible. I mean, I'm sure whoever this joker is, I mean, it was

unintentional. Oh, I'm sure that's easy for you to say. You were the one that

had to slam on the brakes, watch your perfect Christmas tree flying to the

intersection, get trampled by a semi, killed by Noble.

That's not right. No.

Out of state plates.

Yeah. Yeah.

This wouldn't happen to be your car, would it?

Carol, I was running late this morning. We had to go through the thing, and I

had no idea what happened.

Just when we were starting to have things get a little bit less awkward

between us, Terry.

That's beautiful.

That's, uh... What, do you think he's married?

Well, he wasn't wearing a ring.

Yeah, but I don't really think that means anything anymore. You don't have

to wear a ring.

Everyone who's married wears a wedding, no? Yeah, well, you and I do, but I

don't know that everybody... Let's get to work. We have, what, about 100

programs to fix for the Christmas Relighting Ceremony, so that should go

quickly.

What?

Oh, no.

I'm not gossiping, guys.

If you have a task at hand, let's do it.

We're surprised that you held it together for the PTA meeting this

morning. They don't own Christmas around here.

Well, not officially, okay? But we all kind of assumed that you had a lease

with Mufflin to buy.

I'm sorry. Are we going to talk about how good-looking he is? Did you see

those eyes? Right? And the jawline. High and the height.

Perfect for... Yes, for her. That's what I was thinking. He's volunteering so

that he can be with his daughter. He said so himself. I think it's a... I

think it's a super idea.

Okay, honey, you know what? Let's just leave this thing alone for a little

while. We still have a lot of programs to make, right? I'm not even upset that

he's going to join the festivities. I'm more upset that he cut me off this

morning with his car and my tree went into the intersection.

You think he's got a nice car? Did you notice his style?

You think he's got a good job? Wow, and the way he talks about his brother. Do

you think he's single?

He wasn't wearing a ring!

Even though we don't start demo of the Old City Library until the first of the

year... I've got quotes on electrical and plumbing coming in before the

holidays. That's good to hear. Yeah. Because I do want to give you the heads

up. We may have to move up the timeline on construction.

Why? What's going on?

Possible legal snag. I should have more news by tomorrow.

But this could be a working holiday.

Look.

I know you've been gunning for that permanent position at head office.

Yeah.

Only for the last four years now.

Any word from your end? Not yet, but I do know that all eyes are on the success

of this hotel.

Right.

Well, I guess I'll just have to make sure we deliver at my end, won't I?

Good to hear.

Talk to you soon.

Sorry.

What's this?

Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Yeah, thanks.

Just helping my mom.

Oh, so you must be Christmas Carol's son.

Yep, Brian Montgomery.

You really don't have to call her that.

Amelia Evans, a.k.a. the new kid at Brookswood.

So, how are you finding it?

So far, it feels like I'm sinking into a quicksand of midterms.

you know my friend nelson he just started a study group if you want to

come join us a study group is exactly what i need right now a new member to

keep our noses out of the game box and in our books is exactly what we need

right now okay i'll see you later all right see ya so

how was your first day it fell somewhere between buffalo and pittsburgh but

pittsburgh was definitely the worst what was so wrong with pittsburgh don't you

remember

I had me and Mrs. Matheson for homeroom and got stuck sitting between the Tesla

and Taylor twins for the whole year.

I forgot about that.

Well, in that case, today was definitely a very Pittsburgh-worthy day for me.

What? What did you do?

Tell me you didn't embarrass me. Why did you immediately go to the embarrass me

place, huh? I could have had a flat tire, a parking ticket. You don't know.

Because I've never once seen you get a flat or a parking ticket.

Smarty pants.

No, I just, uh... I had a little bit of a run-in with the queen bee of the PTA,

that's all.

Wait a minute, that was us that cut Mrs. Montgomery off this morning? You heard

about that today at school?

Some of the kids were talking about it at lunch.

Everyone calls her Christmas Carol, so basically you made enemies with the

nicest mom at Brookswood.

So I guess this means you're going to be downgrading your day even further.

Not yet.

I just met her son and he let me join his study group for upcoming midterms.

Yeah? Yeah.

Another fun part of it, always happy to move on the fly.

i'm sorry kiddo i know no it's okay i'm sorry once i get this promotion though

we're gonna have that permanent home we've always wanted senior construction

supervisor huh i can't feel it me too and until then maybe

you can help me memorize all of the symbols of the periodic table do i have

to do i have to i don't want to of course of course but you know what

before we do that

I think you and I, we need a little stress reliever.

Get in. Okay.

Now.

Ooh, time flies.

Feels like we were just here.

Very funny.

Now, where is Clyde?

Oh, hey, I forgot to tell you.

I volunteered for the school Christmas spectacular this morning.

Seriously? Yeah. Your idea of school participation is usually dropping me off

in the morning.

Hey.

I'll tell you, this dad just got an upgrade. In fact, it's a whole new

operating system. What do you think of that?

Okay.

All right, let's see if this tree is ready for us.

What happened to the Nobles?

This morning there was a whole truck full.

What happened to the one I sold you?

Well, I... Sort of flew off. Yeah, yeah.

Now it's a roadkill.

A bit of an incident.

Why don't we just buy that one there? It looks the exact same. Are you kidding?

That's a Scottish pine.

What's the difference? What's the difference?

A noble is far superior.

It keeps its fragrance and color and it lasts all through the Christmas holiday.

Forget I asked.

You don't have another one. No, I'm sorry. I just sold the last one.

To him.

Carol! Terry!

You flocked, my noble?

I don't know about that, but is this a beauty?

Hey, Clyde. Thanks so much. This is exactly what I wanted. This flocking

looks amazing.

Well, Merry Christmas, everyone.

I hope you get what you're after.

Okay. Bye.

A little to the left.

Perfect. Yeah?

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

That was a great idea, kid. I mean, that really warms up the room.

Just wait until we decorate it. You'll need to pick up some ornaments since our

things are in storage.

Right. Will do.

Okay, so have you thought about dinner?

I don't know. Have you thought about how you're going to make up with Christmas

Carol? Oh.

How was I supposed to know that she had a special arrangement with the owner?

Huh? I mean, I was just trying to be nice. Don't get me wrong, Dad. I love

you to bits, but sometimes you can be a bull in a china shop.

Oh, really?

Well, you shouldn't underestimate me, because this dad knows how to extend an

olive branch.

And in this case, one with lots and lots of pine needles.

Clyde, what are you doing here?

You know that guy that flocked to your tree?

He came back to the lot and he got you this.

Said he felt guilty about buying the last Blue Noble.

He left this card.

I tried telling him you're the kind of lady that likes to pick out her own

tree, but he was mighty insistent.

Sounds kind.

You want me to haul it inside?

No, no, no, no, no.

Just leave it there.

I think I have an idea for it. You want me to give you a call when the next

batch of Blue Nobles come in? Oh, I'd love it.

I'll give you some pumpkin nut bread in exchange.

Bribes are always appreciated.

Um, wait, wait, wait. You wouldn't happen to have his address, would you?

Honey, can you get that?

Yeah, for sure.

Mrs. Montgomery, come in.

Thank you.

Oh, I just wanted to welcome you and your father to Woodside with one of my

famous pumpkin nut breads.

Oh my gosh, that smells incredible. Thank you.

Carol.

Terry. Why don't you two talk?

I just, I wanted to

thank you for your generous...

gesture of the Christmas tree. It was very, very, very, very sweet. No, no,

that is the least that I can do, believe me.

Have you had a chance to decorate it yet? No, I was actually going to donate

it to the stage for the Christmas spectacular.

You repurposed my Christmas tree? Mm-hmm.

The production still needs it.

And my son and I really like to get our own Christmas tree each Christmas.

You really are all about your traditions, aren't you? Well, I really

think it's important for families.

I'm beginning to see how you got your nickname.

Mm-hmm.

Well, uh, thank you for the pumpkin bread. That's very kind. Thank you for

the Christmas tree. Which you gave to the school. A gift that keeps on giving.

Apparently. Have a super night.

Good night, Christmas Carol.

Yeah.

Okay, the tree lighting ceremony, the Christmas spectacular, and now trying to

save the Old Town Library.

Yeah, you know what? You either need to run for mayor or get a new hobby. Mayor?

Oh, come on. An active mind cannot live in an inactive body.

More quotes, huh?

Yeah. How about all work and no play makes Carol a dull girl?

How can I be dull? I sell houses, save libraries.

Gossip with my friends. Thank you.

Hey, by the way, I got the 411 on the new guy in town. What, Terry?

Yeah. Oh, sorry. So you two are already on a first-name basis?

Ah. So Terry is a widower. Wife passed away two years ago. Works as a

construction supervisor for this huge development firm.

Travels from town to town. Starts a project. Finishes it. And then moves on.

Where do you get all your intel?

Huh. Town gossip never reveals her sources.

But I am married to the school principal.

It's going to be a lonely life, don't you think? A little nomadic traveling

around with your daughter.

Can't be easy. Well, maybe he's just never met the right person to settle

down with. Yeah, maybe he hasn't. You know?

Oh, shut up.

Save the library!

Save the library! You're no fun, you know that?

We have a bit of a fire we need you to put out, Terry.

The Preservation Society is up in arms over our decimating 100-year-old

library.

a structure that we legally own and have permits to tear down.

After the first of the year.

But if the Preservation Society manages to get the courts to hear their plea

before then, we are looking at a costly delay in construction.

Which is where you come in.

The courts can't stop us from building if the structure no longer exists.

So we need that library torn down by Christmas.

Okay, um...

In order for me to make that happen, I'm going to have to pull some extra

permits. Plus, I'm going to have to find a crew willing to work through the

holidays.

Then I guess you need to start working your magic.

Now.

Yeah, I'm going to start making some calls right now, guys. I'm on it.

Okay, first major Civil War battle.

You guys.

Sorry. It's just hard to study when all I can think about is Christmas break.

Did I hear Christmas break?

Can't come soon enough, right guys?

Definitely. Oh, well, on that note, I bid you all adios.

That's French for goodbye. My mom's texting.

Dinner's ready. One step ahead of you.

Oh, um, I'm afraid my dad's a little slow on the text return.

Uh, that's okay. She can save for dinner, right, Mom? Oh, well, we're only

having chicken piccata.

Considering the fanciest thing at my house comes out of a frozen block, I

would love to save for dinner, Mrs. Montgomery.

I might allow it.

If you agree to call me Carol.

Okay, Carol.

Thank you.

Napkins, guys. For your manners.

Carol, this is delicious.

Thank you. Step up from TV dinners, I bet.

Yeah, my dad has no problem building a designer kitchen, but his cooking chops

pretty much stop there.

So, do you get to spend time with your dad over the holidays?

Uh, not so much.

More in the summer.

Yeah. Well, his dad travels internationally.

Oh, yeah, I know the drill. When my mom was alive, my dad would fly home for

weekends when he was on location with building sites.

That must have been hard.

Yeah, it was.

I can't think of one dance instead of one softball game.

One parent teacher comments that my dad didn't miss because of work.

But I know he's trying to make up for it now.

That's why he volunteered to help with the spectacular.

Of course.

He wants to spend time with you.

Oh,

that's probably him now.

I'll get it.

So, is your mom twisting your arm to be part of the spectacular?

Uh, no, Ashley. She's twisting both my arms.

Wow. Look at this place. I feel like I'm entering Santa's lounge.

Oh, you think it's over the top?

No, no. It's beautiful.

And yet, it feels like something is missing.

What? What are you talking about? I don't know. Maybe something about a very

special Christmas tree that only you like to pick out. My mom's got bigger

fish to fry.

She's doing the Christmas tree lighting in the town square.

You guys should come. Yeah.

It only took two years, five bake sales, two ramen sales, and a couple of car

washes to pull it off.

It's a shame you haven't learned how to get more involved.

And we'll be there, right, Dad?

Oh, no, absolutely.

Absolutely, we will.

Great. And, by the way, thank you for letting her stay for dinner. I mean,

whatever you guys had, it smells incredible.

Well, she might have mentioned that you didn't get to cook tonight, so we made

you a little takeout. Want to get it?

Carol,

that's very kind of you. You didn't need to do that.

I enjoy it.

Yeah.

Well, I'm sorry, also, that I'm a little late picking up this one.

But I am being pulled into this quagmire at work.

You know, the hotel project that I'm supervising at the town square where the

current library resides.

That's your project?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, well, it turns out that the Preservation Society is trying to stand

in the way of progress, and they've actually, get this, they have filed a

petition to prevent us from tearing down that decrepit old building. I mean...

Wow. They just don't understand what progress is, do they? What?

Dad, I think that Carol may be on the Preservation Society.

Oh, no.

No, no, no, I'm actually not on the Preservation Society. I'm not at all.

I'm just personally responsible for the petition to keep the library.

Of course you are.

You do know that the library was the first building erected since Woodside

was founded?

I sure do now.

Yes.

Well, bon appetit.

Yeah, it's a funny thing. I've suddenly lost my appetite.

Yeah.

Well, we've already got approval to start teardown on the library after the

1st of January, so what's the holdup?

The City Commission has returned your request.

They require further explanation on your amended date of demolition.

Our completion date has been pushed up, so we need to break ground immediately

in order to make our deadline.

Okay, state that here.

And I will hand it back to the planning commission.

Okay.

Any way to put a rush on this?

I can't make any promises this time of year, but I'll try my best.

Okay. Thank you.

Okay, so what is going on with you? I think I'm excited for the Christmas tree

lighting ceremony.

Then why does your face look like you just swallowed a Christmas tree?

How was I supposed to know that Terry was responsible for the hotel going off?

You couldn't have. Just like he could have known that he was going to cut you

off and send you a Christmas tree ceiling.

You two cannot seem to get out of each other's way.

Maybe it's kismet. Maybe it's karma.

So what did I do?

I don't know why you're being so hard on yourself about this.

I don't know.

Maybe I was getting used to being frenemies with him.

Really? Because I actually thought it was a nice gesture on your part to let

Terry hold open auditions for the Christmas Spectacular without you.

Wait, what?

What? Open... Auditions?

Oh, darn it!

That's great, guys. Thank you. We'll be in touch, all right?

Okay, who's up? Really? Come on in.

I'm up.

What? You're gonna hold open auditions without even telling me to?

Carol, relax, okay? I'm not cutting you out of the process. I'm just getting a

leg up. That's all I'm doing. Oh, a leg up with what? A ten-foot, uh...

What is that anyway?

That was a fresher take on the old traditional Santa. We've seen it a

million times, right? It's just something new. I don't understand. Why

do you just want to throw away tradition, Terry?

What is your objection to anything that's modern and forward-thinking,

like... Like the old Forgotten Library, for instance. No, it's not forgotten.

The old library.

The old library has a very dear place in my heart. I don't understand why you

want to put a big concrete, like, ice sore. Ice sore? No, let me tell you,

that is actually a hotel that your town, this town desperately needs. Well, just

because it's new doesn't make it better. And just because it's old doesn't make

it right. Wait, are we talking about the Christmas record? That doesn't really

make a difference.

What is the difference? Guys!

See you for a sec in my office.

You did this. Look at that.

That's my fault. Now we're going to go to the principal's office. Really?

That's my fault? This is what you made up?

We can talk about that. Okay.

Excuse me, guys. Let the lady through. Thank you. Thank you.

You don't like me very much, do you? I don't. I don't know you well enough to

like you.

What else can I tell you to help push you over the edge?

You having fun? Do you think this is funny? I love Christmas. It's important

to me. Trust me, I know, okay? I got the memo, I got the minutes to the PTA

meeting, I even got the newsletter. Believe me, I'm up to speed on this.

Oh, by the way, I got your empty food containers in the cart.

So someone got his appetite back. Well, I ate something, didn't I?

Something? No,

it was actually really delicious.

Of course it was. I know, it was very good.

Okay, so which one of you has a difficulty playing well with others?

Obviously not me. I'm a walk in the park. Uh, more like a walk up a cliff.

Well, if you didn't swoop in like Hurricane Terry... What? Okay, let's not

go down this road again.

I think the key to making this work with you two kids is compromise.

I could not agree more. I could not agree more.

See? That's what I'm talking about.

It's not a competition.

Now, obviously, Carol, you want a more traditional theme, and you want to do

something a little more modern. And never the twain shall meet. Hopefully.

Hang on.

What if you combined the two?

What if you worked on the theme of Christmas past, present, and future?

I like it. Really?

Don't act so surprised. That is literally the first thing we've ever

agreed on. What are the odds that's going to happen again?

Probably never.

Right.

You can always pray for a Christmas miracle.

Relax. I didn't embarrass you. I promise.

Hey.

If you just give her a chance, you'll actually see Carol's really nice once

you get to know her.

I'm trying, honey.

Believe me, I'm trying.

So you got called into the principal's office?

Yeah, what about it?

You know, it wouldn't kill you to keep your mind open to new ideas.

I'll do it if you do it.

You having fun?

Yeah. Hi!

I'm Jill, Carol's best friend. I have heard a lot about you. I am sure you

have. I hope you don't hold it against me. Yeah,

I guess you got a little more than you bargained for when you and your daughter

moved to Woodside, huh? It would appear so, yeah.

But you know what? I really think we're going to be able to iron out our

wrinkles, you know? Glad to hear it. Truth is, you're good for our Christmas,

Carol. And how do you figure that?

You give her a run for her money.

I think life's much more interesting when we meet a few challenges.

I guess you're right. You know, I've never really thought of it that way.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the mayor of Woodside.

The first official Christmas tree lighting ceremony began in 1945 to

welcome our troops back to their families after the end of World War II.

The ongoing six decades, it became a city tradition until budget cuts forced

its closure.

Well, luckily for us, one very determined resident made it her mission

to bring this time-honored event back to Woodside.

Ladies and gentlemen, Cheryl Montgomery.

You're welcome, Miss. Thank you. Thank you.

And I love you.

My friends, my family, our family, Woodside family.

I think people make fun of me because I often talk about how much I love

tradition.

And this ceremony is a part of my affection for this particular holiday.

It's because we get to take a moment, stop, reflect, be with our families, sit

by the fire, make cookies, and remember how much we love each other and how much

we care for each other.

This tree is for our families and this beautiful community.

Merry Christmas, Woodside family, for you.

All right. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Okay.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Okay.

Little glitch.

Little, um, okay, why don't we bring up...

my favorite carol or where are you come on beauty okay oh christmas

tree oh christmas tree dad you need to do something i'm not so sure kiddo i

think uh maybe i should stay out of this one but you know how to fix it

Carol, do you want some help?

Let's see. Do you know what you're doing?

Maybe.

Isn't this fun?

Yeah,

you got a loose wire here.

Yeah.

I don't know if this is it.

Sorry. Sorry.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Hey, Carol. Hi, Nina.

How are you?

Terrific. How are you?

Not too bad.

Hey, Terry.

Epic save.

Bye, Carol. Appreciate it.

Well,

well, well.

Hi, Carol.

That isn't the town hero.

Oh.

Yeah.

Everything okay?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure. Why?

Are you sure? Yes, I'm sure, I'm sure. I'm just... I'm just being... I don't

know. I have some silly thoughts in my head. You know what?

I love that you came in and just totally saved the day last night. It's

fantastic. I'm very appreciative.

I worked so hard on that project.

And then with one fell swoop, you just came in and... became the hometown hero.

No, no, Carol.

Carol, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to steal your thunder.

No, no, no.

Never mind. You didn't steal my thunder. That's not... You sure?

I said I was being silly, okay?

No, no, no. This is not being silly. I mean, quite the contrary, actually.

Okay.

Listen, Carol, you're not busy trying to always be perfect. You're actually

really endearing.

Wow. Is that a compliment?

Yes, it's a compliment.

You think I'm always trying to be perfect, huh? No, no, no. Not try.

You are.

I mean, seriously, Carol, I have no idea how you could have the things done in a

day that you do. I mean, you're like some kind of whirling dervish with

Christmas ornaments.

Thank you.

Yeah. I think.

I have no time management skills. I'm in awe of you. I mean, I'm always borrowing

from Monday what I didn't get done on Friday. It's ridiculous.

I mean, okay, some point.

This is work.

Carol,

I am so sorry. I'm going to have to cut this short. I have to run.

Okay.

Uh... We didn't really, you know, even talk about the show.

No, I know, I know. Hey, hey, here's an idea.

Why don't you bring Amelia over to my place after study group? We'll do all of

this at my place over dinner. What do you say?

Oh, it's a date.

I mean, a work dinner.

Yeah, it's a working dinner date.

You'll cook?

I'll even cook.

There you go.

Uh, I have to go. Okay. I think this Christmas past, present, and future...

It really has potential. Yeah, yeah, I like it.

Okay, I'll see you tonight.

Okay. To date.

Dinner.

Yeah, you put the pan on there, and you put the oil on the pan, turn up the

high, and then you brown meat.

Where am I supposed to find brown meat? If you're asking that question, you're

already in trouble.

Well, I'm kind of a work in progress here, folks.

That's a bit of an understatement. And besides making a mess, what are you

making? It's kind of a sloppy joe meets beef stroganoff thingy.

Good combo.

Well, I hope they meet quick because I'm starving.

Yeah.

I think you might be burning.

Oh, shoot. I'm sorry, guys. I am kind of cooking impaired here, if you haven't

noticed. We've noticed. Why do you think Carol's here?

Maybe you could teach her that how to cook something? Anything?

No, no, no.

My mom can make a gourmet meal with, like, two ingredients. There you go.

That's pushing it. Two? Yeah.

I mean, I could probably even swing three if we're pushing it.

You know.

I don't want to miss out on that sloppy stroganoff.

Actually, you do. You definitely do.

This is for you.

Oh, Carol, you didn't have to bring dessert.

Oh, we didn't. We didn't.

Ornaments!

We just had a few extra.

Thought you might want to get a, uh, jumpstart on your empty tree.

You really do think of everything, don't you?

Duh.

Well, I know how to put these to good use.

Care to help?

Uh, yeah, sure. Just work up my appetite.

Okay.

Should we, um, take another look in here?

Uh, okay.

Let's see what we've got.

All right.

It ain't pretty.

No, it ain't.

The key to a good chef is always keeping one key ingredient on hand that can turn

any dish from yucky into yummy.

Garlic.

It's been good here.

Carol, this smells so good already. What do you call it? Cooking.

Very funny.

All right, I think I've got these all chopped up. What do you want? Nice job.

Now you're going to bring them over here. Going to gradually add them in

with the garlic.

Okay, I can do that.

Ooh, scissors.

Great. Nicely done. Okay, and a little bit of salt.

Salt. A little more? More is better with salt, usually. Okay. Yeah? Yep.

Dash of pepper. Okay, say when. When.

Okay, now you're going to let... Are you ready for this word?

Well, now I'm... Actually, a little scared. You should be. What?

Simmer.

You know, I've actually heard of that word. Yeah, I have. It's a good word.

Simmer.

Well, that's quite a turnout today at the auditions.

I'm telling you, Carol, if we get all of these kids together, we can really nail

down that theme we're talking about, Christmas past, present, and future. I'm

telling you, this is going to be one great show.

All of the kids? You mean all of the kids that auditioned are going to be in

the recital?

Well, it's a little thing called Christmas spirit, Christmas Carol. You

know, I think you are a little familiar with that concept.

Okay, okay, okay.

So good.

Can I try this?

Voila. You have just...

I made your first meal.

That is so good.

So what'd I make here?

Escargot.

And you said I couldn't cook.

What if for the present section we combine the modern day take on the dance

with the Sugar Plum Fairies with...

your very beloved Santa on stilts. Okay, now that's just crazy. Oh.

No, I like it. I think it's entertaining. It's visually surprising.

And yeah, it's very traditional.

All right.

Right? Mm-hmm.

Okay, you two.

You haven't offered anything for the festivities. What are you going to

contribute? Right? I mean, it's very on Christmas of you, I'd say. Yes, it

really is. Almost Scrooge-like.

Mm-hmm. I was thinking about maybe doing our side love towards the night before

Christmas. Oh, that's good. Oh, I like that. Yeah? Yeah. Oh, we could put that

in part of the Christmas.

just miss past i'm in all right great and what's your hidden talent uh my

superpower well it's it's hidden uh even even to me he plays a mean

saxophone get out really that's why i volunteered to help decorate i like to

decorate things and then just stand as far away as i possibly can okay

i see

Tonight was really good, you guys.

Yeah. I mean, this was very productive. Well, I think so. And we decorated.

We decorated.

We have covered a lot of territory here. These work dinners, they might be a good

idea. Kind of a good idea. In fact, I bet we could even do this again if we

wanted to do that.

Hey, I have an idea.

If you two are willing to do a little cleanup, I was going to invite your mom

out for a little Christmas surprise.

Sure, yeah, we can do that. What?

Wait, no, I don't know. What kind of surprise?

Well, if I were to tell you, then it wouldn't be a surprise.

Thank you.

So you said that you like fresh, right? Well, you're not going to get any

fresher than these. And by the way, may I add, these are all Blue Noble. You

know, I noticed that.

Did you? Uh-huh.

So what do you do? You actually take the tree out of the pot and you plant it in

the ground. All right.

Living trees are an environmentally friendly alternative to cutting down

trees. They're meant to be replanted. And who knows? You might even find a new

tradition out of this.

Well, let's not push it. Right.

Anything here catch your attention?

That's a winner.

Mmm, yeah.

Let me get you that tree.

I need to get you that tree.

I don't believe it.

What?

The Christmas tree isn't decorated.

It isn't?

You sure you're feeling all right?

I just thought you would be surprised if you came downstairs and saw that I

didn't decorate the Christmas tree last night.

Yeah, well, I am.

Seems like you're putting a dial on your Christmas enthusiasm.

Never. I just thought we would have a little party, maybe invite a couple of

people over, see if they wanted to help us decorate the tree tonight.

Yeah, sounds like a plan.

a song of christmas cheer to a neighbor good and true love and joy come to you

and a merry christmas too and god bless you and send you a happy new

year and god send you a happy new year so that is so good

great that's terrific go um off stage right please and we're gonna have amelia

come on amelia come on out hey honey

Um... Should I start? Yeah, start, honey. Okay.

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was

staring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Do you know what we could do to make this more lively?

What? If we bring out the characters and have them around stage with her, would

that be a good idea? I would love to see Nelson as a mouse.

Or maybe we could... What? It's a bad idea? No, no, no.

I was just about to say the exact same thing. Oh, you were? No, I was, I

promise. Get out of here. Mm-hmm.

This is getting annoying. What is? Oh, the agreeing.

Yeah, I'm beginning to think that you put something in the pasta primavera

last night. Maybe you did. What did you do?

I was kind of hoping that, um, we could return the favor and have you over

for dinner. Maybe a little treat for me and Carter tonight?

That would be really nice. Yeah.

Yes,

that's definitely yes.

Oh, I'm sorry. I've got to take this.

Carol, do you mind? No, no, no.

Yeah, Penelope, I'm on it as we speak.

Yeah, got it.

But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and to

all a good night.

That was great. So terrific. You're going to go offstage right again, honey.

And now, you know what I want to see? I want to see the carolers come out for

Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

And let's try it with the unicycling juggler and the hula-hooping elf. Come

on, guys, all come out on stage at once.

Yeah,

the Planning Commission approved the permits. We can begin demolition

immediately.

That is Christmas music to my ears.

I'm sure the folks over at the Preservation Society won't be pleased,

but that's no longer a problem thanks to you.

Now. All you need to do is find a crew to tear down that library by Christmas

before a judge can hear their petition.

You can't save what doesn't exist.

Terry, are you still there?

Uh, yeah.

Yeah, I'm right here.

Good job.

Talk to you soon.

A living Christmas tree. How very progressive of you. I thought it was

time for a change.

Oh, somebody convinced her to switch from the old tradition of buying a pre

-cut trees from the corner lot. Oh, somebody.

As long as you don't change the recipe for your famous pumpkin bread, I'm

thrilled. Never!

Never!

Boy, you made fast work of this, guys. It looks great. Yeah, well, I guess

eight hands do it faster than one, huh?

Mm-hmm. I bet.

This is the last of the decorations.

Figured you should do the honors.

Okay. what do you think here here yeah it looks good great

looks great you guys gorgeous gorgeous good job

honey hey your dad's gonna come okay he just probably got told about work

i know okay people I just want to dedicate this

little ceremony to everyone who helped make it possible.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Yeah!

Yeah.

I'm so sorry I'm late. Come in, come in.

You're not late. No?

Well, maybe a little. A little? She's on the steps.

Alright, thank you.

Hey, kiddo.

I'm sorry I'm late. That took a lot longer than I expected.

And I see you're still mad at me.

Yep, and... By the way, you missed a really fun tree-trimming party.

Oh, honey, I... Amelia, I could really use your help in the kitchen if you

don't mind, honey.

Right there.

It's none of my business, but your dad really is trying. You don't know. He

does this all the time.

Some parents don't have flexibility when it comes to their work commitments.

I understand, but with my dad, this seems to always happen. Always? That's a

big word.

You told me he was volunteering so we could spend more time with you.

Yeah, and now see what he's doing?

Well, don't judge us on a pass or fail scale.

None of us will leave unscathed. Yeah, present company excluded. Don't polish

my halo.

that is great guys thank you uh everyone that's going to be a wrap for today okay

uh check the website for your schedule tomorrow and let's do it all again then

all right good job guys hey terry have you seen carol

Uh, Carol, let's see. She is out shopping for period costumes for our

Carolers. She wants it to look very authentic, as you can expect no less

from Carol.

Uh, true.

You know, I don't think that Carol's really the phone-in type when it comes

to pretty much anything. Anything. Yeah.

Yeah. Listen, on that note, tell me, has Carol always been this gung-ho about the

Christmas holiday?

She would probably say yes, but the truth is she's been kind of dallying up

and on since her husband left.

Oh? Four years ago.

She didn't see it coming.

Wrote the news to her right after Halloween.

That was the year that she barely got out of bed the whole month of November.

She was really blindsided, huh?

Yeah, pretty much.

But Carol's not really the feel-sorry-for-me type, so she took a

month or so to bounce back, right in time for the holidays.

Just a month or so.

Hmm. See ya.

Hey, you. Hey.

What is that smell?

It's called cooking.

Look who's turning into a born-again chef.

Yeah, Carol has told me all about the magic of the crock pot.

You just pour everything in there in the morning, and then six hours later...

Work again?

Listen, I know I haven't managed to strike the right balance between work

and personal life just yet, but I want you to know I am really trying here,

kiddo.

No.

I've seen you already been struggling.

It's just, I don't know, lately I always seem to find myself caught just trying

to do what I think is right.

You know maybe instead of trying to do what's right all the time you should try

doing what's best Would you

get so smart

Did you call me down here because you're having a crisis of conscience, or do you

want to fight?

Well,

maybe a little bit of both after you hear what I have to say.

My boss has forced me to find a loophole around the Preservation Society's

petition altogether.

What, do you want me to tell you something to make you feel better? No, I

don't. No.

I want you to tell me why saving this old library is so important to you and

the society.

It's not the building.

It's the... It's the past.

It's what it represents. It's the history.

It's what it means to Woodside.

It's tradition.

It's tradition.

What about the future and where we're headed? What about that?

Both can exist at the same time, can't they? They're both important.

Right? I... It's Amelia wondering when I'm coming

home.

How are things going with you two?

It's actually getting better thanks to you. No.

She just needs an ear.

You've been a good influence, and I'm not just talking about Amelia.

You know, when my wife passed, I got into this weird...

where I was always just worrying about tomorrow. And I'm telling you, being

around you the last couple of weeks has given me this whole new perspective.

And so?

Showing me that the little things in life really matter.

You know, like cooking dinner for my daughter, for one.

I think we're all doing the best we can.

Yeah, I think you're right. I think we do.

i got so stuck thinking that i didn't need anyone started to

believe it was true until you it sounds like a really lonely existence it was

yeah can we change

i don't know i'm trying to figure that out myself to tell you the truth

but i think

That, um... Sometimes it just takes a leap of faith.

You don't! Okay, okay.

You watch.

You interrupt the kiss, buddy!

I thought I was only dreaming about bacon cooking.

Well, since it's midterms day, I figured you could use a good breakfast.

Looks like I wasn't the only one pulling an all-nighter.

What were you trying to build, Rome in a day?

Something like that, yeah.

The Preservation Society, I thought they were the enemy.

Maybe not.

I got to thinking what you said.

Maybe I should stop doing what I think is right and start doing what I think is

best.

What?

Nothing.

Dads.

They grow up so quickly.

We bring to you gifts of frankincense and myrrh.

But seriously,

what is the deal with her?

Yeah, you know what? You've been painting the same brick for the last 20

minutes. Have I?

Oh, golly. I'm a little distracted, I guess.

I saw Terry again last night, guys.

Okay, and?

We almost kissed.

Almost? Oh, yeah.

I don't know. I think we're both a little gun-shy, but I can't stop

thinking about him. I don't know. Well, it sounds to me like you are falling for

him. Right.

Look, if you were worried about getting hurt again, I hate to break the news to

you, but that's always going to be a possibility.

That was not a part of your first sales pitch.

Look, all that stuff, it's just buried in the fine print, all right?

No risk comes with no reward.

Yes, Sarah is right. You know what? Stop overthinking your feelings and maybe

start learning to trust them instead.

Maybe just one kiss. Oh, hallelujah.

You have the proper permits.

You had a crew willing to work over the holidays.

So explain to me exactly why this library is still standing.

Because it would have been an underhanded move on our part. That's

why. And all it would have done was create ill will and negative press

within the community.

Maybe, but that wasn't your decision to make.

Now we're looking at a costly legal battle. Or not.

I actually drew some inspiration from a similar battle that I was having with a

mother at my daughter's school around the theme of this year's Christmas

Spectacular. She was a hardcore traditionalist, and I wanted something

more progressive, so what... Terry.

I don't see how any of this... So we came up with a compromise.

And it's the same compromise that I proposed to the Preservation Society.

I beg your pardon?

Penelope, just do me a favor, okay? And look at the drawings that I've just sent

over to you, all right?

Now look, by not demolishing the library, I figured out a way to maintain

the building's integrity by incorporating its main architectural

features into a brand new hotel design that combines elements of the past,

present and future this new plan will give the city of woodside a true

landmark that everybody will be proud of and they signed off on this pending our

approval and the good news is that by not demolishing the original structure

we'll be able to finish construction two months ahead of schedule this is a

pretty little move you know that

You do realize this could have all exploded in your face.

Well, no risk, no gain, right?

So, what do you say?

I think I'm suffering from post-midterm test stress disorder.

Oh, I have the cure for that.

Who doesn't like Christmas cookies? Oh, yum.

How's the saying go again? Feed a cold, starve a failure.

You didn't fail any of your midterms. I know. I just like to set the bar low so

I'm never disappointed.

I'm just going to go over.

Right? Two weeks to relax. So what are your Christmas plans, anybody? Actually,

I was hoping that you could take me shopping this weekend to find a

Christmas gift for my dad.

He's impossible to shop for, though. Well, it's my specialty.

Good, because I need all the help I can get.

Plus, maybe my dad could take Brian shopping for you.

That's a deal.

Um... Oh, Amelia, is she dead?

No, I already texted him that we're here.

That's probably for you.

Oh.

Yeah. Well, it says here he's celebrating something.

What do you think it could be?

Well, you better go find out.

Champagne?

Well, this must be very exciting news.

Yes, well...

That little dilemma at work has been solved thanks to you. To me? Yes. Okay.

What did I do?

Well, you inspired me to come up with a compromise. So rather than level the

library, we are now going to restore the old structure and incorporate it into a

major feature of the hotel.

You're kidding me. No.

Congratulations.

Wow. Wow, thank you.

No, thank you.

I mean that.

Here.

To... Many, many tomorrows.

I wouldn't mind a few more todays.

I've thought about what you said last night.

Yeah?

I want to take a leap of faith.

I really do.

But you have to be careful with me because I'm going into uncharted

territory. Yeah.

You and me both.

We have so much to celebrate.

Yeah, we do. I mean, the kids.

The kids and the spectacular is going so well on the show.

The library.

I know, I know.

I've got officially a start date in January, which means I can spend so much

more time with Emilio over the holidays. Nothing is going to make her happier,

you know that? Yeah, yeah.

Well, I want, I mean, how long is construction?

Uh, let's see. Well, it's going to take a little over a year, barring any

unexpected surprises that come along.

And then what?

Uh, well, that's the thing. I never know what happens after that.

I'm always on the road.

And that's why I've been pushing for this promotion to move to headquarters.

Right, of course. So that Amelia and I can finally put down some roots.

Where's headquarters?

You know what? It so doesn't matter.

Because I am far too valuable on the road for the company. They're never

gonna give me that promotion.

It doesn't really matter. Not the question I asked.

San Francisco.

Yeah,

we both, I guess, decided to go to the next step.

Uh, yeah.

You kissed. I'd say that pretty much qualifies as a big step.

Yeah, but it's already gotten complicated.

What?

You might take this promotion.

Promotion. It's all the way in California.

And what?

Well, you don't know what's going to happen in the future.

I know, but it's looming.

I don't like looming things.

Honey, will you stop? You just had your first kiss. My cat just relaxed and

enjoyed the moment.

Enjoy it.

Hey,

just trust this, okay?

And just follow that thing that's finally started beating inside your

chest. Okay?

So we've already ruled out perfume.

Yeah, she's too particular.

Picture frame?

Boring.

Scarf? Land.

Gift certificate?

Nothing more than that says we didn't put enough thought into this.

I told you it wasn't going to be easy.

All right. Well, let's just think here a minute.

What present from your past made the most impact with your mom?

Truthfully, I think I have to go back to kindergarten when Mrs. Leffert, she got

us to make these paper plate snowflakes with spray painted and glued on

macaroni. Really?

That was a big hit with her, huh?

Oh yeah, so if we're going for that type of reaction, we've got our work cut out

for us. I see.

Well, in that case, we may be going about this all the wrong way.

Oh, careful. I always burn my mouth. Yeah, I got a baby mouth. I need to wait

10 minutes. 10 minutes?

Yeah. Oh, where's the clock?

How is it you have a way of making Christmas shopping not only fun, but

easy? Oh, honey, it's my dream to be a personal shopper.

I look into the minds of people I love to buy gifts for, and I think, yes, I

know what they want.

For me, it's usually the other way around.

What do I want?

Really? And you think that's unique? You're a typical teenager.

Yeah. Well, at least I should probably search for a giant thank-you card to get

you for Christmas.

For what?

Well, for the turnaround with my dad.

He seems to finally be getting it.

Hi. Sometimes people just need a little nudge in the right direction.

I just hope it sticks.

I think it will.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that old habits die hard sometimes, but I suppose

people can change, right?

I know they can.

At least I believe they can. People can do anything with the proper motivation.

Well, in that case, I have a feeling that this is going to be the best

Christmas ever. I think you're right.

It's hot.

It's hot. Oh, no.

All right, all right, all right. It's very good. I'm very rusty.

Here.

It looks good. You got it?

Right? You guys excited?

Oh, I mean, of course.

I'm very excited to see what the both of you are going to bring for us tonight.

There are going to be a couple of surprises.

Yeah, yeah. I'm just kind of happy we pulled it all together in time.

We'll see.

Principal Higgins, will you please tell your son that he needs to glue the Santa

beard on for the show? Well, it itches.

Nelson, you got two options, buddy. I can ground you as your dad or give you

detention as your principal.

Well, isn't that double jeopardy?

Okay, fine. I'll put on the beard. Oh, thank you, darling.

Yay! I got to take this call, guys. I'll be right back.

It's you.

It's me.

Yes, Penelope.

Come here, you.

Let me take a look at this.

Henry Ballista, the head of the board of directors, is making a stop in Woodside

on his way to New York. Why? What's up?

He heard about that magic act you pulled with the hotel project, and he wants to

meet you.

an announcement about that executive position you've been gunning for the

start of january january what i mean that's when we're breaking ground on the

hotel well i guess they felt that your talents would be better utilized

elsewhere he's having dinner tonight with the investors at petite menage he

wants you to come well i can't come tonight i mean my my daughter's

christmas pageant starts in 45 minutes i can't do that just go in shake hands and

be on your way

and your daughter can spend the rest of your Christmas holiday planning your big

move to California come the new year.

Penelope, I... All right, look.

Tell them I can give them five minutes, all right? I'm on my way right now.

Good. What are you doing?

I have to shake hands with my senior boss.

You're going to work? No, I can do both. I can be in and out, and I'll be back in

time. You're going to miss Amelia's performance.

No, I'm not going to miss it. I'm going to make it back in time, I promise.

She's first on.

Carol, I don't have a choice. You always have a choice.

I don't have a choice. I have to do this. Are you really going to do this? I

will be back.

You're going to walk out? I will be back in time.

Where's he running off to?

Come here.

You okay?

No.

Are you gonna be okay? Is he coming back? I don't know if he's coming back.

I hope he gets what he wants.

Honey, you can't make that decision for him. He's gotta do what he's gotta do if

it's right for him.

You're gonna be okay either way.

You believe that?

Yeah, I do. You do?

Then we gotta show.

We gotta show.

I love you.

Hi, I'm Terry Evans. I'm here to meet with Henry Ballista.

You're the first to arrive. Would you like me to seat you?

No, no, I'm just going to wait.

Nelson, sweetheart, scratching will only make it worse.

Tosh, you're the first to go on.

Santa, I need you on stage.

Okay.

Terry's not back yet, eh? I don't think we can wait any longer.

Well, you know what they say. The show must go on. Yeah, I guess it must.

You guys wait backstage.

I'm gonna go video.

Yeah, of course. We got you covered. Okay?

Okay.

Not part of the show.

Merry Christmas to all the parents here tonight, students, and family.

Welcome to this year's Brookswood Christmas Spectacular. Let's hear it!

This year's theme is Christmas Past, Present, and Future. So, without further

ado, on with the show.

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was

stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas

soon would be there.

How was the meeting?

I'll tell you later.

And Mama and her chief and I and my cap had just settled our brains for a long

winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see

what was the matter.

Away to the window, I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the

sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave a luster of midday to objects

below. The tiny old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St.

Nick. As I pulled on my head and was turning around, down the chimney St.

Nicholas came with a bound.

But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and to

all a good night.

You're so amazing, kiddo. I'm so proud of you.

Really? Are you kidding me?

I almost thought you weren't going to come.

Well, I wasn't sure there myself for a second, but you know what?

I decided I am never going to let that happen again.

You know what?

I really believe you.

You better.

I love you, kiddo.

Keep going.

We'll see you later.

Great job, guys. Great job. Great job.

You saw her? I did.

I'm so glad.

Yes. Now tell me about your meeting.

We'll get to that, all right?

You're avoiding me. No, there's something more important first. Why

aren't you telling me? Follow me.

I don't want you to miss your Christmas present.

You convinced him to do that?

Maybe a little.

Tim's out.

Did you get the promotion?

I don't know. I blew it off.

Why would you do that?

I have been so busy chasing my tomorrows that I forgot to live for today.

I thought this was the permanence you wanted for you and Amelia.

I'm hoping we already have.

Around here. And then go around. Okay. There you go.

Is this looking good?

Yeah, it looks great.

Got that plugged in?

Oh, there it is.

There it is.

The missing piece.

Now, let me see this.

Okay.

Oh.

There we go.

What do you think?

Huh? No, Dad, don't. Oh, my God. You guys.

The only miracle in the world.