Original subtitles

[TOM] On December 12th AT PRECISELY 1:13 p.m.,

snow falls on Chicago.

A single snowflake is birthed from a cumulonimbus cloud

10,000 feet above Lincoln Park.

It doesn't reach the ground for 45 minutes.

AT 1:58, the snowflake lands on the cheek of Edith Struit.

For their 50th anniversary,

her husband, Irv, brings to life

Edith's most prized treasure.

[SOFT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC CHIMES]

The music box her mother gave them

on the night of their wedding.

Five miles away, Martin Hamilton awaits a visit

from his sister, Clara,

with whom he's been estranged for the past ten years.

[DOOR OPENS]

She gives him a black Labrador Retriever.

The same dog Martin lost eight months prior.

Returned to his master

as if not a single day had passed.

Along the Gold Coast, Louis and Christina Selter

lead their 12-year-old son, Matthew,

on what he believes is a moonlight stroll.

Too sick to go to Space Camp,

Matthew has spent the past week holed up in his room

reading Air And Space Magazine.

He's filled with joy when he discovers

a gleaming new telescope aimed directly at the star

that's been named after him.

A small piece of the universe that belongs to him,

but is shared with everyone in the universe.

And in a smart-and-tastefully-done house

in the desirable West Chicago,

Tom Jacobs checks his phone and smiles,

who is the architect of these dreams come true.

If he does his job well, they'll never know.

And for Tom, that's all it is, a job,

one he happens to be very good at.

I should know because I'm him.

I'm always able to find the perfect gift

no matter the occasion,

but Christmas is my specialty.

That's how I earned my nickname, Mr. Christmas.

["DECK THE HALLS" PLAYING]

[WOMAN] Oh, I forgot how much I love Chicago.

You know, there's so much character here,

so much history.

[MAN] You know, there's a lot of history at home, too, so...

[WOMAN] Okay, what LA considers historic

is an 80-year-old hotdog stand.

[BOTH CHUCKLING]

Hey, uh, I'm really glad you're here.

I know it was a, a big ask,

you missing holidays with your family.

Okay, I told you a million times.

- Don't worry about it. - All right.

- Seriously, I want to be here. - All right, all right.

Besides, I get to experience snow during Christmas again.

- That's true. That's true. - [GASPS] Oh, pizza.

We should do a walking pizza tour.

Come on, tonight, after the movie?

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I just, I gotta, I gotta swing by home.

- Before the movie, okay? - Okay.

'Cause I have that conference call in... 25 minutes.

- I gotta go. - Oh, okay.

- I gotta go. Bye. - All right, bye.

[WOMAN] Okay, I'll pick you up at 2:00!

I'll get the tickets!

♪ It's Christmas time ♪ ♪ another season ♪

♪ And I will start ♪ ♪ the caroling ♪

♪ With all the family ♪

♪ When sleigh bells ring ♪

♪ And when I hear you sing ♪ ♪ without the ♪

[DOOR CHIME JINGLES]

♪ Christmas time ♪

♪ Our favorite holiday ♪

Soy cappuccino for Mr. Christmas.

[WOMAN] Have you moved on to New Year's yet?

[TOM] Yeah, Christmas is all wrapped up.

Lovely to see you, Victoria.

I knew I'd find you here.

Why a man of your acumen would choose to work

in such a quaint place, I will never understand.

- Yes, I'm sure that's true. - [GIGGLES]

Have a seat. To what do I owe the pleasure?

Oh, I just wanted to let you know

that the gift you got for mother was a raving success.

[VICTORIA] I haven't seen her happy like that in ages.

[CHUCKLES] And getting her out of the country

for an entire season?

I didn't realize I would be getting a gift

out of this deal, as well.

[CHUCKLES] I can't thank you enough.

I'm glad you're happy, but a simple phone call

would have been sufficient.

And how would I have seen that handsome face?

Besides, social graces compel me

to invite you over for dinner in person.

Dinner?

I told you I'm very appreciative.

- I wanna thank you. - [CHUCKLES]

Your ample fee was payment enough.

Oh, nonsense. Let a lady treat you to a proper meal.

You'll come, won't you?

You didn't make me come all the way down here

just to be shot down?

How can I miss it?

Wonderful. How's Saturday?

We can eat at mother's, and with her being gone,

it'll just be the two of us in that great, big house.

And the staff.

Oh, Tom. They don't count.

Well, I'm off. No rest for the divine.

I will see you Saturday.

- Enjoy your coffee. - Thank you. I will.

- [WOMAN] Paul? Hello? - [KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Are you in there?

Paul? Hello? Hm.

Paul.

Hey, what's the deal?

I've been upstairs ringing the doorbell for ten minutes.

- Sorry. Five minutes. Tops. - Oh. Oh, yeah.

[PAUL] Yeah, we'll get it done. We'll get it done.

[SIGHS]

[PAUL] End day. Yeah, yeah.

Sure. Sure, sure, whatever you need.

- Whatever you need. - Oh.

[PAUL] Yeah, well, he's not the center of the universe

and he needs to understand that.

[PAUL] Jimbo. Obviously.

No, no, no, I love you. You're beautiful.

You're beautiful.

Yeah, end of day?

I'm sorry, this is nowhere near done.

No, it's fine. Handle your business.

Yeah. You should...

You should go to the movie without me

and I'll catch up with you after.

Okay, and we can do the,

the, uh, pizza thing.

No, you know what, it's...

Hey, it's not even a problem.

I should be at home packing, anyway.

Okay, yeah, no, no, no, Jim, I'm right here.

Yeah, yeah, Jim. Yeah, Jim.

I'm right here with you.

- Love you. - Love you.

Yeah.

[PAUL] Look, we're making lemonade. Okay?

Yeah, yeah, if you need to move that deadline up, we got it.

Hundo percento.

- [SIGHS] - [PAUL] Yeah, obviously.

[TOM] Max, take a deep breath.

We still have a couple of months before Valentine's Day.

That is plenty of time. Trust me.

[INHALES] I do this for a living.

[MAX] I've been working on the questions, Tom.

Great, all right, well, you just worry about

filling out a profile and I'll handle the rest.

- I'm relying on you. - Okay.

- Talk to you later. Bye. - Okay. Bye.

[CLEARS THROAT]

[BANGING ON DOOR]

No way. Who is it?

- [PAUL] Hey, it's Paul. - Paul?

- Tom Jacobs. - Paul?

Tau Sig.

- Sure. Uh, Tau Sig. - Nice. Can I come in?

- So you wanna hire me? - Yes.

How did you find out about me?

Tau Sig, man. You should really think about advertising.

I never would've found you otherwise.

You know the old saying, "It's the thought that counts"?

Well, now, the perfect gift becomes a lot less perfect

when the recipient finds out

that the gift actually came from the guy

whose face is on a bus stop.

So your clients get the perfect gift and all the credit?

- That's the idea. - Good.

Paul, I kinda have a rule about not taking on people as clients

who I have a relationship with.

It-it can get personal. It can get messy.

Look, man, I really need your help.

[STUTTERING] Okay, just look at her.

[PAUL] Her name is Jenny.

- Wow! - I know, right?

I'm crazy about her.

And I-it's only been a year

and-and she moved out to Chicago a little after me.

And, yeah, we're not living together.

And that's fine, I get it.

Space, independent lives, et cetera, et cetera,

but things have been...

Things have been a little tense recently.

And w-we're kind of in, uh...

- Some sort of rut? - Okay.

[PAUL] And I'm looking for that grand gesture,

you know, t-to get things back on track

'cause I don't think I'm gonna do better than this.

I need a gift, man.

I'm looking for the Christmas gift.

[TOM] That is less than three weeks away.

That is not enough time, man.

- Sorry. - Please?

- I'll think about it. - Thank you.

But I'm not making any promises.

Heard.

All right, well, before I decide to take you on...

you need to fill out one of these.

[TOM CLEARS THROAT]

- What is it? - This is Jenny in a nutshell.

[TOM] That's step one.

And if I decide it's a good fit, then we go on from there.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[TOM] People are remarkably simple.

We like to think we're all beautiful, unique snowflakes...

but when you really get down to it,

we're all just slight variations

of the same clump of ice.

Case in point. Question one. Likes and dislikes?

According to a national study, 52% of US population

would say they like puppies.

Remarkable.

Okay, maybe some ice clumps

have more points than others,

but they're still just clumps.

[TOM CLEARS THROAT]

- Thank you, Jimmy. - Mm-hmm.

[SIGHS]

Hm...

Of course, not everyone is good at sharing

their intimate feelings.

Or maybe their partners just aren't good at listening.

You can't just leave spaces blank.

How am I supposed to know her favorite childhood memory?

Have you tried asking her?

This is good.

Thanks, babe.

What's your favorite childhood memory?

[TOM] Some answers require a little more legwork.

I've found that if you really wanna get to know someone,

you should read their favorite book.

It says a lot.

The questions don't always have to be complicated,

like number four. How do they spend their downtime?

Ah. Hi.

[MUMBLES]

[TOM] The secret to my business is... [SIGHS]

Well, there is no secret.

It isn't a gift, it's just a lot of research

and understanding that deep down,

most of us want the same thing.

[KEYS JINGLING]

Sometimes, the simplest questions

can lead to the most profound answers...

but not always.

Of course, it does help to ask the big questions

to find out what inspires them, what moves their world.

This takes discretion.

People aren't always honest,

even with themselves,

when faced with questions like this.

But if you really wanna know what makes someone tick,

you might only get the answer by seeing it for yourself.

Truth be told, these questions might feel like

they're impossible to answer,

but with the right person, they can be painfully obvious.

["O CHRISTMAS TREE" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

["THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

Hm.

No, I am not giving up, I'm saying it's impossible.

- There is a difference. - [PAUL] Come on, dude.

I thought you were supposed to be good at this.

I am good at this, but the process takes time.

And two weeks is not enough,

especially for someone as interesting as Jenny.

Congratulations, by the way. She's a winner.

Much more difficult to figure out than most of my clients.

Yeah, I know. That's why I'm asking for help.

[PAUL] Come on, Tom, you're not gonna let

one little speed bump throw you off, right?

But it can't be done, I'd have to focus

all of my attention on her

to get the information you're missing.

That's a good idea.

You'll figure it out in no time.

- Come over for dinner tomorrow. - What?

- [PAUL] Yeah. - Why?

So you can meet her.

[PAUL] Get the intel in person.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

So, Tom, Paul tells me you're a consultant.

- He did? - Y-yeah.

Well, when I told Jenny you were coming over for dinner,

she asked what you do, so I told her.

Yeah, but Paul didn't really elaborate.

What sort of, uh, consulting do you do?

Uh, you know, um,

finances and branding and outreach.

- The youzhe. - Those all sound like buzzwords.

- They do, don't they? - Mm-hmm.

- What about event planning? - Hm?

Well, it seems you have a wide array of contacts,

given the breadth of your expertise.

Mm. Well... Yeah. Yeah, I, uh, I-I...

Yeah, I dabble in, uh, event planning.

- Really? That's perfect. - Mm-hmm.

You're just the guy I've been looking for.

I'm gonna get some more wine. You want some more wine?

- You guys want some more wine? - I would need...

- Good. - Yeah, I'd like some. Thank you.

- What is she talking about? - I don't know.

I don't know anything about event planning.

Then why did you tell her that you do?

- Paul. - [JENNY] So, Tom...

I could really use your help

if you're available.

Oh, yeah, sure. What exactly do you need?

Well, I don't know if Paul told you,

but I actually run a non-profit.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The Family Shelter Network.

Providing shelter and comfort for families in need.

Yeah!

I-I saw that when I looked it up on the Internet.

Well, I still manage the LA office remotely,

but while I'm here, I figured I'd explore the possibility

of expanding a Chicago branch.

So what better way to spread the word

than to throw a big holiday benefit?

- [TOM] Uh-huh. - And since I'm new to town...

I could really use some help planning.

You know, finances, branding, outreach?

Those sorts of things.

[PAUL] You want his help

planning a charity benefit for Christmas.

Yes, that would be amazing.

I know two weeks is not that much time.

Yeah, I-it's a little bit short notice.

But I think that we could pull it off.

- If you're interested. - Uh...

[JENNY] And as an added bonus,

I would actually have a friend in town,

given the fact that we'd have to spend

pretty much every day together.

- Um... - I-I'm-I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to just dump all this on you.

[TOM] No, no, it's fine.

I've known you, what, 20 minutes?

And I'm already trying to recruit you into my charity.

- Don't worry about it. - No, really.

Forget I said anything. Honestly, I, I can handle it.

I just get a little carried away sometimes.

Oh.

[WHISPERS] Say yes.

You know what, I'd love to help.

- Really? - Sure. Sure.

- How can I say no? - [JENNY] Oh!

Wow. Thank you.

Yeah, Tom, thank you.

- You're welcome, Paul. - Hm.

Well, given that we do not have the luxury of time,

when would you like to start?

What's your day like tomorrow?

[GLASSES CLINKING]

Oh, this is gonna be great.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

I fail to see how me getting another job

with another Christmas deadline is a positive.

Dude, two birds, one stone.

[PAUL] You jab about the charity and then suddenly

push the conversation towards deepest desires.

Plus, it's another paycheck, so I'd say

you're having a pretty good holiday season.

You and I have very differing definitions of good.

Well, here she is now. I'll let you know how it goes.

[DOOR CHIME JINGLES]

- [JENNY] Hey! - Hey. Oh, wow!

- We're, uh, hugging. - Sorry I'm late.

I walked by the Rookery Building and I couldn't not go in.

- Sure. Who could resist? - I love this place.

It's so quaint.

- [CHUCKLES] - Oh, what?

Nothing. I had a client who described it the same way.

It's funny how different a word can sound

depending on who's saying it.

- Right. - Something to drink?

What are the odds they have an herbal tea?

- Not a coffee drinker? - No, I am. Well, was.

Paul and I usually avoid caffeine.

The tea helps him unwind.

Seems like he needs to do that a lot.

Yeah, you know, he's tried everything.

Massages, sleeping pills, aroma therapy.

Maybe he could try a less stressful job.

Yeah, try telling him that and let me know how it goes.

- Have you ever heard of ASMR? - Mm-mm.

It stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

They're these weird, little videos that help you relax.

Like, people whispering, water boiling, stuff like that.

- Paul does this? - Oh, can't sleep without it.

- Uh, what would you like? - [CHUCKLES]

Hm.

Wow! It has been a long time since I've had caffeine.

Well, Paul is not here, so go crazy.

All right.

I guess I'll have a black coffee.

- Whoa! Slow down there. - [LAUGHS]

Hey, Justin, could we have one more black coffee, please?

- [JUSTIN] Of course. - Thanks, man.

All right, let's get down to business.

The event's in two weeks, so I think

the most important part is getting the venue.

What are you thinking?

I would like something

with a lot of space, you know?

I'm hoping for a good turnout.

And I'd love something with some history.

So the pancake shack is out.

Oh, and if we can get a staff included, that would be amazing.

That way we don't have to hire extra help

for serving and everything.

- Staff. - Oh, and a kitchen.

For food preparation and what not.

- Thank you. - Thanks, man.

No problem.

Hm.

Mm. I forgot how good coffee tastes.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

So, uh, the venue.

To recap...

Big space, lots of history,

staff included, kitchen,

and it needs to be available in the next two weeks,

during the busiest time of the year.

And affordable.

- It's impossible. - Actually...

- I think I know a place. - You're kidding?

I'll make a call tonight and see.

Maybe we check it out tomorrow?

[SIGHS] That'd be amazing.

- Perfect. - Perfect.

[SERENE MUSIC PLAYING]

How is everything there?

[WOMAN] Oh, I've got it locked down.

You should've put me in charge a long time ago.

- [JENNY LAUGHS] - How about you?

Is Chicago as magical as you remember?

Yes, it is. It snowed today.

So I'm working for a 8-year-old?

- Hey, did you get my e-mail? - I did.

Benefit's a good idea, but you got

enough bandwidth to manage it?

Nope, but I think

I found someone that can help.

One of, uh, Paul's fraternity brothers

specializes in this kind of thing.

Ooh, a fraternity brother. Is he cute?

- Meg! - What?

I have a boyfriend, so do you.

So? How's that relevant to my question?

- Yes, he's cute. - I knew it.

Doesn't matter because I'm only using him for his expertise.

- And his body. - Okay, I'm hanging up now.

I'll talk to you soon. Miss your face.

- All right, miss you more. Bye. - Bye, babe.

[SERENE MUSIC PLAYING]

Wow! It's so...

Quaint?

[JENNY] Wow! This place is amazing.

[TOM] Yeah. It's almost like a museum.

- Oh, I know. - Beautiful.

- Oh, here. I'll take that. - Oh.

[VICTORIA] Well, Merry Christmas to me.

Uh, hello, Victoria. This is Jenny Stone.

[TOM] The friend I told you about.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

This place is so beautiful.

Yes, mother at least has good taste.

You know, Tom didn't give me too many details,

but I imagine it should do the trick.

Oh, it's perfect, and thank you again

for letting us have the event here.

Oh, any excuse to keep Thomas under my thumb

is worth the inconvenience.

Why don't you tell Jenny here

something about the history of the house?

Well, it was constructed in 1870,

but it's undergone extensive renovation since then.

And a year later, it became local lore.

1871? Wait.

Are you telling me that this place is somehow connected

to the Great Chicago Fire?

- Some call it an urban legend. - [GASPS]

[VICTORIA] I assume you know the origin of the fire.

Yeah, Miss O'Leary's cow

knocked over the lantern in the barn.

[VICTORIA] Well, the barn is true enough,

but the cow's absolute nonsense.

[CHUCKLES] The story goes,

that the lady of the house, Margaret,

fell in love with a poor cobbler's son, Nathaniel,

but at her father's behest, she was already engaged

to the heir of a prominent family, Alexander.

Now, even though Margaret was engaged,

she was in love with Nathaniel

and couldn't bear the thought of being without him.

So the two of them would meet in secret

at the O'Leary barn.

In the weeks leading up to the wedding,

Alexander grew suspicious of his future bride's

nightly disappearances,

and one night he followed her.

- Oh, no. - [VICTORIA] Oh, yes.

He trailed her to the barn and he

found the two lovers embraced.

Furious, he pulled out his pistol

and shot Nathaniel dead.

[GROANS]

Heartbroken, Margaret flung a lantern at Alexander,

starting a blaze.

She locked the barn,

sealing his fate,

then raced home, threw a noose

over the rafters of her barn

and hanged herself. [GROANS]

Wanting only to be reunited with her lost love.

If the tales are to be believed,

the fires of her love and loss were so strong,

they engulfed the entire city in flames,

except for her home,

which somehow withstood the blaze.

It's as they say,

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

- [APPLAUDING] - [CHUCKLES]

Oh, that is the most romantic story I've ever heard.

Yes, no good romance is complete

without murder and mass destruction,

but it makes for a wonderful story

for the beginning of a tour. Shall we?

Lead the way.

Oh, uh...

We have a fully-equipped kitchen designed for entertaining

and our chef makes wonderful appetizers.

Salmon puffs, chicken tarragon, mushroom cappuccino.

Wow, that all sounds amazing,

but I was thinking something a bit more basic.

Yes. I imagined you would.

[CHUCKLES]

Okay.

Hm.

[VICTORIA] And this is played his violinre my fr

through the years.

And this is the ballroom.

- It's perfect for a waltz. - Oh.

The Viennese Waltz if you're feeling adventurous.

- [JENNY] You wanna dance? - Okay.

[JENNY CHUCKLES] Hm.

[LAUGHING]

[JENNY LAUGHING]

Or whatever that is.

[CHURCH BELL TOLLING]

[JENNY] That place was incredible! And for free?

How'd you manage to pull that off?

Oh, Victoria is a very grateful client

who may have a bit of a crush on me.

Yeah? I get it.

I mean, because you're so selfless

and you get things done, not because of...

Wow, let's just change the subject.

I, um, I saw you writing some stuff down back there.

- Anything you wanna discuss? - Oh? Uh, nah.

Just minor details. I don't wanna bore you with them.

But we should talk about some bigger-picture stuff.

I'd love to wrap my head around the charity

so we can strategize what the event might entail.

Awesome. You wanna come inside and talk about it?

You can see how my whole operation works.

[JENNY] Now, these are all the families we've helped.

I like to keep them up to remind me through the rough times

that it's all worth it.

Hm.

Not a bad place to work.

Yeah. Well, work and live.

[CHUCKLES] My apartment's right upstairs.

Ah, so you struggle

with separating your personal and professional life.

- [WHISPERS] That's too bad. - Oh.

And your coworkers... Ugh, they must drive you crazy.

Oh, yeah. All, all one of 'em.

[CHUCKLES] Drive myself crazy.

Now, I'm hoping the benefit's gonna help with that.

It must be tough leaving your whole other life behind.

Yeah, but you know, it's only temporary.

Well, I mean, there is a lot of opportunity for growth

here in Chicago, but I'm just not sure

how permanent my relocation is.

Though it is really nice being back.

- Back? - Oh, I'm from here.

Yeah, my mom and I went to LA when I was a kid.

Yeah, and I missed it every day since.

- So you're a Chicago girl. - Through and through.

[CHUCKLES] Yeah, you know, being back here

just feels right, you know?

Like, I'm finally home.

Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here.

Maybe you'll find some reason to stay.

Yeah, you never know. Maybe I will.

So you have helped all of these people?

Yup, we've helped them, uh, pay off homes,

get jobs, buy groceries.

I mean, really anything we can do to help.

Yeah. We've been lucky.

Hm.

What?

Nothing, it's just that...

you're doing very important work.

Thank you.

[CHUCKLES] You know what, I should get out of your hair.

You have put up with me enough today.

No. It's, it's been a great day.

[CHUCKLES]

[SIGHS] Hey, you wanna come upstairs

and have some hot chocolate?

My way of saying thank you

for everything that you've done.

- Sure. Why not? Yeah. - Okay.

[JENNY] Mm. You know, I just love Christmas.

Families coming together, hot cocoa.

- The snow. - Crackling fires.

[CHUCKLING]

No other holiday even compares in my book.

I am with you there.

It's just something

so magical about it.

Oh, and the music. I just love Christmas music.

Okay. All-time favorite Christmas song. Go.

Oh, that's easy. "Baby Won't You Please Come Home?"

Not really a Christmas song. Go again.

Oh, it was when my dad sang it,

but he added "For Christmas" to the end of it.

Well, was your dad a musician?

- Yeah, he was a blues musician. - Really?

Yeah, he wasn't famous, but you know,

he would play around here in the Chicago blues clubs.

I guess I'll always have a soft spot for sad songs.

Me, too. I grew up on the Chicago blues.

That's so cool that your dad is a blues musician.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, look. I have a picture right here.

Sorry.

Here's him and his band.

Robert Stone And The Chicago Fire.

[JENNY] That's my dad in the middle.

And that is Sam Baker.

He was, like, my uncle, growing up.

[CHUCKLES] Okay, hold on. Who's that?

[BOTH LAUGHING]

- [TOM] Is that you? - Yes.

- Adorable. - [SIGHS]

I'd love to listen to them.

Oh, so would I. You have no idea.

Yeah, this was pre-Internet days,

so they only had a few songs recorded.

And I didn't buy their album because I obviously didn't think

I needed to.

I haven't heard my daddy's voice in...

almost 20 years.

Yeah, I was, I was eight

when I started going to the Chicago blues clubs

and watching him play.

And my mom hated it.

My dad and my mom, they loved each other,

but they fought like cats and dogs.

One day, my mom just couldn't take it anymore,

so she packed up her stuff

and on December 1st,

we moved to LA.

Started a new life.

I get it now. "Baby Won't You Please Come Home For Christmas?"

It's about the love of his life leaving him.

You know, he called her every day

and sung that song to her.

Drove my mom nuts, but I thought

it was the most romantic thing.

You know, we never came back to Chicago,

but a couple of years later, my dad came and visited me

on my birthday.

And a week later, he was killed in a car accident.

I never got to say goodbye.

- I'm so sorry. That's horrible. - [SIGHS]

I have no idea of why I just told you that.

[SNIFFLES]

[SIGHS]

I'm glad you did.

You know what, I should get going.

Yeah, of course.

Uh, I guess...

if you wanna meet up again, just give me a call.

Definitely.

- Okay. - We'll, we'll be in touch.

Uh, uh, goodnight. Thank you.

Goodnight. Of course. My pleasure.

- Have a nice night. - You, too.

- Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

[GATE OPENING]

[GATE SHUTS]

[INHALES SHARPLY]

[EXHALES SHARPLY]

Oh, what are you doing?

[KEYS JINGLING]

[MARKER SQUEAKING]

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Uh, coming!

[TOM] Coming!

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Coming!

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

- What? - Hi!

I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?

- Hi. Hi. - Hi.

I'm sorry. Paul gave me your address.

- I tried calling you a bunch... - No, no, no, it's okay.

Just, just give me a second to put a shirt on.

Maybe some pants.

[TOM] Sorry about this. Almost ready. Hold on.

- [BLOWS BREATH] - [JENNY] It's okay.

[CHUCKLES]

All right.

- Delivery! - Hey.

- Straight from Café Libertad. - Thank you.

- Mm-hmm. - Mmm.

You're awful chipper this morning.

- What time is it? - 6:30.

- In the morning? - Ah.

Are you a functioning adult?

So I had a flurry of inspiration last night

and I couldn't wait to share it with you.

I came up with a theme. Christmas.

It's all about giving and family and warmth.

So why complicate things?

Yeah, all the food could be homemade favorites.

Sugar cookies, toffee and fudge.

We can make gingerbread houses.

- I think it's great. - Right!

[JENNY] So now that we have a day and a theme,

I'm gonna send out the invites to the network.

Now, we have less than a week to make this happen,

so we can't waste any time.

- Do you have a pen? - Hey!

Uh... [CLEARS THROAT] Have I told you about the view?

Tops in the city.

The view from the back porch,

it is really spectacular.

Go ahead right up there, over there on the porch.

This time of morning with the sun coming up...

- Okay. - You're really gonna love it.

- Yeah. - All right, there you go.

[JENNY] Oh, wow!

- [JENNY] You weren't kidding. - [TOM] Right?

[JENNY] It's amazing out here. Oh, my gosh!

- Is that the Lincoln Park Zoo? - Sure is.

[JENNY] I used to go there all the time when I was little.

I wonder if it's changed much in the last 20 years.

- [JENNY] Tom? - Hey-hey!

What a zoo, right?

You know, if you're into animals and such.

- Are you okay? - [TOM] Yeah.

Yeah, I'm awesome. Why?

I, I don't know, you're just acting kinda...

- Aloof? Cool? - Like a freak.

[TOM CHUCKLES]

- Let's look at the plans, huh? - Okay.

[TOM] Now, you did this whole thing last night?

Mm-hmm. And this morning.

We have decoration ideas, some gift suggestions,

sample recipes, gingerbread construction.

Well, hold-hold on, this is an article

from Architectural Digest.

Oh, yeah. I'm very thorough with my research.

I think we both can agree on that.

[TOM] Well, this is gonna be a whole lot of work

and we don't have a whole lot of time.

Yep.

I hope Victoria doesn't mind

some free Christmas decorations.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

Um, all right, give me a ribbon. Hit it.

- All right. - Hit it.

Yeah!

I'm lucky.

[GROANS]

[LAUGHS]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Okay, let's do red.

Or...

Yeah.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[VICTORIA CLEARS THROAT]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- [JENNY] Yeah. - [TOM] Yeah. Ah.

- Hey! - Paul?

[CHUCKLES]

Hey!

- Who is this? - The boyfriend.

- Wonderful. - Hm.

- The place looks great! - Mm-hmm.

[JENNY] What are you doing here?

I thought you were to work late...

Yeah, I got out earlier than expected.

Figured I'd stop by, see how things were coming along.

- Well... - Perfect timing. We're done.

[PAUL] Yeah, well, you know me.

Swoop in last minute,

take all the glory.

[LAUGHS]

Hi, I'm Paul. I don't think we've met before.

Victoria Stolle. Delighted.

We were just about to sit down to dinner.

Won't you join us?

- Ah, I don't want to intrude. - Oh, I insist.

It'll be nice to have another man around the house.

I've been feeling like a third wheel all day.

[PAUL CHUCKLES]

[CHUCKLING]

[LAUGHTER]

[TOM] Thanks.

[PAUL] Wow, the food is delicious. Mm...

Remarkable.

Only a year and you're moving

across the country to be together.

["HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

Actually, I'm not quite sure yet about...

You must be very serious.

[VICTORIA] Don't you think so, Tom?

[TOM] Hm?

Don't you think they make

a lovely couple?

Oh, yeah, yeah, she's great.

Uh, they're great. You guys are great.

[VICTORIA] It's a shame you don't have

political aspirations.

What a power couple.

This is nice. Isn't this nice?

Mm-hmm.

Mm. Mm, mm, mm.

Victoria, let me just say thank you

for letting Jenny host her charity thing here.

- This place is incredible. - Well, it's not mine yet.

Jenny, this is the kind of house I've been talking about.

Really? I actually quite like my apartment.

[PAUL] No, your apartment is great,

but you can't raise five kids in an apartment.

[CLEARS THROAT]

I'm sorry, five kids?

[VICTORIA] Oh, I agree.

Yeah, five kids need a house.

They need a house on land. Family needs space.

Uh, Jenny, you have quite the catch here.

I mean, a man with a plan for your future together?

- He's a keeper. - Take a good look.

This is what we're working towards.

Thanks again, Victoria.

Tom, I'm sure we'll talk soon.

[JENNY] I'll see you guys soon.

- Bye. - Bye.

[DOOR SHUTS]

Well... [CLEARS THROAT] Thank you for dinner.

I should probably be hitting the road, too.

Do you wanna stay for a nightcap?

I told you, mother's out of town and I could use the company.

No, no, thank you. Rain check?

Come on. Stay with me.

You can stay the night if you want.

Pick whichever room fits your mood.

Mm-hmm. Goodnight, Victoria.

[DOOR OPENS]

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING OVER A RADIO]

[PAUL] That was awesome!

I feel like I only saw one wing of the house.

And that was huge.

Did you have fun? Babe?

Jenny. What is it?

Five kids? Really?

Five kids? Where'd that come from?

[STAMMERING] I come from a big family.

I've always kinda wanted five kids.

That's totally fine, but talk to me about it, personally,

not in front of strangers.

I didn't think it was a big deal.

It's not like I want five kids tonight.

I've never heard you say this before.

Look, I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to get carried away.

I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.

Well, it's not all bad, right?

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

Me thinking about our future?

I just want you to know that I am in this...

a hundo percento.

I've got big plans for us.

["WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

[PAUL] You should have heard her in the car.

I mean, she-she's starting to wriggle, man.

L-like a worm.

Really?

Man, you, you gotta get a grip on the situation.

You, you can handle this much better if you just

stop doing... push-ups.

- Five kids? - [JENNY] I know, right?

It's not the fact that it's just five kids,

it's the fact that he's talking about kids at all.

You know, and our future, like...

Is he gonna propose? It's just crazy.

I don't even know what to do with this information.

Well, at least, he's talking about a future.

I mean, that's a good thing, right?

[JENNY] Yeah, I guess so,

but how's he planning it without me?

You know what I mean, like, five kids?

Man, I thought women liked this stuff.

Like, marriage and kids and...

You know, a, a guy who's thinking about the future.

Some women do, sure.

But are you sure that Jenny's that kinda woman?

I think I am, but do I even want that?

I mean, something just doesn't really feel right, you know?

Maybe you're just not ready for that type of stuff with him.

And what's that supposed to mean?

All I'm saying is it's only been a year.

Maybe you should pump the brakes a minute.

No, I don't need to pump the brakes.

I mean, I didn't hire you to pump the brakes.

What I need is the gift.

I'm just saying, maybe you need to plan your future

with somebody else. [LAUGHS]

Somebody like Tom.

I... No, that's, that's crazy.

- You're crazy. - I'm just saying.

[JENNY] I've only known Tom a whole week, okay?

And I've been with Paul, who I'm still with, by the way,

we've been together for a year, you know,

and you just, you don't just throw that away over a crush.

I moved to Chicago for him.

Look, first of all, you out in Chicago on business.

Second, you don't have a ring on your finger.

- You free, honey. - Your soul is not crushed.

Yes, it is.

- And my heart is dying. - Stop being so dramatic.

Worst-case scenario, you're both just a little confused.

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

I'm just over-thinking it all, I think, you know?

I think you should just take a minute, breathe it in,

soak it all in, I'm sure you'll be right as rain.

And just, just take time, you know?

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Yeah, it's fine.

Everything's fine, just...

Do me a favor? Help me smooth things over.

You guys still have to plan that event, right?

[TOM] Mm-hmm. [JENNY] But is it wrong...

that I look forward to seeing him so much?

- Of course not. - Ugh!

You know I want what's best for you.

- Right? - Yeah.

The question is, what do you want?

That's the thing, I don't know! I don't know what I want.

I don't know, I'm just so confused right now,

but I think maybe you're right, you know.

I need to just relax,

and let the whole thing breathe

and see what happens.

[JENNY] Thanks, Meg. You're the best.

- You're welcome, babe. - All right.

- I'll talk to you soon. - All right, boss.

- Talk to you soon. - Talk to you soon.

- Bye. - [JENNY] Bye.

You're welcome. That's what big brothers do, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Tau Sig?

That's the only T-shirt you own, isn't it?

I think it's good to be prepared.

Unh-unh.

Won't be left here.

- Come get it. - But-but... Okay.

There it is. Bam!

- [SIGHS] - [CLEARS THROAT]

All right.

Now, call my girlfriend

and do whatever it takes to get what we need.

["TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

Hey, I am so happy you called me.

Seriously, I was going crazy holed up in my office.

This is exactly what I needed.

No, it's my pleasure.

Actually, it turned out to be a very nice day.

Yeah. You know, I can't believe this record store is still here.

I used to come here all the time.

This is the best record store in Chicago.

Same family's owned it for generations.

If anyone can find a Robert Stone album,

it's these guys.

You have tried to find it before, haven't you?

You know, I have, but it was, like, a year ago,

and I didn't have any luck, so I figured it was a sign.

Well, your luck may be about to change.

- Hey, Rosie. How are you? - Hey.

Uh, we could use some help finding a blues album.

Sure. What do you need?

You know, if it's the blues, Tom, we can find it.

My friend here's father used to play in a local band,

and legend has it, they cut an album.

Oh, yeah? They got a name?

Yeah, but I doubt you would have heard of them.

You never know until you try.

Okay.

Robert Stone And The Chicago Fire?

- Sorry, never heard of 'em. - Told you.

But you could find it, right?

- Robert Stone And... - The Chicago Fire.

Chicago Fire.

All right, let me see what I can do.

Thank you, I really appreciate it, but...

I don't think you're gonna find anything.

Well, I got a lot of friends in this town.

Don't give up on me quite yet.

Well, I have faith in you, Rosie.

Give me call if you find something, okay?

- Okay, Tom. - Thanks.

- All right. - Thank you.

["O CHRISTMAS TREE" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

[JENNY] Oh, I just love this place.

You know, this was one of my favorite spots growing up.

So many memories.

My father and I used to walk this walk every Sunday

on the way to the record store.

- Really? - Yeah. [CHUCKLES]

Oh, would you look at this?

This is so pretty.

[TOM] You really haven't been here in a while.

They put this up, like, seven, eight years ago.

- Really? - Yeah.

Hmm.

[BOTH CHUCKLING]

[CELL PHONE BEEPS]

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

- What? - Nothing.

Just... Paul has to work late. Again.

Boy, that guy must really love his job.

Yeah, sometimes I feel jealous of it.

You know, we were supposed to do a walking pizza tour tonight.

This is the third time he's canceled this week.

Well... I'm available.

I was gonna walk you home anyway.

Might as well do it with pizza, right?

[CHUCKLES]

[JENNY] I still can't believe you like Pizano's

- ...more than Lou Malnati's. - Oh, that's not what I said.

What I said was that I'm still savoring it.

And, besides, you don't have the leg to stand on here

because your palate has been corrupted

by what passes for pizza in LA.

And I've still got Pequod's on my mind.

- Wait, do we have Pequod's? - Ooh, we will next time.

And that tour will include Tavern Crust.

Okay, you know, that's like a dream come true for me.

Do not mess with my heart.

You really love it here, don't you?

Yeah, I really do.

[SIGHS] I wish I had never moved.

And today was like being 12 again.

We did all the things that I love.

The music, the food,

the history... the people.

- Hey, hey. - [SIGHS] I'm sorry.

No, it's okay.

It's just, today was the kinda day

that I used to have with my dad.

For the first time in years, I felt like...

he was with me again.

Well, for what it's worth, I'm sure

he'd be extremely proud of the woman you've become.

[SIGHS] I don't know about that.

No, I'm serious.

You're the most amazing person I've ever met.

You give everything and expect nothing in return.

You're not afraid to follow your heart

no matter where it takes you, and...

most people don't have a shred

of that kind of courage and passion.

We, we shouldn't be doing this, I'm...

I'm, I'm with Paul.

I'm sorry.

[SIGHS]

["O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

[BUBBLING]

[FIRE CRACKLING]

[POUNDING ON DOOR]

[PAUL] Open up!

- Paul? - [PAUL] Come on, it's me.

[SIGHS]

Hey, man, you okay? You seem... anxious.

Yeah, you-you could say I'm anxious.

Okay, but first of all, Paul... it's not what you think.

Yeah. Yeah, of course it's not what I think.

I don't know what it is.

Look, I can't wait any longer.

Tom, I need the gift.

Tell me you have something.

So, this is about the gift?

- [PAUL] Yes. - [SIGHS]

So, come on, tell me. Do you know what it is yet?

Uh... um, no.

- Not yet. - Oh, God, this is not good.

This is not good.

Jenny has been distant lately.

I don't know. I'm, I'm, I'm desperate.

And may have done something a little impulsive.

- Paul, that's... - Huge, I know.

Cost a fortune. I don't know.

[PAUL] I just think maybe this is what I need

to really seal the deal.

And if there's any doubt about her saying yes,

your gift will lay them to rest once we've sprung it on her.

[EXHALES] Right?

Tom?

Tom, you okay there?

Actually, no.

I don't think that this is a good idea.

Hey, I'm sure the gift is gonna be great.

You're Mr. Christmas.

No, I mean...

I don't think I should help you do this.

- What? - Doesn't this feel wrong to you?

I don't wanna trick Jenny

- ...into marrying you. - What?

That's exactly what we're doing, we are pushing

all the right buttons to make her feel

like you really know her,

but you don't.

Of course I know her.

Oh, really? What's her favorite song?

Easy. "Don't Stop Believing." Journey.

No, that's nobody's favorite song.

That's your favorite song.

God! I can't believe I did this!

- Do I do this to all my clients? - No! No, no, no.

No, no, you help them. Just like you're helping me.

- This is your job. - Not anymore. I quit.

Where is this coming from?

I don't know her favorite song, big deal.

She deserves better, Paul.

Why do you care?

I am sorry.

I did not mean for this to happen, but the more time

I spent with her, the more I got to know her,

the more I have feelings for her.

Did, did something happen between you?

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

- You kissed? - Yes!

[JENNY] I don't even know how it happened.

You know, we were walking through the city,

and... it was reminding me of when I was a kid,

and I started talking about my dad, and...

And then it started snowing.

Perfect storm.

I know, and then...

you know, he just, he said all of these amazing things to me

that nobody ever says,

and then, I just, I gave in.

[CHUCKLES]

So, how was it?

[JENNY] Oh, it was perfect, and awful

and magical, and horribly guilt-inducing,

and really all of these whole range of competing emotions

packed into one single, wonderful

terrible moment.

Ugh, I can't believe I did that.

Wow, Jenny, that's some kiss.

I know. I don't know what to do.

Have you told Paul?

[SIGHS]

No. I haven't.

Are you going to?

Of course, I have to tell him, I just...

I don't know what to say.

He's called me, like, six times,

and I keep ignoring it, 'cause I don't wanna lie to him.

I just...

[SIGHS] I'm pretty much the worst person ever.

[CHUCKLES] No, you're not.

You're one of the best person I know.

You just in a complicated situation.

Yeah, you could say that again.

When's the next time you see Tom?

The event's in three days, so definitely by then.

Okay, well, you've got the next three days

to figure out the rest of your life.

[CHUCKLES]

Thanks, Meg. You're the best.

Look, whatever you decide, I know you'll make

the right decision. I love you.

I love you more. I'll talk to you soon.

[MEG] I'll talk to you later, babe.

Bye.

[SIGHS]

Oh...

[SO[HORN HONKING]ng]

I, uh... tried calling you.

I know. I'm sorry. I...

- We need to talk. - Yeah.

Yeah. We, we do.

I don't know... what's happened

the past couple of weeks.

Past couple of months, really.

We've been... off.

- Paul... - But...

I want to fix it.

Smooth things over once and for all.

Jenny...

will you marry me?

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

Um...

Is this shock?

Okay. What's happening?

[SIGHS] Paul...

Paul, I can't marry you.

Yeah.

I thought it was probably a long shot,

but... can't blame a guy for trying.

Look, what happened between us

was nothing more than two people realizing

they're just not right together.

I held on too tight and I messed it up.

We both held on too tight.

And sooner or later,

we would've realized the same thing.

It's more than that.

Isn't it?

There's Tom.

I saw him earlier,

and he told me what happened.

Oh, Paul, I am so sorry.

Okay, this is all my fault.

Please don't blame him for any of this.

I'm sorry if I pushed you

to move to Chicago.

Don't be.

I really do love this place.

I know.

And I'm glad.

Hey.

What's your favorite song?

[CHUCKLES] "Baby Won't You Please Come Home?"

Yeah.

I was way off.

Maybe I'll give it a listen.

["SILENT NIGHT" INSTRUMENTAL PLAYING]

Oh, can you put that in the library for me?

Thank you.

- Quite the circus today. - Yeah, I'm sorry. It's a lot.

Oh, please. I signed up for this.

It's the price we pay for being such incredible people.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Where's Tom skulking about?

You know, I don't know.

He was supposed to meet me here,

but I haven't seen him.

What's wrong?

[SIGHS]

Paul and I broke up.

Oh. That's awful.

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

Although, I have to say, I'm not surprised.

- What? - Oh, you know.

The whole Tom thing. He should've known better.

I'm honestly shocked the whole thing didn't blow up sooner.

Victoria, what are you talking about?

You do know what he does for a living, don't you?

Yeah, he coordinates events, and...

[DOOR CHIME JINGLES]

Hey.

Uh... I'm sorry.

I know I should've called you, but I thought

maybe you'd want some space.

Is everything okay with the venue?

Mr. Christmas?

So Victoria was telling the truth.

- Jenny... - Now, you need to tell me...

everything.

- I was going to, I promise. - When?

Let's not do this here, and it's probably better

if I show you.

You've been researching me?

It's what I do. I told Paul this was a bad...

Don't blame this on Paul.

[SCOFFS] God, I'm such an idiot.

This whole time you've just been studying me?

No.

I mean... yes.

It started out that way, but...

So, all the questions you've been asking me,

getting me to open up...

I thought it was 'cause you were actually interested in me.

- Was any of it even any real? - Yes.

So what you do, you just...

lie to people? Play with their feelings?

- I try to help people. - How?

By finding out what they care about,

and then exploiting it?

What about when these people figure out

that this heartfelt personal gift

that meant everything to them

was given to them by a stranger?

It's not exploitation.

If you wanna really connect with someone,

you have to know what's important to them,

what makes their world turn.

All I do for my clients is help them realize what that is

for the people they care about.

And then you make them fall in love with you.

It's okay, I'm over it now.

You know what, don't even bother coming to the event.

I have everything handled.

Jenny, can we talk about this, please?

There's nothing left to talk about.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

Oh, hey, Paul...

I'm not...

What happened?

You look awful.

[SIGHS] Thanks.

I... proposed to Jenny.

She said no.

- Sorry to hear that. - Yeah, it sucks.

Basically, run a marathon,

and try to not freak out about it,

which is kinda awesome, but...

It's okay.

Jenny found out...

what we were doing,

and she hates me right now.

Oh.

Man...

We're kinda pathetic.

Yep.

Let's just say there's plenty fish in the sea.

You'll be fine.

Hug it. Yeah. Hug it out.

You'll be fine. Hug it out.

Come on, it's okay.

I'm here for you. It's okay.

Okay.

Look, man, I was planning

on drowning my sorrows tonight,

and if you would like to join me,

you'd be more than welcome.

You know, misery, company, et cetera.

Dude, you're the only person in Chicago I know

that I haven't dated or worked with,

so my options are limited.

- Yeah, you'll be fine. - Unh-unh.

- It's okay. I'm here for you. - [JENNY CRYING]

It's okay.

I love you.

I love you, too.

[SIGHS]

It's not like you can say "No." This is really nice of me.

I guess it beats being alone on Christmas.

Tau Sig?

Tau Sig.

I really gotta keep my heart rate up though, so...

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

[FIRE CRACKLING]

You know, I really think you just helped her realize

how wrong we were for each other.

Well, if it makes you feel any better,

I'm pretty sure she will never talk to me again.

[PAUL] It doesn't.

It actually makes me feel kinda terrible.

Look, I mean, I'm still getting over the fact

that Jenny and I aren't right for each other

but... well, it hurts.

It's the truth.

You and Jenny...

Like, why do we all have to be miserable and alone?

Look, dude, if she winds up with someone else...

I just can't think of a single person in the whole world

that would treat her better.

- So, what's the plan? - Plan?

To get her back.

No, no, no, no, no, the plan...

is to just move on.

- Yeah, it's stupid, dude. - Hm...

We both know you're not gonna get over her.

[SIGHS]

Hey, when is that event?

Tomorrow night.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

["JINGLE BELLS" PLAYING]

♪ Dashing through the snow ♪

♪ In a one horse open sleigh ♪

♪ Over the fields we go ♪

♪ Laughing all the way ♪

♪ Bells on bobtail ring ♪

♪ Making spirits bright ♪

♪ What fun it is ♪ ♪ to ride and sing ♪

♪ A sleighing song tonight ♪

♪ Jingle bells jingle bells ♪ ♪ jingle all the way ♪

♪ Oh what fun it is to ride ♪

♪ In a one horse open sleigh ♪

♪ Jingle bells jingle bells ♪ ♪ jingle all the way ♪

♪ Oh what fun it is to ride ♪

♪ In a one horse ♪ ♪ open sleigh... ♪

- What are you making over here? - Fruit doll.

[JENNY] Oh, fruit doll. I love it.

You have to think of a name.

I'll come back to check.

What is this one?

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

♪ Now the ground is white ♪

♪ Go it while you're young ♪

♪ Take the girls tonight ♪

♪ And sing this ♪ ♪ sleighing song... ♪

Well, I will admit, you know how to throw an event.

Usually, these things are so stuffy.

Thank you. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Yes. Everyone seems very happy.

- Well, not everyone. - [SIGHS]

I think we both know that I had a kind of crush on Tom.

I mean, who wouldn't? He's handsome.

And charming and thoughtful.

- Don't forget deceitful. - Who isn't?

Look, I'm usually not one to concede,

but I'm not a monster,

and I'm not gonna stand between two people

who are so clearly crazy for each other.

And I know you think that what I said is a bad thing,

but... Tom does more good with his talent

than you give him credit.

Tom lied to me, Victoria.

I told him things I don't tell anybody,

because I thought he cared.

Turns out he was just using it.

But what if he does care?

I'm gonna go address the guests. Excuse me.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[GLASS CLINKING]

If I can get everyone's attention, please.

I'm not normally good at speaking in front of crowds,

so bear with me.

I just want to thank you all for coming this evening

to help raise awareness for the Family Shelter Network.

It is our goal to open a branch out here in Chicago.

It's because of charitable donors like yourselves

that we are able to help families in need.

Families like we all have,

but these just need an extra shoulder to lean on sometimes.

So, with your help, the money and awareness we raise

can help shelter and nurture families

that need us the most.

- [APPLAUSE] - Thank you.

[BLUES MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

Sam?

["BABY WON'T YOU PLEASE COME HOME?" PLAYING]

♪ I'm gonna telephone my baby ♪

♪ Ask her won't you ♪ ♪ please come home? ♪

♪ Every hour in the day ♪

♪ You will hear me say ♪

♪ Baby won't you please ♪

♪ Come home? ♪

♪ Baby won't you please ♪ ♪ come home for Christmas? ♪

♪ Baby won't you please ♪

♪ Come home? ♪

Jen, you better take good care of that record.

It's signed by one of the greatest blues musicians

I've ever met in my life.

Oh, and, uh...

you might wanna take good care of this, too.

Your daddy gave it to me 20 years ago.

He asked me to hold on to it while he was away.

I think he'd like you to have it.

How did you...

Rosie and I made a whole bunch

of calls.

It turns out Robert Stone And The Chicago Fire

did make an album.

And we found a seller, and he had a copy.

Jenny...

I never meant to hurt you.

I know you might think that this is just some

kind of trick to win you over,

it's not.

The past couple of weeks, I have gotten to know you...

and I have fallen in love with you.

And maybe I'm crazy, maybe it's all in my head,

but if you feel even a fraction of what I'm feeling,

then I'm not gonna give up.

I'll play that song in front of your office

every day of every December for the rest of my life

begging for another chance.

So what do you say?

[ALL APPLAUDING]

[CHUCKLING]

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

That is the best Christmas gift

I've ever gotten.

You just wait till next year.

[CHUCKLES]

That is, of course,

if you've decided to stay.

You think I would leave all this behind?

- [CHUCKLES] - Not a chance.

You've discovered my vice.

[CHUCKLES]

You over the party already?

Yeah, I've reached my limit.

People enjoying themselves too much stresses me out.

- Hence, sugar. - Mm-hmm.

Of course, now I won't be able to sleep tonight, so...

Have you heard of... ASMR?

[TOM] On December 23rd, AT PRECISELY 9:17 p.m.,

two snowflakes, completely unique

yet perfectly complementing one another

fall in unison as they head toward the Gold Coast.

Louis and Christina Selter spot them

while stargazing with Matthew,

commenting on how snowflakes are so much more

than just clumps of ice.

In Westtown, Martin and Clara Hamilton

make plans to celebrate Christmas together

for the first time in ten years.

From that day forward,

they never spend a single day apart.

In Lincoln Park Theater, Edith and Irv Struit

reaffirm the vows they made to each other 50 years ago,

and make plans for their 75th.

In a mansion in the Gold Coast, Paul Welch and Victoria Stolle

share a moment of serenity.

And in that moment, they realize

even the simplest pleasures can be the most profound...

- This is my favorite part. - [WATER BUBBLING]

[TOM] ...if you have someone to share them with.

And as the pair of snowflakes land on the window

of a house in West Chicago,

Tom Jacobs and Jenny Stone smile.

While it might seem impossible to answer,

they both wonder if they've found the person

they're meant to spend the rest of their life with.

But they don't wonder too much,

because with the right person,

it's painfully obvious.