All language subtitles for A.Carpenter.Christmas.Romance.2024.Lifetime.540p.WEB-DL.x264

Welcome back.

Next up we have a guest that

I am personally very
excited to speak to.

As is every woman
everywhere, I think, Vanessa.

Christmas
is just right around

the corner and I
have a gift for you.

Here we go...

We can officially
announce exclusively

on this show that the final book

in the Smash hit
Romance Fantasy series

Broken Arrow is in the works!

It's in the works, people.

And now we have the author,

Andrea Metcalf in
the studio with us.

- Welcome Andrea!
- Thank you so much.

You know, you were
only 20 years old

when you wrote the first
book, Broken Arrow Genesis

on the New York
Times bestseller list

for 82 consecutive
weeks. That's incredible.

Well, I mean, honestly, my
biggest challenge has been

trying to keep up with my
audience's appetite for more.

So the final
manuscript goes to print when?

Um, about a week.
Christmas Eve, I believe.

Okay. So the book will be
released in the new year,

but there is already some
online speculation that

you're gonna kill off someone
very dear to the audience.

Is there any truth
to that rumor?

Well, I am so glad that
my fans are so passionate.

That's all you're gonna give me?

That's all I can
give you, Vanessa.

You know what? I tried.

All right? I tried.

We will have more
with Andrea Metcalf

when we are back from the break.

"I got my
hands on an early copy

of Broken Arrow The
Final Sacrifice,

and Andrea Metcalf proves to be

absolutely heartless in
her callous killing off

of fan favorites, in this
case, the ultimate one.

If you are looking for a
happy ending, this is not it."

What? Let me see that.

What?

Oh. They posted the
last page of the book,

which, as you know, highly
implies Lucian's death.

How? How did they get this?

- I don't understand.
- I don't know.

I'm gonna get to
the bottom of it.

Let's just get you home.

- And inside.
- What the...?

Oh, my God.

- Let's go. Keep your head down.
- Ella...

I mean, there is a
literal demon fawn

in my front yard with a
"Justice for Lucian" sign.

Well, I didn't see that one.

Gosh, the Mhyrrinners are
really out in full force.

I mean, what are we
gonna do about this, Ella?

Well, we're gonna
get you out of here,

so you better go pack a bag.

- And go where?
- Hang on.

I'm gonna text
the family thread.

No, I don't wanna
go to mom and dad's.

No, mom is already upset
with the ending, and dad's

gonna give me that "consequences
are part of life" spiel.

Okay, well, they're on
their cruise already,

so you don't have
to worry about that.

No, I'm thinking
grandpa's farmhouse.

- Is it even available?
- I just texted.

I mean, I think they're only
doing weddings up there now,

but sometimes Aunt Rosie likes
to spend the holidays there

so checking.

Didn't you always want
to get married there?

- Come on.
- Oh, yes.

Aunt Rosie responded.

It looks like she and the twins

are going to be in
Paris for Christmas.

That must be nice.

So the farmhouse is wide open.

Okay. Wildwood it is.

Man, I haven't
been back in years.

Do you remember that sweet
little Christmas market

they had with the artisanal
foods and the crafts...

And the Festival of Lights.

Oh, you love those
lights as a kid.

I really did.

And not to mention the farmhouse

is the perfect place
to finish your edits

and to stay off the Internet,

so, hello, why
aren't you packing?

Well, what are you gonna do?

Oh, well, I have a few
work events that I have

to go to up here
and then I'll just

come down to you
for a couple days.

- Okay.
- Okay?

Thank you. I love you.

- I'd be lost without you.
- Oh, I'm aware of it.

Don't worry. All
right, now go pack.

Perfect.

Can I help you?

Where did you come from?

Seth?

Andie?

Well, it's Andrea
now, but, yeah. Hi.

You gonna hit me with that pan?

Are you gonna put
some clothes on?

Yeah.

Sorry I surprised you.

Yeah. Rosie lets me use
the barn as my studio.

Really?

Yeah, and she lets me
use the washer, dryer

and shower while my
new place is going up.

I didn't know anyone
was gonna be here.

It was a last minute thing.

Oh, yeah? Are you on the lam?

I'm kidding. I can't imagine
you breaking any kind of law.

I-I know that's not your style.

Definitely didn't used
to be back in the day.

You don't know what
my style is now.

No, I guess I don't.

You look good,
Andie... Sorry, Andrea.

You too.

- You still writing?
- Always.

I see you putting
my desk to good use.

- You built that?
- Yeah.

Rosie wanted me to
build something special

for the house last year, so...

I always thought a desk
would go great there.

It's beautiful.

It's the perfect
place for a desk.

That used to be your little
reading spot, wasn't it?

Yeah.

Are you in town
through Christmas?

Yeah, um... Ella's coming, too.

Nice.

If you want to
catch up or anything

while you're here, just...

Yeah, maybe.

Just... let me
know the next time

you wanna do laundry
or shower or whatever.

Will do.

- Have a good night.
- You too.

Hi. Um, are you in charge?

Or is there someone in
charge that I can speak to?

- Uhh, yeah boss man?
- Yeah.

- Right over there.
- Thanks.

You're boss man?

Andrea. Hey.

You said that you were using
the barn for a wood studio.

You didn't say that you had a
full blown construction site.

Yeah, well, there's a
few leaks in the roof

got some wood rot over there

and honestly,

this whole barn just needs
some preventative maintenance.

So you're fixing it?

Yeah, Rosie hired me.

I'm sorry. I'm still
trying to catch up.

- My aunt hired you?
- Yes.

- As a carpenter?
- Yeah, with my dad.

Okay.

- Hi.
- Andrea Metcalf!

- Hello!
- Oh, my God.

Hi. So good to see
you, Mr. Ferguson.

No, you call me William.

And I know I'm a little

worse for wear than the
last time you saw me.

- Not at all.
- But you! My goodness gracious.

You have blossomed into
one of the prettiest girls

this town's ever seen.

You are too kind. Um, I...

I am a morning mess.

And I hear your
books are all the rage.

I haven't had a chance
to read one yet,

but I wasn't surprised,
seeing how you're smart

is the only reason this guy
graduated his senior year.

Thanks for that, dad.

Okay, um, well, I...

I need to wake up
and-and have some coffee.

Actually, do you guys want
some coffee or anything?

- Nah.
- We're fine.

Don't let us keep you.

Um, oh, also...

when do you think you
guys are gonna be done?

My aunt didn't tell me that
there was any construction,

and I'm-I'm trying
to finish my edit.

Well, we're hoping to be
finished by Christmas Eve,

but I'll tell you, this
whole town's been feeling

like a construction
zone ever since fire.

My parents told me about that,

but I didn't realize
it was that bad.

My aunt never mentioned it.

Yeah, Damn near flattened this

whole side of town
five years ago.

Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.

I can't imagine.

Well, we better get back to it

so we can finish up and
get out of your hair.

It is nice having you
back in town, Andrea.

You give me a holler
if you need anything.

- You bet.
- All right.

Um, I...

I'm gonna wake up
and have that coffee.

How's the peaceful life?
Are you decompressing?

Uh, not really.

Ella, you will not believe this.

- I told you not to go online.
- Why? What's online?

I don't-I don't know
why I said that.

You tell me your thing.

You know the fire that
came through here?

Mr. Ferguson said that it
took out half the town.

- Did you know that?
- What?

No. That's so heartbreaking.

Yeah, I know. I'm
still in shock.

Hang on. You saw, Mr. Ferguson?

Yeah.

You know who else is
working out in the barn

in flannel and practically
sparkling with sawdust?

Ooo! Man glitter?

Wait, was it Seth Ferguson?

Your very own Jordan
Catalano? For real?

- Yeah, that one.
- Oh, is he still hot?

Yeah, he's, he's
fine. He's whatever.

Okay, so that's a yes.
And he's a carpenter?

- Yes.
- Oh, my gosh. Stop it.

Is there,
like, a boiler room

you two can go make out in?

Ha ha!

I mean, you loved him the
summer before your senior year

and before your junior year

and probably the summer
before sophomore year.

I did not love him. I
was addicted to him.

- Those are very different.
- Mm-hmm.

He knew it too.

I was his nerdy
little kept secret.

He was such a jerk
to me in public.

Yeah, but I bet his lips

were super soft in private.

- Hey, I know that look.
- What look?

You need to focus on your
edit and not Mr. Man Glitter.

Please.

He wasn't actually into me
then, and he's not into me now.

Babe, you are a sexy,
confident, wildly successful

New York Times
best-selling author now.

Whatever. You can do
whatever you want.

I just need you to
finish your edit first.

And, like, try not
to break his heart.

I make no promises.

Oh, wait, I almost forgot.

I need you to do a
book signing tomorrow

at the Wildwood book shop.

Oh, I love that.

I've never done a reading here.

That was like a
literal dream for me

when we were kids
visiting for Christmas.

Yeah, that should drum
up some goodwill for us.

Wait, why do I need
to drum up goodwill?

So 10 a.m. tomorrow.
It's all set.

I'll meet you there
and um, I gotta run.

I love you, though.
All right. Okay, bye.

Earplugs, earplugs...

Come on, earplugs, earplugs...

- Hi.
- Oh, hi.

- It's one of my favorites.
- It's beautiful.

I love how it's
shattered, yet whole.

It's called Kintsugi.

It's an ancient
Japanese practice

which means "joined with gold".

It's a reminder to celebrate
the mistakes and flaws in life

because the broken bits
always lead to something good

I love that. You
are so talented.

Oh...

Have you always
used this technique?

No, actually, uh, I lost
my studio in the fire.

And when we went back to
recover what we could,

there was this one vase
I'd made that was still

so vibrant, but
broken into pieces.

That was the first piece
I made using Kintsugi.

And I just haven't stopped.

It's part of the
grieving process.

Yeah.

Well, I'd-I'd love
to take these, too.

Oh, of course. I'll
wrap them up for you.

Thanks.

- Here you go. Yeah.
- Oh, thank you so much.

Oh, um, do you know when the
Festival of Lights start?

I grew up coming here for
summers and Christmases,

and it was my favorite
holiday tradition.

We haven't done
that since the fire.

- Really?
- Yeah.

The fire took the Wildwood Inn
and all the surrounding trees

and that's where
it was hosted, so,

yeah, we haven't
done it since then.

The Wildwood Inn, as in
the Ferguson Family Inn?

- It burned down?
- That's where the fire started.

Generator got
struck by lightning.

Do you know them?

I knew...

I know Seth.

Oh, he's a good one.

Yeah, they lost everything,

but you wouldn't know it with
how generous they've been.

A bunch of us actually live
on their property in RVs

waiting for our homes to go up.

Seth won't take a
dime from any of us.

Oh...

- I knew him a long time ago.
- Oh.

I heard he was a big
star athlete back then.

Probably a class
favorite as well, huh?

I didn't go to school with
him, but I can imagine

that he was some
people's favorite. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. Here you go.

- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.

Hey, guys, come here.

Oh...

- Do it again. Again.
- My turn, my turn.

- Don't wear him out, guys.
- Ah, no, it's fine.

You guys are getting way
too heavy for this, though.

How is the most beautiful,

and smartest girl
in all of Wildwood?

Swing me.

Yeah, that's all I'm good for.

Hey!

All right. Go play.

How is everything?

Kids getting what
they want from Santa

or is there anything
I can help with?

You have done more than enough.

But... I hate to ask.

You can ask me for anything.

Stupid RV's shower's
broke again.

I can't get the
water to stay hot.

Well, that's not good.
Let me go take a Look.

Hey, Seth, come
have a beer with us.

Hey, Hector. Yes, but give
me a second, will you?

I gotta go check on something.

If now's
not a good time...

Oh, no, it's totally fine.

I can't have the prettiest
and smartest girls

in all of Wildwood
taking cold showers.

- No way!
- No way!

Come on.

"Elowehan stood
with her head held high,

drawing strength from
all of the Mhyrrin Fae

who had come before her.

She knew this was the end.

The masked executioner asked,

"Will you pardon
me, sweet lady?"

Was her mind playing
tricks on her?

Or was this the voice
she'd been aching

to hear these many months?

It couldn't be.

Her eyes darted up to his,

and recognition
flooded her body.

Then, in a whisper
only she could hear.

"Are you ready, my love?"

Lucian.

Her Lucian was
standing beside her.

In one swift move,
the ropes that

bound her wrists
fell to the ground.

And she knew at last
that all was not lost."

Thank you.

It's fine. He was always
a master at disappearing.

So, I guess it's kind
of comforting knowing

that some things never change.

Well, look, there is a
group of locals over here

that are dying to meet you

because you're a goddess.

I just want to have a
merry Sethless Christmas

with my sister. Sound good?

I love that for us.

- Let's go.
- Okay.

Here. Don't forget
about the little guy.

- Remember, he does a little...
- You can keep that one.

Yeah, I lied. I don't
know about that.

I'm gonna put
him in your room.

I think you picked that one out.

Of course I did.

He's the same height as me.

Seriously?

This outlet isn't working.

Oh, I think I saw a handyman
posted on the refrigerator.

Hold on.

"Handyman needs,
text this number."

There is also no white
wine in this house,

so I'm gonna go
out and grab some.

I might pick up some takeout
while I'm not doing anything.

Um, I trust you.

All right. Okay.

- All right.
- Love you.

Love you.

Okay.

What took you so long?

- Hi.
- Hi.

Sorry. I was
expecting my sister.

- I'm not your sister.
- No, you're not.

She just went into town to
grab a couple of things.

Care for another shower?

- Did you need something?
- You texted.

I texted the handyman.

You're the handyman.

I'm the handyman.

Right. Come in.

- What outlet is it?
- The one by the mantel.

I'm really sorry
about the Inn, Seth.

- I can't imagine.
- Mm.

I don't know why I didn't
put it together before.

Yeah, it's been
a journey, but...

we're all just trying
to figure it out.

Yep, your outlet's busted
and you need a new plate.

Can... you hand me that bag?

Sure.

Thank you.

So, you're a carpenter,

furniture maker,

handyman now?

Landlord too. Yeah.

That's a lot of jobs.

Not everyone could
be a New York Times

best-selling author.

Well...

Can you actually hand me the
wire strippers real quick?

Seriously, though,
Andrea, that's incredible.

I always knew you'd
change the world.

I don't think writing romance
fantasy is changing the world.

What are you talking about?

It's giving people a safe space

to take a journey and
feel their feelings.

Or it's an escape

from... life

or... a bookstore.

Sometimes an escape is
what people need the most.

You should be proud.

All right.

Done.

Still need a new outlet pipe,

but this should work
for the time being.

Let's try it out.

Well, it's not the Wildwood
Festival of Lights,

but it'll do.

Yeah, I miss that
festival a lot.

It was my favorite
Christmas tradition.

I know. Mine too.

My mother lit up every
year planning it.

Her "Love letter to the
community" she always said.

She was amazing.

Yeah... she really was.

I wrote you a card.

I don't know if
you got it, but...

I did. Uh...

That was really nice,
well written too.

Sorry, one second.

Everything okay, Aiko?

Um, yeah, sure.

What time will you be home?

No problem.

One of my tenants
got held up at work.

Gotta go pick up her kids.

Is that a normal landlord duty?

We're all just... trying
to help each other out.

I'll bring you that new
outlet plate when I can.

Thanks, Seth.

Anytime.

♪ Thy leaves are
so unchanging ♪

♪ Not only green
when summer's here ♪

♪ But also when it's
cold and drear ♪

♪ O Christmas tree

♪ O Christmas tree

♪ Thy leaves are
so unchanging ♪

It's beautiful.

I'll take it.

Yeah.

No, absolutely.

No. I hear you. And I'm-I'm
gonna talk to her about it.

Yeah.

Bye.

Everything okay?

Okay, I don't want
you to freak out.

Well, now I'm freaking out.

It's just that this
whole leak situation,

I mean, it has been not great.

Okay.

I mean, we still don't know

who leaked the page,
but there's over

a thousand diatribes
all over social media.

I mean, the fans are demanding
a new ending to the book.

Well, that's not
gonna happen, so...

But it kind of has to.

Over a thousand?

I just had to turn
off all the comments

on your social accounts.

I mean, they're calling
for a boycott, babe.

A boycott?

Is it really that serious?

We don't need to freak
out yet, but it's just...

Let's go put this in the
car, load up on some carbs,

we'll go home, we'll get
cozy, we'll-we'll brainstorm.

Well, I'm
not really sure

what I'm supposed to do
with that information,

because I am not
rewriting the ending.

I'm not rewriting the ending.

Or you could?

Absolutely not. No.

That is garbage.

- Sorry, I have to get this.
- Ella.

You're not my only
client, you know.

So sorry to interrupt.

We were at your book
signing yesterday.

We're, like, the biggest
Mhyrrinners ever.

Thank
you. Yeah.

I even run a fan
account that has, like,

- 23, 000 followers.
- Whoa.

I can give you the handle
if you want to check it out.

Yes, please, yeah.

We were too nervous
to ask yesterday

but can we get a
picture with you?

- Oh, absolutely. Yeah.
- You want me to take it?

Sure. Thanks.

- Thank you so much.
- Yeah, of course.

It was really lovely
meeting you both.

- Thank you.
- Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Does that happen a lot?

I mean... not a lot
a lot, but, yeah.

You're a pretty big
deal, Andrea Metcalf.

Not anymore.

Apparently, I pissed off
a majority of my audience

because I wrote an
ending they don't like,

so they're boycotting my book.

And me, I guess.

So vacation's going great.

It's wonderful.

You done for the day?

On the barn, yeah.

I'll probably go
back and work on

some personal stuff later.

Okay.

Well, I am gonna go bang
my head against a wall

and try and not look
at the Internet.

Yeah, have fun with that.

I believe in you, Andrea.

You might be the only one.

Seriously? Now the publisher
wants me to change it?

There's five days
till Christmas, Ella.

Even if I wanted to change
the ending, I don't have time.

It doesn't have to be
this massive rewrite.

It could literally...

It could just be a
paragraph at the end

that has him like gasping
this breath of life

rather than his final breath.

That cheapens the
whole thing, Ella!

I want people to feel the loss.

Why? There is enough
loss in life as it is.

Exactly. I just...

- I want it to feel real.
- Well, that's extremely cynical.

I'm just asking that you
give it some thought.

What are people saying online?

It's not...

Just don't look.

Okay. I'm gonna get
out of your hair,

go upstairs and let you get
into the zone. All right?

I mean it. Don't
Google yourself.

Geez.

- I'm so sorry.
- Andie...

Sorry, Andrea, it's...

God, it's hard to
get used to that.

You can call me Andie.

It, uh, feels weird for you
to call me anything else.

I couldn't sleep and
the light was on, so...

Yeah. What time is it?

After midnight.

Lose track of time?

I always do out here.

You solve that book
drama situation yet?

Nope.

I stared at my computer
for a couple hours...

wrote about 100 sentences,
and then deleted them.

Uh, but good news,
I did Google myself,

and it turns out everybody
does think I actually suck.

Sounds productive.

Yeah. I'm on fire.

I don't know what
I'm doing here.

You want to get your
mind off everything?

Well, contrary to
our history together,

making out doesn't actually
solve any problems.

Not sure I totally
agree with that.

But that's not what I was
talking about. Come here.

Looks lovely.

It's for my painter, Hector.

His wife is due with their
first baby next year.

It's beautiful.

Did you know that woodworking
reduces cortisol levels

in your body by 75%?

I did not know that, no.

Yeah, when I got
back from deployment,

I was battling some
pretty serious PTSD.

I had a therapist suggest this.

Apparently, there's all
these studies and it's...

Hang on. Deployment?

Long story for another day.

Okay, so, it's almost
ready to be stained.

We just gotta hit it with
one final bit of sanding.

- You wanna try?
- No, I-I don't wanna ruin that.

You won't.

I won't let you.

All right, so you wanna go
with the grain, like this

in long, soft, swipes.

I can see why you like it.

Quiets everything down, right?

Yeah.

So, is it true
you killed Lucian?

I may have done a bit
of Googling myself.

Well, I guess it doesn't matter
now the ending is leaked.

So why did you kill him?

There was no way for there
to be peace in Mhyrrin

without his sacrifice.

Come on. I don't buy that.

- Great. Not you, too.
- I'm sorry, I just...

I'm trying to understand
your thinking.

Well...

I just couldn't... see
a way forward for them.

If we had that attitude in
Wildwood after the fire...

there wouldn't be a
town here anymore.

What do you mean by that?

I guess you can respond
to something horrible

by shutting down or you
could hunt for the light.

Find something even better
than what you had before.

I'm just saying, there's...
always a way forward...

if you're looking for it.

I love my ending. It's
aching and painful...

And so, so sad for
so many people.

What's so bad about
letting Elowehan and Lucian

find a way forward?

Seth said the same
thing last night.

- Well, Seth's a smart guy.
- You didn't think so yesterday.

Well, I think so now.

Now he's a genius. Hang on.

La-last night? What
happened last night?

Ella, you were on board
with Lucian's death.

It is beautifully written...

- But?
- The fans have a point.

You spent four books
building this epic,

complicated love story
to, to kill it in the end.

I don't know, it feels a
little bit like it's for you

and not for the audience.

What is that supposed to mean?

Uh, that you've broken off

every relationship
you've ever had.

Because I haven't
found the right guy.

Or because you shut down

the minute somebody
gets close to you.

Because reality couldn't
possibly live up

to the fantasy that
you've built in your head.

So you ice them
out and you end it

because you're afraid
of being disappointed.

It's too early for
sister therapy.

Oh, please. It's 2 p.m.

This "final sacrifice" ending,

it just feels a bit
like art imitating life.

Your life in particular
and I just think

that's a little
unfair to the fans.

Oh. Seth. Hi.

Hey, I brought your
new outlet plate.

Are you just getting up?

Yeah.

I was up all night writing.

Oh, yeah? You found your flow?

Yeah.

I was inspired by something
you said last night, actually.

Nice.

You know, could you give
us a second, Jordan?

- Just stay right there.
- Ella, it's Seth.

Ignore her.

What is going on? What
happened last night?

- Nothing.
- Oh, okay.

Well, you two are
undressing each other with

your eyeballs and
your face is a tomato.

Oh, my God. Seriously?

- Wait. This is perfect.
- What are you doing?

Hey, could you do
us a huge favor?

You have a truck, right?

- Um, yeah.
- Amazing.

Okay, so we were going to
get a Christmas tree tonight,

but I'm just, like,
so buried with work.

Is there any chance you
could take Andrea to get one?

Yeah, sure.

Could I put this
outlet cover on first?

Oh, yes. Oh, my
gosh. Thank you.

You are a huge help. Such
a lifesaver. Come on in.

She's gonna get ready right now.

What the actual..

I said "Sethless
Christmas," remember?

Yet here you are, beaming,
blushing and gushing.

And there he is in the
other room, looking all...

gorgeous and-and strong.

And completely confused, Ella!

Oh, he's fine.

Look, you need a distraction.

Honestly, I can use more break
from you. So, you're going.

Can I get you some coffee, Seth?

Yeah, sure.
That'd be great.

So...

deployment, huh?

Yeah.

Last time I saw you,
you were on the college

baseball scholarship
track, so...

I was. And it was
your summer tutoring

that kept me from failing out.

- So... thank you for that.
- Welcome.

But unfortunately, that
couldn't prevent me

from that torn rotator cuff.
So, no more scholarship.

Grades weren't good
enough to get anywhere

without baseball, and mom
died and I sort of had a...

"Who the hell am?" dark
night of the soul moment.

And I thought...

why not join the army.

So, I served for four years,
came home and worked with dad

while I was in the
reserve for six more.

And then the fire.

And then the fire.

Geez, Seth. That's a lot.

- I'm really sorry.
- No, no, don't.

I know how it all sounds,
but... life is good.

It really is.

It sounds crazy, but...
there's something that

happens when you lose
a lot, all at once.

You got a choice to make.

You can buckle, disappear,
or you can find your purpose.

I found my purpose.

And I'm really grateful for it.

You're different
than I remember.

God, I hope so.

Why do you say it like that?

You don't like who you were?

What? You were everything.

Popular, charismatic...

Childish, self-absorbed...

unkind to you, Andie.

We were kids.

Yeah, well... not anymore.

I can see that.

Is this one of yours?

Sure is.

And this bench too.

Wow, it's beautiful.

This man right here has
brought this town back to life.

And that's God's honest truth.

I don't think he's taken
a day off since the fire.

Our Seth.

So, let's find you
something great.

Okay, let's do it.

♪ Holding you closer to me

♪ It's getting colder...

So, you were
up all night working?

Yeah.

Mostly research, but...

I think I'm onto something.

Say more.

Something that you said...

about there always
being a way forward,

no matter how dark
the situation.

I was doing some research
on the Festival of Lights.

Every tradition somehow points
to renewal after disaster.

The light breaking through...

beginning again.

And you...

working so hard for the
community to find the light.

It's beautiful.

Compelling.

I think there's something there.

So...

does this mean you're gonna
spare Lucian's life after all?

No.

I don't know.

No, this is for something
else. This is... a new book.

Why can't you give
them a happy ending?

They're perfect for each other.

Oh?

She needs him to help release
her control over everything

and he needs her to
show him the light.

It's the perfectly
constructed love story.

They're fighting
for good together.

Have you read the
Broken Arrow series?

- I, I...
- No.

Was interested to see
what you're up to.

So you read four 700
page romantasy novels?

They're really,
very good, Andie.

Oh, my God.

Don't make fun of me
for liking your stuff.

Sorry,
it's just, um...

you're not our
target demographic.

Oh, believe me...

I'm aware.

You know...

you could have
just reached out...

instead of reading my books.

You could have reached out
and I would have told you

what I was up to.

Yeah, I...

I didn't think you
wanted to hear from me.

I did.

Thought about you a
lot after that summer.

Andie, I...

Seth!

- Hey, guys.
- Whoa.

Can I have some?

Hmm...

Hi.

Who are you? Why are
you holding hands?

This is my friend Andrea.

I'm Pearl. And
this is my Seth.

Okay, gotcha. It's
nice to meet you.

Do you know Santa's
coming in four days?

- What?
- Well, five.

But today's almost over, so
basically four days away.

- That's true.
- Fair point.

Can I have some? I want some.

And this is Aiden.
Where is your mother?

Oh, sorry.

They saw your truck outside

and were just begging
me to come say hi.

Oh, hi. I remember
you from the market.

You bought a couple
of my mugs. Aiko.

Aiko? Seth's tenant, Aiko.

It's nice to see
you. I'm Andrea.

Nice to see you.

They were holding hands.

Because we're friends,
silly. Friends hold hands.

- Can we sit with you?
- Please?

Oh, no, no, honey.

I think we're
interrupting a date.

Are you on a date?

No, not a date.

Andrea and I are
just old friends.

Yeah, we're just old friends.

Okay. Well, come on, kids.

That peppermint dream
isn't gonna eat itself.

Will you come over later?

We'll see.

Come on.

Um..

Thank you for the other night.

Everything's working
perfectly now.

Yeah. Of
course. Anytime.

So, uh...

What were we talking about?

You know what?

I think that all-nighter's,
um, catching up with me.

Oh, uh, okay.

You want to go?

All right.

Just pretend I'm not here.

Where do you want it?

- Right over there is fine.
- All right.

Andie.

What's going on?
Something's wrong.

Nothing's wrong.

Come on.

You don't even believe the
words coming out of your mouth.

- I know you.
- You don't actually.

You know a version of me that
I was with you 13 years ago.

I'm not her anymore.

And I don't owe
you an explanation.

Andie, wha...

What the hell? I thought
we were having a fun day.

We were. Thanks
for the help today.

If I need anything else
related to the house, I'll...

I'll let you know.

Oh, my God.

Seth!

Are you okay?

I just...

- Yeah, that...
- What the hell happened?

I-I just lost
focus for a second.

Got a little electrocuted.

A little electrocuted? Where?

Yeah, that tool uses
electricity to burn the wood.

Please don't get close to that.

You're using electricity
to burn wood?

After everything that
you've been through

do you have a death wish?

I know what I'm doing.

I know how to use this.

Damn it, Seth. You
gave me a heart attack.

I'm sorry for scaring you.

Hey, hey, hey.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You're an idiot.

I know. I'm sorry.

I'm glad you were awake.

I'm gonna sit back down.

What the hell even is this?

Oh, wow. It kind of looks like
your mom's tree from the inn.

That's, that's what
I was going for.

It is her tree.

And the door?

It was the door to
her garden-shed.

Seth.

I found it in the
wreckage after the fire.

Was almost completely intact.

Might have some charring, but...

thinking about turning
it into a dining room table

for my dad for the new build.

Christmas gift.

Something from the past
to bring into our future.

He's gonna love it.

Ah...

I don't know. I'm...

I'm worried it might
traumatize him or something.

Why? Because you practically
used lightning to make it?

Yeah.

It's beauty from the ashes.

It's moving.

How do you do it?

Oh, so now you want
to see how it works?

Two seconds ago,
you were giving me

a hard time about
being reckless.

Yeah, well, now I'm curious.

All right.

Come here so I can show you but,
just stay back a little bit.

Okay.

You just...

press into the wood
like this and uh...

starts torching.

Wow. It's like magic.

It's cool, right?

It's called fractal burning.

Started messing around with
this technique a few years ago.

Are all those pieces
from the wreckage?

Have you shown these to anyone?

No, not yet. It's...

mostly just been
cathartic for me.

I don't want to trigger
anyone else's trauma with it.

If it's cathartic for you,
it'll be cathartic for them.

- You think so?
- I know so.

I mean, I, I was thinking
about setting up a booth

at the Christmas
market or something.

Christmas market? These
need to be in a gallery.

I'm not trying to be an artist.

But you are one.

They deserve to be seen.

Well, I have to build
a gallery for us,

and then, uh, we'll
go from there.

Don't
brush it off, Seth.

It's beautiful.

You're really talented.

Why couldn't you sleep?

It doesn't matter.

Okay, well, uh, try not to
lose focus again, all right?

Hey, can you, Can
you stay with me?

What?

Just in case there's any...

post shock complications, I...

I think I should
stay awake and...

I think I should
be with someone.

For medical reasons.

Yeah, medical reasons.

We could go for a walk.

I could show you the
new build, if you like.

If you're interested in
checking it out, of course.

I mean, what kind
of friend would I be

if I refused a
medical emergency.

Right?

The house is really
lovely, Seth.

I can still see your mom's
tree over here, all lit up.

Yeah, the centerpiece of
the Festival of Lights.

I really wish there was
a way that we could...

do it this year.

Yeah.

Me too.

But...

the inn is gone,

the trees are gone.

Where would we hang the lights?

Plus, it's just so much work
and it's expensive. I...

I-I just...

don't have the capacity
to make it happen anymore.

Your tenants live here?

Yep.

Why couldn't you sleep? Please
tell me what I did wrong.

You're not gonna let
this go, are you?

I'm not.

Yesterday was fake
date gate all over again.

Fake date gate. Wha...

What?

Do you remember when I
finally had the courage

to ask you to take
me on a real date?

In public, not just
make out sessions

during tutoring, but
like... a real date?

Yeah. I remember it being nice.

We went to dinner.

Two towns over.

Thirty-five minutes away.

I remember thinking,

give him the benefit
of the doubt.

It's a nice restaurant that
he wants to take you to

for your first real date.

Couldn't possibly be because
he's still trying to hide you.

I don't, that's...

And then we
left the restaurant

and you took my hand.

Then some acquaintance,

some nobody saw us
in the parking lot.

You dropped my hand
like it was on fire.

Didn't introduce me, and...

just carried on like
nothing happened.

- Andie, I...
- Do you know how stupid that is?

How much I hate that
that still affects me?

It was ten years ago. Over that.

And I just...

I don't know. It-it still hurts.

And I just
did... the same thing

at the diner with
Aiko and the kids.

Look...

we're not dating.

You have no reason
to call me anything

other than an old friend.

You didn't do anything wrong.

Not this time anyway.

Guess it's just, um, old wounds.

First of all,

there's nothing
between Aiko and I.

I need you to know that.
I just help her out.

And second of all...

I was such a moron
back in the day.

I-I still don't know
what you saw in me.

I hate that I hurt you. I...

You were my...

you were my lifeline, my...

oxygen, I'm...

I'm so sorry.

Come on.

Let me get you
a blanket.

I'm just gonna get
some candles lit.

Is this yours?

Yeah.

This is my closet till
the flooring arrives.

It's beautiful.

Thank you.

Yeah, my dad built something
similar for my mother, so...

it inspired me to make this one.

What were they like together?

Best friends first.

Also... really hard working.

- In what way?
- Just, love takes effort.

It's listening and responding.

It's sticking with
it when it gets hard.

I don't think I
truly appreciated

how much they taught
me until she passed.

Whenever I'm building something,

it feels like love in action.

I'm always thinking about
who I'm making it for

and how it ties
into their world.

If I come across a knot or an
imperfection in the wood...

I don't sand it down

or try to erase it.

I use it, and...

something beautiful emerges.

Oh, like, beauty from
the ashes, like you said.

I really wish you would
have called back then.

Would you have answered?

Probably.

I was addicted to you.

And I took advantage of that?

Yeah, you did.

I really was the worst.

Not always.

Sometimes you were the best.

We had some fun times.

Yeah.

I remember one particular
game of sardines

that was a fun time.

They never did
find us, did they?

No, they did not.

Hey.

Yeah.

I like you.

You like me?

Do you like-like me?

I like-like you.

Why were you ashamed of
us when we were kids?

No, I...

I wasn't ashamed of us.

I just...

I didn't know how
to be who I was.

With you, out in the
world, with everyone else.

What do you mean by that?

I don't know. I just...

I fell apart on you.

I cried in your
arms a few times.

Your mom was
diagnosed with cancer.

Of course you did.

I felt like I just had this...

stupid reputation to uphold.

To win championships,

make people laugh.

That sounds exhausting.

It was.

I really wish you would
have told me that.

I didn't even know how to
articulate that back in the day.

Well, for the record...

I never felt closer to you

than when you fell apart on me.

I liked that version
of you a lot.

I like this version
of you a lot.

Oh, my God,
Andrea. I know.

He likes you.

He like-likes me.

Oh, my God.

Was it good?

Oh, my God, I hate you.

And you're welcome.

I mean, you needed that.

It's not just that, though.

He's...

kind and tender and so talented.

He's basically a
saint in this town.

Okay, hang on. This
doesn't sound like a fling.

I don't know if it is.

I like-like him too.

I mean, he was your first love.

Is this what I've been
chasing for 13 years?

I mean, chasing,

running away from,
writing about.

Yeah. Yeah, it is.

♪ Take me higher

♪ Than I've ever been

♪ Contactile on my lips

♪ Do do do do do do do

♪ Do do do do do do

♪ My head spins when
you look at me ♪

♪ I lose control so easily

♪ And my mind just
comes unwell ♪

♪ You take me higher
than I've ever been ♪

♪ Contactile on my lips

♪ When you kiss me
the way you just did ♪

♪ You take me higher with
all the love you give ♪

♪ Make my heart
start tingling ♪

♪ Take me higher with
all the love you give ♪

♪ Make my heart
start tingling ♪

♪ When I feel like a feather
that can't get lighter ♪

♪ You take me higher

♪ Do do do do do do do do do

♪ Do do do do do do

♪ Ohh

So, Andrea Metcalf...

What's next?

What's next?

For four time

New York Times
best-selling author,

Andrea Metcalf?

Inquiring minds want to know.

You just want to know if
I've changed the ending.

I want to know if Lucian and
Elowehan get a happy ending.

Yes.

Why do you care so much, huh?

Because Lucian finally
found redemption

after four books of
trying and failing.

He'd finally won
Elowehan's heart.

His life finally
meant something good.

Just...

wanna see him enjoy it, I guess.

I know I sound like

one of your middle
aged mom readers.

No.

I love how invested you are.

Makes me feel like
I did a good job.

Yeah, your work
speaks for itself.

You don't need me to tell
you you've done a good job.

I care about what you think.

So does this mean you're
gonna change the ending?

I don't know.

But you have given me a lot
of things to think about.

I'm your muse?

Shut up.

When do you go back to LA?

I was actually thinking
of sticking around

for a little bit.

I do have somebody
watching my plants, so...

Really?

Yeah. I mean...

I can write from anywhere.

And...

we never really got to
give this a shot, so.

Maybe this is...

An-Andrea, but you can't just...

Or not.

Am I crazy?

Who's calling you so late?

Oh, it doesn't matter.

Who's knocking at 1 am?

It's probably a tenant.

Hang on.

Sorry for coming
by so late. Um...

Uh, it's fine. Aiko.
What do you need?

I, um...

I had a really
triggering day and...

Can I come in?

Uh...

Actually, now is
not a good time.

Um...

Oh, I'm sorry.

Aiko, wait...

Can I, can I get you something?

Some tea maybe?

Do you have
anything stronger?

I don't think that's
a good idea, um...

- Give me a sec.
- I miss you, Seth.

- Whoa.
- Oh, my God.

- What is she doing here?
- That is a great question.

- What the hell am I doing?
- Andie, Aiko just came by...

You said you were just friends.

You did say that,
didn't you? Yeah.

What am I to you,
Seth? I'd love to know.

You're...

I... don't know, we
haven't discussed that.

Oh, my God. Okay. That's
all I needed to hear.

- Andie, hang on.
- I've been such an idiot.

Andie.

Andie, stop. Let me explain.

So everything that you said
about me being your lifeline

and-and your oxygen, that
was just, what, a lie?

No. Andie, please
let me explain...

Don't call me
that. It's Andrea.

You said that nothing was
going on between you two.

And that is the truth.

Are you and Aiko together?
Am I a homewrecker?

Because I did not
sign up for that.

Aiko and I just have
a complicated history.

- That is not a no. Seth.
- No, it is a no, Andrea.

I was deployed with her
husband. He was my best friend.

He died three years ago
when the kids were small.

And I just...

helped her out and...

things happened.

But we ended it because we were
in it for the wrong reasons.

Well, somebody needs to
clarify that for her,

because she is clearly
still in love with you.

She's not in love
with me, she just...

She just needs me.

Oh.

- You're her hero.
- What?

You take care of her, just
like everybody in this town.

No, I am nobody's hero.

Yes, you are. You built your
entire identity on that.

That couldn't be
further from the truth.

With the tenants you don't
charge, with the furniture that

you build for people. Seth
Ferguson, savior of Wildwood!

It was my fault.

What are you talking about?

Dad was getting on me

for weeks to fix the generator.

There was some live wires and
it was extremely dangerous.

And I kept saying that I would
do it, but I kept putting it

off, just screwing around.

That generator was a
freaking lightning rod.

This entire town is
flattened because of me.

Dad, Aiko, they have
nothing because of me.

Seth, that...

I am no hero, Andrea.

I'm the villain.

You've been doing
penance all these years?

I don't know.

Seth, you can't possibly believe

that lightning striking
the inn was your fault.

No one would blame you for that.

They don't blame me for it

because they don't
know it was me.

The only people that know
was my dad and now...

you.

Aiko.

Seth...

I have nothing to
offer you, Andrea.

I am clearly still that
same screw up I used to be.

I know what you mean to
me, Andrea. Believe me.

You... may not see it,

but you will realize that I
will never mean the same to you.

And that...

that'll break me.

So...

I'm, I'm bowing out.

He just decided how
I feel about it.

He's just protecting himself.

From what?

I basically told
him that I love him.

I mean, in not so many words,
but I laid it all out there.

Oh, Andrea.

I think a small part of
me has always loved him.

But you don't need anything
from him. Not like back then.

And if-if he needs to be the
hero in order to feel loved,

then he needs a
damsel in distress.

And I am not that.

No,
babe, you are not.

It just kills me because
he doesn't understand

how incredible he is.

He's just buried
in guilt and shame

over something he
had no control over.

Okay, but where
does that leave you?

Hey, Andrea.

- I...
- Hi.

Seth's not here.

I'm not here for Seth.

Okay.

I-I just wanted to
apologize for last night.

You don't need to.
It's not your fault.

I need to explain.

Seth already did.

I was having a
moment last night,

and I didn't know about you two.

Aiko, I don't even live here.

We have a history together,

but he's not interested
in pursuing anything, so.

He's in love with you, Andrea.

I can see that now.

And if anyone deserves
to be happy, it's him.

So if you even feel
slightly the same...

He shut me out, Aiko.

He thinks he's a villain.

Nobody blames him for the fire.

People know about the
generator. They've always known.

I didn't realize how responsible
he felt, but we love him.

He fully led the charge to
bringing us back to life.

Our community has
never been closer.

Have you told him that?

He won't hear it from me.

Seems like he won't
hear it from anyone.

But maybe if we show him.

Come on.

Oh, my God. Seth made this?

This needs to be seen.

I have an idea, but I think
I'm gonna need some help.

Whatever it is, I'm in.

Hi, William, it's Andrea.

I need your help with something.

Dad.

What are we doing here?

What is this?

Andrea?

Thank you all for joining me

for a very different
Festival of Lights.

Okay, watch your step.

The Wildwood
Festival of Lights tradition

began by Becca
Ferguson years ago

was my favorite part
of Christmas here.

A love letter to this community.

Seth Ferguson, out of an
abundance of gratitude

for all that you've done to
bring this town back to life,

your community has written
a love letter back to you.

The Festival of Lights is about
light breaking through darkness.

Restoration after disaster.

Beauty from the ashes.

When I spoke to you, Seth,

about having a festival
this Christmas,

you said, "The trees are gone,

the inn is gone. Where
would we hold the lights?"

Well...

for the past five years,

you have faithfully
made that your job...

along with everybody here.

You are the light holders...

the light bringers.

In the midst of your pain,
you have been relentless

in your determination to shine.

And you've emerged from
the wreckage together

to make something incredible.

A broken bowl mended
with gold made by Aiko.

A brilliant flower

emerging from the
ashes, made by Frank.

A blanket of fireweed

covers a meadow, made by Carmen.

And Becca's tree...

made by the guest of honor
himself, Seth Ferguson.

The fire may
have burned the branches,

but the roots of
this town run deep.

They're connected and alive,
ready for whatever's to come.

Ready to begin again.

Merry Christmas, Wildwood.

How...

How did you, uh...

It wasn't just me.

Everyone showed up, Seth.

Because they love you.

Because you have loved them.

And you just needed to
see it to believe it.

Andie...

And if you say that you
have nothing to offer me,

I will punch you in the face.

That's...

That's aggressive.

I don't need a hero.

I don't need saving.

But I want you, Seth Ferguson.

You're kind and generous

and tender and smart and funny.

So talented.

Incredibly sexy.

And I love you.

And you cannot tell me

how I will or will not
feel about it, okay?

Okay.

Do I get to talk now?

Yeah, I guess you could talk.

Actually, I don't wanna talk.

I have one more gift for you.

It's the new final
page of your book?

Yeah.

Lucian lives?

Lucian lives!

What made you change your mind?

You did.

For 13 years, I've
been chasing the way

that I felt with
you that summer.

In my writing, in my life.

I think I killed Lucian
because I'd given up hope

that that was real.

And I wanted my writing to
reflect truth and not fantasy.

And now?

It might not be
fantasy after all.

I love you, Andrea Metcalf.

I always have.

I always will.

You can call me Andie.

Are you sure about that?

I mean, you've been
pretty back and forth.

- I mean...
- Shut up and kiss me.

♪ It's Christmas time

♪ And there's still no sign

♪ That you are
coming home to me ♪

I am here again with one
of my favorite guests,

mega hit author Andrea Metcalf.

This time in her new home.

Thank you so much for joining
me here on Christmas Eve.

You know,
people primarily know you

from your fantasy romance
series, Broken Arrow,

which is currently being
made into a TV series.

- Am I right about that?
- Yeah. Yeah.

Filming is underway
in New Zealand.

But we are not here to talk
about Broken Arrow, now, are we?

Not this time.

Now, you have a
brand-new book out.

It's already at the top

of the New York Times
bestseller list,

and it's only been
out for one week.

Yeah, Fragments of Light.

The first installment in a new
fantasy romance series, right?

That is true. Yeah.

It's set in a fantastical world,

but it's grounded in truth,

filled with very real
people in a very real place

with a very real love story.

- Your love story, I'm told.
- You're right.

Which began here.

- Am I right about that? Okay.
- Yes, that is true.

Now, this love
story inspired you

to pour all of your
earnings from your last

Broken Arrow book
into this town.

So tell me, where are we?

We are in Wildwood's first
official art gallery.

So, six years ago,
the Wildwood fire

almost wiped out this
entire community.

And when I was visiting
last Christmas,

I was just so inspired

by their resilience
and their fight

and the way that their pain
and pursuit of the light

poured into their
art. I knew that...

I needed them to have
a place to display

their work that
was worthy of them.

And you started a foundation.

Yeah, I-I just...

I wanted to speed up the
process and get these families

into their new homes
as fast as possible.

This town is lucky to have you.

No, it's the other way around.

I found a love that
I thought I'd lost

and a community that I
didn't know that I needed.

I'm the luckiest one of all.

How are you?

Oh, there you are.

Gift for my poor eyes.

You fix up well.

I learned from the best.

♪ Christmas time

♪ Christmas time

So how does it feel

when you're in Wildwood?

You still happy
with your choice?

Is that even a real question?

♪ Almost gave up on love

♪ I was close to my end

♪ Had a life of my own

♪ No more need to pretend

♪ Once there was a fire

♪ But that flame had dimmed

♪ No more second chances

♪ No more giving in

♪ But you were worth the wait

♪ Worth the pain

♪ Worth the time

♪ Worth the trades

♪ The trace of faith

♪ And you hold me down

♪ And you be around